Thursday, February 21, 2008

Drive a Hybrid Car in an Economic Way

There are many ways to improve your car's fuel consumption, car manufacturers introduce more and more technologies in this respect, but the most important factor which can determine a car's fuel economy is the driver itself.

Here are some tips on which you can get better mileage from your car. Be smooth with the acceleration. It is very important to slowly increase your car's speed if you want the fuel to last longer. If you press hard on the gas pedal, a greater amount of gas will be burned.

Look ahead and analyze the situation in front of you. Do your best to avoid getting your car to a sudden stop. If you stop completely your car, you will require more gas to star it again than if you kept a very slow tempo, but did not completely stop your vehicle.
Remember, the base rule is that the faster you go, the more gas your car will require. No matter if you have a small or a big car, because the greater the speed, the more air resistance your car will have to overcome and thus consume more fuel. Another trick is to have your tires inflated to the maximum allowed pressure. It will reduce tire drag and help you reduce your gas consumption. When driving a hybrid car, try to coast as much as possible, because at lower speeds these cars run only with their electric engine. It is the best way to assure a better mileage from a hybrid car, avoid as much as you can operating the gas engine. Because the batteries of a hybrid car are recharged during braking, when you approach a stop light slowly press the brake pedal in advance. More energy will charge the batteries than in the case of a powerful sudden stop.

The mileage numbers you hear in advertisements on hybrid cars are only obtained in ideal situations with a smooth drive. Unless you try to do the same, you will not come close to the mileage you read about. But these tips do not apply only to hybrid cars. No matter what type of vehicle you are driving, following these tips can get you saves in fuel consumption.

Be sure to maintain your car in a good operating shape if you expect low fuel consumption. For example, a properly inflated tire can raise your mileage with up to 3%.

Change your oil and fuel, oil and air filters regularly and with quality products, because your car will run smoother and it require less stress from the engine.

Keep your speed at decent levels and do not accelerate rapidly to the desired speed. You can gain up to 33% fuel economy if you do not drive your car with excessive speeds.

Reduce the amount of time you idle your car. You will obtain significant fuel economy if you warm your vehicle by driving slowly until the correct operating temperature is achieved rather than idling it.

Reducing the weight you carry also can save you some gas.



Source: http://www.postarticles.com/Article/Drive-a-Hybrid-Car-in-an-Economic-Way/101315

No comments: