Rajan Wilcox
Fuel economy is a hot topic, with many of us looking to cut costs and reduce our environmental impact. But how do you know what your car's real fuel economy is? The advertised MPG (miles per gallon) figures are often misleading, with real-world economy sometimes up to 24% lower than the official figures. This is due to a number of factors, including driving conditions, weather, and traffic, as well as differences in driving styles, such as aggressive driving or frequent idling. Some car models are also better at accurately calculating fuel economy. To get an accurate picture of your car's fuel economy, you can use a simple calculation: fill your tank to the brim, note the number of litres, and then calculate the distance covered by looking at the mileage. You can then divide the miles covered by the number of gallons you put in. There are also websites and apps that can help you track your fuel economy over time.
Fuel economy of my car
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fuel economy calculation | Miles per gallon (MPG) or kilometers per liter (km/L) |
| Factors affecting fuel economy | Traffic, weather conditions, driving habits, vehicle weight, road conditions, vehicle type, fuel type |
| Fuel economy tracking tools | Fuelly, What Car? Real MPG Calculator, cellphone apps, trip computer, spreadsheets |
| Fuel economy standards | JC08 test, 10–15 mode test, Worldwide Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) |
| Fuel economy ratings | Green Rating sticker (UK, Ireland), fuel economy sticker (Japan), star rating (Japan) |
| Real-world fuel economy | Varies, but can be lower than official figures due to driving conditions, vehicle specifications, and other factors |
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What You'll Learn
Fuel economy testing
The process of fuel economy testing typically involves a combination of laboratory tests and real-world driving conditions. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plays a crucial role in evaluating fuel economy. Manufacturers are required by law to test their vehicles, usually pre-production prototypes, and submit the results to the EPA. These tests are conducted under controlled conditions in laboratories using dynamometers, which are machines that simulate driving environments. The vehicle's drive wheels are placed on the dynamometer, and engineers adjust parameters such as wind resistance and weight to mimic real-world conditions. Standardized driving routines, called cycles or schedules, are then performed to simulate typical city or highway trips. Each cycle specifies the speed the vehicle must travel during each second of the test. For vehicles using carbon-based fuels, a hose is connected to the tailpipe to collect engine exhaust, and the carbon measured helps calculate the amount of fuel burned, providing a more accurate reading than a simple fuel gauge.
The EPA reviews the data submitted by manufacturers and confirms a portion of it, approximately 15-20%, through its own tests at the National Vehicles and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The EPA's testing procedures aim to simulate real-world driving conditions as closely as possible, including city and highway driving, to provide consumers with accurate fuel economy estimates.
Real-world fuel economy factors:
It is important to recognize that various factors can affect a vehicle's real-world fuel economy, and it may differ from the EPA's estimates. Driving habits, such as aggressive acceleration or frequent stop-and-go traffic, can significantly impact fuel efficiency. Additionally, environmental conditions like weather, road terrain, and traffic congestion can also contribute to variations in fuel economy. Vehicle maintenance, tyre pressure, and the use of air conditioning or other electrical accessories can further influence fuel consumption.
To track and improve their vehicle's fuel economy, individuals can utilize resources like Fuelly, a website and app that helps calculate and track fuel expenses, mileage, and driving habits. By regularly monitoring fuel usage and costs, drivers can make more informed decisions and adjust their driving habits to improve efficiency.
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Real-world vs official figures
Official fuel economy figures are often higher than what drivers experience in reality. This discrepancy can be attributed to various factors, including differences in driving conditions, vehicle features, and individual driving behaviours.
Standardised tests, such as the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), aim to simulate real-world driving conditions. However, they may not account for factors like traffic congestion, frequent stops, rapid acceleration, high speeds, or terrain variations. For example, today's congested roads result in more prolonged stops than what is duplicated in laboratory tests. Additionally, during standardised tests, certain vehicle features like air conditioning, lights, heated seats, and window washers are typically turned off to optimise fuel consumption figures.
The gap between official and real-world fuel economy figures has been widening over the years. Research by Emissions Analytics found an average difference of 24%, with smaller-engined vehicles and downsized engines in larger cars exhibiting an even larger efficiency gap. In 2017, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) analysed data from over a million vehicles in eight European countries and found a 42% discrepancy between quoted and real-world fuel consumption, a significant increase from the 9% gap observed in 2001.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have also shown a notable disparity between official and real-world fuel economy figures. While larger batteries and longer electric ranges in newer PHEVs have resulted in lower official emission values, data suggests that these vehicles are not being charged and driven electrically as frequently as expected, leading to a significant real-world gap.
It is worth noting that some cars have been found to surpass their official fuel economy figures. For instance, the Skoda Kodiaq vRS, a high-performance SUV, delivered a nearly 43% improvement in real-world fuel economy compared to its official estimates.
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Fuel efficiency tips
Fuel efficiency is a measure of how well a vehicle can convert fuel to energy. The fuel economy of a car is determined by a number of factors, including the type of fuel used, the vehicle's weight, and the driving conditions. To improve the fuel efficiency of your car, you can try the following tips:
Maintain Optimal Tyre Pressure
Tyres that are underinflated have higher rolling resistance, increasing fuel consumption. Checking and adjusting the pressure of your tyres once a month can increase your car's fuel efficiency by up to 3%.
Reduce Weight
The heavier your car, the more fuel it consumes. Remove unnecessary items from your vehicle, such as salt, sand, and sports equipment. For every 25 kilograms of weight, a mid-size car's fuel consumption increases by about 1%.
Minimise Aerodynamic Drag
Aerodynamic drag can increase fuel consumption, especially on the highway. Remove roof racks when not in use and consider taping up cracks between body panels and windows to reduce air resistance. Driving with the windows down at high speeds can also cause significant wind resistance, so it may be more fuel-efficient to use air conditioning at speeds above 80 km/h.
Efficient Driving Techniques
- Keep to the speed limit — most vehicles are most fuel-efficient when travelling between 50 and 80 km per hour.
- Avoid heavy acceleration and braking — by looking ahead, you can often anticipate when to slow down and coast instead of using your brakes.
- Use cruise control — this helps maintain a constant speed and can save fuel.
- Shift gears efficiently — in a manual car, shift through the lower gears smoothly and quickly, and build up speed in the higher gears.
Plan Your Trips
Making multiple stops in a single trip instead of taking short round trips can cut the distance travelled and fuel usage. Additionally, try to avoid routes with heavy traffic and frequent stops, as these can impact your fuel efficiency.
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Tracking fuel economy
MPG Calculators
MPG (miles per gallon) calculators are a handy tool to estimate your car's fuel economy. You can calculate MPG by dividing the distance travelled in miles by the amount of fuel consumed in gallons. Online calculators can save time and money by providing an estimate of the total fuel needed and the cost of a trip. This is especially useful when planning a journey, as it can help you budget and understand the efficiency of your vehicle.
Fuelly
Fuelly is a website and app that helps you track your car's fuel economy over time. By inputting data after each fill-up, Fuelly can help you calculate fuel expenses and monitor changes in your driving habits. This can help you understand the health of your vehicle and make adjustments to improve fuel efficiency.
Lease Mileage Calculators
If you're leasing a car, a lease mileage calculator can help you stay within your lease mileage and avoid extra costs. It takes into account factors such as the number of kilometres covered and the average fuel consumption of your car to estimate fuel efficiency.
Fuel Economy Converters
Fuel economy converters can help you understand your car's fuel efficiency in different units, such as litres per 100 km or gallons per mile. This is useful if you're travelling in a different country or region with different measurement systems.
By using these tools and regularly tracking your fuel economy, you can make informed decisions about your driving habits, vehicle maintenance, and trip planning. It can also help identify any issues with your car's performance early on, ensuring it remains fuel-efficient and cost-effective to run.
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Fuel economy stickers
In the United Kingdom, a color-coded "Green Rating" sticker has been available since 2005, which rates fuel economy by CO2 emissions. The ratings range from A to G, with A corresponding to the lowest emissions and the highest fuel economy. Ireland has a similar labeling system, with slightly different ranges for each rating. These labels are designed to help consumers make more informed choices about the environmental impact of their vehicles.
While fuel economy stickers can provide valuable information about a vehicle's fuel efficiency, it's important to note that there may be discrepancies between the official ratings and real-world fuel economy. A 2014 study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) found a significant gap between official and real-world fuel-economy figures in Europe, with a difference of up to 38% in some cases. This gap may be due to a variety of factors, including differences in driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, and the use of special lubricants or fuel-saving techniques during official testing.
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Frequently asked questions
You can calculate your car's fuel economy by dividing the distance travelled by the amount of fuel used. This can be calculated in miles per gallon (MPG) or kilometers per litre (kmpl).
There are several factors that can influence the fuel economy of your car, including:
- Aggressive driving behaviours, such as rapid acceleration and braking, can decrease fuel efficiency.
- Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage, while properly inflated tires can reduce fuel consumption.
- Using the air conditioning, especially in hot climates, can decrease fuel economy.
- Driving with open windows or additional weight, such as a roof rack, can increase drag and decrease fuel efficiency.
To improve the fuel economy of your car, you can consider the following:
- Plan your route to maintain a steady speed and minimise stops, if possible.
- Carpooling or using public transportation can help reduce fuel costs and improve overall fuel efficiency.
- Drive a smaller, fuel-efficient vehicle with a less powerful engine.
- Ensure your car is properly maintained, including regular tire pressure checks and engine tune-ups.
