What Makes a Car Fuel Efficient

WHAT MAKES A CAR FUEL-EFFICIENT? AERODYNAMICS Up to 60% of a car's energy is used to fight air resistance • A car's size, speed, and shape affect how air flows around the vehicle • The smaller the car, the less air resistance it encounters and the less energy it uses SPEED Your gas mileage depends heavily on your driving habits. including how fast you go GAS MILEAGE GAS MILEAGE LOSS GAIN • Driving at constant speeds uses less fuel than frequent bursts of speeding and slowing 55 mph is the average optimal speed for maximum fuel efficiency 90 100 (MPH) ENGINE TYPE Diesel is more efficient than gasoline, and most hybrids are more efficient than diesel • Less powerful engines tend to be more fuel-efficient • Electronic fuel injection in newer cars decreases the amount of wasted gas SIZE AND WEIGHT Lighter vehicles experience less friction and use less energy to get moving • The bigger and heavier a car is, the more energy it needs to run • Reducing the amount of weight in your car can help improve fuel efficiency TOP FUEL - EFFICIENT CARS 2013 Toyota Prius 51 highway/48 city mpg 50 60 70 100 (MPG) 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI Clean Diesel 43 highway/31 city mpg 10 50 60 70 90 100 (MPG) 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 40 highway/36 city mpg 70 80 90 100 (MPG) 2014 Nissan Versa Note 40 highway/31 city mpg 10 60 70 (MPG) 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage 44 highway/37 city mpg 40 50 60 70 100 (MPG) Infographic provided by: Momentum Auto Group www.momentumautoblog.com IMOMENTUM -AUTOG ROUP.C OM Sources: http://www.carsdirect.com/car-buying/what-makes-a-car-fuel-efficient http://sae groups msoe edu/smvl?p=832 http://www.toyota.com/prius/#!/Welcome http://www.vw.com/en/models/passat/gallery.html https://www.hyundaiusa.com/sonata-hybrid/specifications.aspx http://www.nissanusa.com/cars/versa-note?next=header.vehicles.postcard.vlp.image http://www.mitsubishicars.com/MMNA/jsp/mirage/14/showroom/overview.do http://www.chrysler.com/en/2013/300/performance/