Car Drivers - What Can You Do to Conserve Fuel?

The OPEC oil embargo of 1973 followed by more stringent EPA exhaust pollution limits precipitated the current Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards which automobile manufacturers are struggling to meet. As energy supplies become more scarce, it is of extreme importance for drivers to understand and take advantage of the factors affecting high fuel economy.

This paper explains the three major pillars of high fuel economy, namely; low vehicle resistance, high fuel energy content, and high overall system efficiency. Based on an understanding of these factors, the driver is better equipped to select an energy conserving vehicle, employ economy maintenance procedures, and learn economy driving practices. The winning University of Saskatchewan Super Mileage Vehicles are briefly cited as extreme examples of the application of these principles with above 700 miles per gallon achieved during competition. Methods are indicated whereby drivers are readily capable of reducing their automobile energy consumption by at least one-half.