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You feel the pain at the pump when you pay for ever-pricier gasoline, but did you know that your vehicle creates about 20 pounds of CO2 per gallon it consumes? That’s about half of what a single mature tree can absorb in a year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes a fuel economy guide that contains helpful tips about how to increase your fuel efficiency. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Maintain your vehicle
Start by tuning your engine – this alone can improve your gas mileage by about 4 percent. Repair a faulty oxygen sensor or replace a clogged air filter to improve fuel economy by much more. You’ll also want to make sure you keep your tires inflated to the recommended pressure and use the recommended grade of motor oil. These two steps can improve economy by up to 5 percent.
Plan and combine trips
Your time and energy are precious, so why not plan all your errands for one day a week? A warmed-up engine is so much more fuel efficient than a cold one that a single, multipurpose trip can consume half as much fuel as several short trips covering the same distance.
Drive more efficiently
Besides safety, there’s another great reason to avoid aggressive driving. Speeding and rapid acceleration and braking can reduce your mileage by as much as 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent in town! Avoid idling, driving with a heavy load and running the air conditioner. And remember that fuel economy peaks between 40-50 miles per hour (mph). Each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph can reduce mileage by 10 percent.
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