Cutting Fuel Consumption: 10 Ways to Improve Your Gas Mileage

There are nothing we, as end users, could do to prevent the hike as this is a global trend. We have to think that the this hike in fuel price is sure to trigger a series of price increment (yes, that's what we call inflation) for all sort of commodities, because EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE TRANSPORTED and eventually consumers will end up paying more for whatever we buy.

What can we, as car users, do to reduce our financial burden? I think there are a variety of ways for us (though they are pretty common sense) to improve fuel efficiency and save money in the process. Regular maintenance, driving responsibly and comparing gas prices can all help in your efforts to reduce your dependence on gas. You can also:-

1. Don't drive if you don't need to (若无必要的话请别开车外出): Think about it, how many small, wasted trips do you take each week where you drive less than a mile or two? If you’re going to the grocery store to do some major shopping it’s certainly understandable to bring your car, but if you’re just going to pick up a couple items, why not walk or ride your bike? Same can be said for trips to friends’ houses, driving the kids to school, etc., etc. Moral of the story: if you don’t drive you don’t use gas; if you drive, plan your route accordingly.

2. Drive more efficiently (学习有效的驾驶技巧): According to the United States Department of Energy, Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking are all inefficient methods that waste gas. In fact, they can deplete your gas up to 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent in local driving. You can also save gas by avoiding excess idling, using cruise control and overdrive control.

3. Observe the Speed Limit (观察时速): While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.
As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.
Observing the speed limit is also safer.

4. Carpooling (also known as car-sharing, ride-sharing, lift-sharing) (共乘汽车): is the shared use of a car by the driver and one or more passengers, usually for commuting. Carpooling reduces the costs involved in repetitive or long distance driving by sharing cars, sharing rental charges, or paying the main car owner In wartime, carpooling was encouraged to save oil. In reducing the number of cars on the road, carpooling decreases pollution and the need for parking space, and in a global perspective, reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Shared driving carpooling can also reduce driving stress.

5. Tires are properly inflated (车轮适当的充气): Think of it this way; have you ever tried to ride a bike that had under inflated tires? It took a lot more work to get up to and maintain speed, didn’t it? Same thing goes for your car; under inflated tires will essentially reduce your car’s gas mileage by two to three percent. While that may not seem like much, this might - if every driver in the United States improved their vehicle’s gas mileage by 2%, we would save nearly 3 billion gallons of gasoline each year.

6. Maintain your vehicle (定时维修汽车): Regular oil changes with the recommended grade of motor oil, the replacement of air filters, keeping your engine tuned and tires inflated can cut your fuel consumption by 10 percent. You can save more money by purchasing an Entertainment Book, which provides hundreds of dollars in savings for regular car care and maintenance.

7. Get the junk out of your trunk (将不必要的物件拿出来): An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle can reduce your miles per gallon by 2 percent. Only carry items you really need.

8. Consolidate your trips (整合您的行程): Take some time to plan your errands so you do not have to make extra trips.

9. Look into alternative energy (找寻替补能源): Hybrids, flex-fuel and diesel vehicles offer alternatives to the everyday gas-guzzlers. When purchasing a new car, you may want to consider some of these options.

10. Other good habits (其它的好习惯): Tighten up the gas cap because gas easily evaporates if it has an escape. Also, shut off the air conditioning and open the windows to reduce your fuel usage by 10-20 percent.