So that is the Tesla Roadster, a new electric car in the US. It can supposedly travel from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just over 3 seconds and and up to or more than 200 miles on one charge. I would assume that if you are continuously driving it in the fashion many people who would buy a car like that would (FAST!), it probably will not be as efficient as 200+ miles per charge. Anyway, it apparently has zero emissions, which is something that caught my interest. Unfortunately, at $100,000 USD, something tells me I won't be getting one anytime soon!
For those of us stuck with regular old gas guzzlers, I think some tips for saving gas, and saving money, are in order.
- Use your car less: The most obvious tip for saving gas. Walk (or bike) as much as possible. Participate in car pools or take public transportation. Combine your trips and plan them more efficiently so that you aren't riding back and forth across town.
- Accelerate gently and less often: Lose the lead foot. The harder you accelerate, the more gas your car guzzles. Consider coasting as much as possible to stop signs and red lights, and turn your cruise control on when you can.
- Don't let your tires become under-inflated: Under inflated tires can create a drag that reduces your fuel economy.
- Use low viscosity engine oil: This will reduce friction in the engine and cause lower fuel consumption. Make sure to change the oil regularly, also.
- Reduce wind resistance: Take that bike rack off of the top of your car and try to avoid tying anything to the roof. This causes resistance and drag.
- Slow down: By dropping your speed from 65 to 55mph, you can increase your gas mileage by 10-15%. Fuel economy starts to drop steadily once you start going over 60mph.
- Turn on your air conditioning: I don't mean consistently drive with your air running, but if you are driving over 40mph, it is more efficient to use your air conditioning than it is to drive with your windows open. This is because the windows being open can cause drag, which will reduce the efficiency.
Focus Organic is the main author on Focus Organic.com. Her real name is Stefanie, and she started Focus Organic to learn more about living green and to share what she learns with the site's readers.
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on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 2:51 pm.
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