Fuel Efficient Tires – Tires with Good Fuel Economy

Different types of tires have different fuel efficiency characteristics, so when you are shopping for new tires, you many want to keep in mind how Energy Efficient auto tires are. Of course you should keep your tires inflated to their recommended pressure levels. Tires affect vehicle fuel economy mainly through rolling resistance. Bigger tires, rims and wider tires are heavier, less aerodynamic, and create more rolling resistance. Unfortunately no standard on rating efficiency exists. Bills have been introduced to create such a rating.

An interesting publication on Tire Fuel Efficiency states:

“A 10 percent reduction in average rolling resistance, if achieved for the population of vehicles using replacement tires, promises a 1 to 2 percent increase in the fuel economy of these vehicles. About 80 percent of passenger cars and light trucks are equipped with replacement tires. Assuming that the number of miles traveled does not change, a 1 to 2 percent increase in the fuel economy of these vehicles would save about 1 billion to 2 billion gallons of fuel per year of the 130 billion gallons consumed by the entire passenger vehicle fleet. This fuel savings is equivalent to the fuel saved by taking 2 million to 4 million cars and light trucks off the road.”

Consumer Reports provides data on rolling resistance in their tire reviews for fuel efficient tires.

Bridgestone recently introduced ECOPIA tires with lower rolling resistance. These tires use NanoPro-Tech (Nanostructure-Oriented Properties Control Technology) to reduce rolling resistance and energy loss while maintaining wet traction. Ecopia Tires have been tested to have a 36% improvement when it comes to rolling resistance.

Goodyear has the Assurance Fuel Max tire that Helps reduce energy loss as the tire rolls to save 2,600 miles/4,000 kilometers worth of gas over the life of the tire.

Continental makes the well priced, $90 ProContact tire with ECO PLUS + technology. Their ad shows a $423 savings or 154 gallons of gas over the life of the tire.  Consumer Reports reviewed this tire and gave it a high overall score.  It did not sacrifice wet braking performance or tread life in its quest for efficiency.

Look for fuel efficient tires when you need to change your car’s tires. They will not cost much more and will help keep gas bills down.

Recycled Tires in Playgrounds

photo credit: vxla

What do you do with tires after they have been worn out? You definitely look for ways of recycling them.

Ground-up recycled tires in playgrounds are being studied by the EPA for possible health risks.

A recent study has suggested that kids who are exposed to ground up tires repeatedly, can be exposed to known carcinogens and other toxic chemicals. This may differ from due to different tire formulations.

City vs Suburb Transportation Costs

Gas prices are fluctuating every day. It is logical that living in a city would reduce transportation costs compared to living in the suburbs. You could ride mass transit, walk, or bike to work or to errands and restaurants.

A recent study by the Urban Land Institute quantifies the additional costs incurred in the San Francisco Bay Area by suburbanites. “Bay Area Burden: Examining the costs and impacts of housing and transportation on Bay Area residents, their neighborhoods and the environment.” It shows that there is a disconnect between where people work and where they live resulting in wasted time commuting and money spend on cars and gas.

San Francisco has a household median income of $66,523 and estimated monthly transportation costs of $792. Moving to suburbs greatly increases transportation costs. Antioch $1311, Livermore $1281, Redwood City $1064, Novato $1246.

They arrived at the figures using block-level census household information and modeling factors such as population density and transportation options.

Live closer to work and you will also increase your happiness.

Eco Friendly and Green Car Sharing Services

A recent article on Car Sharing Services reminded us that these services are great ways to get rid of your car and save money. You need to fall within the car share service area of a firm and need to adjust your lifestyle. Urban dwellers with access to public transportation for daily commuting are most compatible with Car Sharing, making it green commuting.

Because the car is not as convenient, you will almost automatically consolidate trips and reduce unnecessary journeys.

No gas, car maintenance, payments, insurance, garaging to worry about! Most charge an application fees then from $5.95 an hour.

You also get a different cars to drive.. Mini coopers, Prius, Scions, etc

Making money on it is another story. ZipCar has been unprofitable over its 10 years of operation.

Car Maintenance to Extend Car’s Lifespan

Car companies continue to make the news. A reminder that the most green thing you can do is to extend the life of your present vehicle and not buy a new car. Even if a new car is a lot more fuel efficient, it takes a great amount of material to produce a new vehicle, not to mention all the carbon emissions involved.

Some tips for extending your car’s lifespan:

• Perform regular Oil Changes
• Check your car’s other fluids regularly
• Check tire inflation pressure and wear, rotate, replace tires when needed
• Wash and wax your car regularly (Use green Car Products)
• Clean the interior regularly. Get it detailed every year.
• Fix any minor problems early on, before they become serious
• Use original equipment parts, not cheap 3rd party ones
• Follow your car’s maintenance schedule
• Enhance your car with a GPS or MP3 player connection

Carbibles.com has lots of ‘Bibles’ to demystiful the various parts of your car.

Cartalk is legendary for their advice.

Posted on April 1st, 2015
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