MpgTips.co.uk

It’s no news flash that petrol doesn’t appear to be getting any cheaper. People everywhere are asking what they can do to save fuel, and often the answer is to change your car to one that’s more fuel efficient. That’s simple, right? But what type of car should you choose? Just maybe, you should try a hybrid car.

Hybrid’s are the talk of the town these days. Current hybrids like the Toyota Prius & the Honda Civic Hybrid are both stylish and available in great colours, they will make your daily commute less expensive and more enjoyable. Once you examine the characteristics of a hybrid, how could you not choose to run to the car dealer right now and buy one? Well, we all wish we could just simply do that, but before you run out and take the plunge, maybe you should learn a bit more about these cars.

A hybrid car is a vehicle that uses an electric motor combined with a conventional internal combustion engine. A combination of a conventional propulsion system and a rechargeable battery bank installed onboard the vehicle work together to give the vehicle better fuel economy than conventional petrol or diesel cars, that’s the generalised theory anyway.

Top Hybrid Cars of 2008 is a video I found that might interest you, take a look.

Hybrid cars work differently to battery electric vehicles because the battery bank used in a hybrid car does not require charging from an external source. Instead, in order to get a charge, kinetic energy is generated by way of regenerative braking. Furthermore, some hybrid cars make use of their own combustion engine to create electricity. The combustion engine does this by spinning an electrical generator or alternator . The spinning does one of two things. It can either recharge the battery or in a more direct way, it can cut out the middleman and give power directly to the electric motor. This motor is what then drives the vehicle.

Therefore, because this fuel-sipping vehicle can generate its own electricity, it is very different from a vehicle that is run strictly on batteries. But, there is no waiting while your car charges up outside in the garage before you go to work. All you have to do is get into the car and drive.

It is true that some people have experimented with electrical vehicles in the past. However, the introduction of the hybrid cars outdid these types of cars when they came on the scene.

Because the hybrid car is so innovative in the way it powers itself and the way it is able to save you money on fuel, it’s currently believed to be the car of the future. At least that’s what many car makers believe, and many consumers agree with them. In the next generation of new cars, a factory fitted ‘bolt-on’ hybrid should become available from many makers, there are many rumours in the industry to suggest that this new wave of bolt-on hybrid options will become a reality. Hybrid cars are expected by some to become the industry standard in the very near future.

So if you want a car that’s enviromentally friendly, saves you money on fuel, and benefits from a lower road tax band, perhaps you should invest in a hybrid. As the car industry is still too far away from a viable hydrogen/water fuel alternative, buying a hybrid electric vehicle is probably the most sensible alternative for those looking to buy a new car today.

Driving Style Tips for UK Motorists

I cannot stress enough the impact your driving style has on fuel economy. You must adjust your driving style to suit both, the vehicle you are driving, and the environment you are driving in. To get the best out of your car, you must first properly understand the fundamental driving techniques to use, but more importantly, WHY YOU SHOULD USE THEM! One obvious thing to mention at this point, is that although I will include tips for cars with an automatic gearbox, these articles are biased in favour of cars with a manual gearbox. There are many reasons for this, not least the obvious fuel penalty with a conventional autobox. If you can’t live without an automatic, there are CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) based automatics, which offer little, or no fuel penalty over a manual gearbox. Please note at this point, that I won’t be covering petrol cars that are fitted with a turbocharger, as you would probably own it for all the wrong reasons!

I’m going to hazard a guess here, and say that around 90% of petrol cars on UK roads in 2008, have Electronic Fuel Injection or EFI, older cars used carburettors before EFI became the norm. You need to be aware that some of the methods your ‘dad’ told you to use, do not work so well in modern petrol cars. Cars fitted with EFI have something your daddy’s car didn’t have, A FUEL RETURN PIPE! Yes, quite simply put, it’s a pipe that will return unused fuel to the tank. Q: When does that happen then? A: Every time you take your foot OFF the accelerator. This is where most people make a BIG mistake, they start thinking that if they coast along the road in neutral, and keep their foot off the pedal, they won’t be using any fuel, …WRONG!!!!!! Here’s why. You’re driving along and you come to the top of a big hill, and you start thinking to yourself, I’m gonna freewheel down this and save some fuel, so you stick it in neutral and coast down the hill on tickover, WRONG AGAIN!!!!! WHY? Because, when you were coasting down the hill in neutral, your engine was ticking over, so it was using fuel, and not returning it to the tank! Now, at this point, you might be thinking, ‘but I still saved fuel’ and I would say ‘Yes you did ‘grasshopper’, but what you should have done at the top of the hill is this. – At the top of the hill you should have taken your flipper off the go pedal, and left the car in gear, now you should use engine braking to go down the hill, stepping down a gear or two to slow yourself, and a little foot brake if needed, or if it’s a big open road ahead, you could just have left it in 5^th or 6^th and gather speed. Why use engine braking, I hear you ask?, it just doesn’t make sense? – well it’s quite simple really. When you go down the hill using my method, if the car is still in gear when you take your foot of the accelerator, the engine will not be using any fuel, I mean NONE WHATSOEVER!, it just returns it to the tank. If you let the revs drop below around 1000rpm, tickover will kick in to stop the engine from stalling, and you will be burning fuel. Whereas, if you take your foot off the pedal, but keep the engine revs above the point (approx 1000rpm) where tickover kicks in, your car will not be using any fuel. The point of that example is to get you to use engine braking whenever possible, simply because it cuts off the fuel supply to the engine. When approaching junctions or traffic lights, work your way back down to second gear when possible, to keep the fuel supply cut off for as long as possible, but never shift down into first while the vehicle is in motion, I know 99% of you will know this, it’s just for the 1% who don’t know. Just one more tip for this section, on the subject of cold starts in the morning. When you start your car in the mornings for the first time, some of you will sit there for 5 minutes to warm the engine up. The almost traditional engine warm up, is a blatant waste of fuel, it is totally uneccesary and will play havoc with your mpg figures, driving off immediately after starting your engine in a non turbo petrol car is much more fuel efficient.

Edit: I came across this video made by a Jeremy Clarkson wannabe in the UK, its a bit nerdy but he makes a few useful points. Anyway Clarkson can rest easy and his job is definately safe for a little while longer.

Diesel is often looked at as being smelly, noisy, and many think the only place for it is in a tractor. The truth to diesel vehicles is that they are slow, noisy, smelly, although they are cheaper to run than gas.

Diesel engines aren’t as powerful as gas engines, as gas engines produce more horsepower than that of a diesel engine. Diesel vehicles however, offer more torque than gas. Therefore, it is a very thin line as to which one is better.

When it comes to power, diesel is the more expensive of the two. Diesel powered vehicles are normally more expensive to buy than gas, and the parts are a lot more expensive than gas vehicles. The diesel however, is more reliable due to it being less complicated internally and heavier to build, therefore it normally lasts longer than gas engines.

Economy is always a factor as well, as will fuel prices being what they are. Now days, it costs a small fortune to fill up a gasoline vehicle, especially the bigger engines. When it comes to fuel, diesel is generally less expensive. You can fill up a diesel vehicle for less of a price, and the fuel will normally go longer than gas will.

Appearance is also important. Diesel is generally loud, with the exhaust emitting black smoke when the vehicle is throttled. You can normally tell when a diesel pulls off by the black smoke it leaves behind. Keep in mind, this isn’t a problem with the engine, just means that the fuel is dirtier.

Tuning is also important. Gas engines are more tunable than diesel, as you can get better power increases from gas than you can with diesel. The major thing diesel owners tend to go for is turbo, as it is one sure way to match gasoline in terms of power.

A turbo charged diesel can and will match a standard gasoline engine for power, if not slightly better it a bit. This is why most diesel cars come turbo charged, as its a way to keep up with the modern diesel engines of today.

When it comes to making the choice, you really have to choose what is best for you and your needs. If you want power with plenty of tuning options, then gasoline engines are what you want. On the other hand, if you want power and torque, then a diesel vehicle is what you want.

The choices are entirely up to you, as there are certainly plenty to choose from. Always check out the vehicle you are interested in, and find out if it will match your needs. Before you know it, you’ll have a diesel or gas vehicle that will perform well beyond your expectations.

Currently in the US market there are a few types of people looking for small, fuel efficient cars. Traditionally, those people have been the types to wait in long lines for Smart ForTwo tests drives and Prius ownership: the treehuggers (of which I am a part, so I say it with love). With gas prices skyrocketing and the threat of global recession looming on everyone’s mind a new buyer has sprung up: the frugal new car buyer.

As gas gets more and more expensive, fuel economy will become more important to the cost of total ownership. These days, it’s not hard to make the case for buying a Civic Hybrid in terms of payback and fuel costs, especially with gas prices expected to rise in the next few years. However, not everyone wants a Prius, needs a Prius, or can afford the upfront cost expecting to be paid back in several years.

This leaves a large segment of people who wish to save money on both gas and the initial cost of the vehicle. Traditionally, these people have bought things like the Civic and Corolla, but with those cars getting bigger and more expensive over the years, people have been looking for other options. Currently, there aren’t many besides the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. They’re definitely both good cars, but consumers are still want for more variety and selection.

That’s why I was so surprised when I read this today:

“The Mazda2 is a very good product, and we’ve received very strong requests from dealers. But it is still under study,” said Mazda president Hisakazu Imaki in a report about the possibility of the small car’s North American debut.

“One of the biggest factors (for why) the decision hasn’t been made is that the Mazda3 is still enjoying strong sales,” Imaki said.

This is the story we hear from automakers time and time again. They’re selling cheaper, more fuel efficient cars in other markets, but because of the lower profit margins aren’t selling them in the US. Especially since that would take some of that frugal, efficiency-minded market away from the small cars currently for sale.

But what’s the solution? Well, like other countries have done, we could institute tougher fuel economy regulations. The automakers sure whined about the new CAFE regulations the last time around, but if they’re not in a rush to bring more fuel efficient cars to market in the US, the regulations obviously aren’t that strict. While more regulation might seem onerous, I posit that the burden will be primarily in marketing existing vehicles in North America, and not in a complete technical revolution of any sort.

Why It Pays To Get Good Fuel Economy

by: Benji O. Anosike

Judging by several public opinion polls and surveys periodically conducted among motorists and consumers by reliable national polling organizations, automobile gas costs and prices have been at the very top of the consumer concerns in Canada and the United States in recent years.

Clearly, high and escalating cost of fuel are a great source of worry and concern by the consumers in these countries, and most consumers would love nothing better than to have them in the lower range today, as in the yester years. In deed, just about everybody and every institution in the society, including the government of the day, frequently tell us that having lower prices and costs for fuel would be just about the most desirable and beneficial thing for the society and for almost everybody – economically, politically, and militarily. (more…)