Best MPG Cars: How to Spot a Cool Car Built to Save Fuel
How would you like to instantly know that a car is fuel efficient just by looking at it? I would say this would be a great time saving skill.
The car has come a long way since Ford’s Model T was marketed in America in 1908. For one, it now looks less boxy.
Part of the reason this is so is that developers have been increasingly looking for better fuel economy. Consumers began asking for cars that used less gas without giving up all the comforts like power, speed, air conditioning, security, radio, and of course, looks.
Hence the term automotive aerodynamics. Aerodynamics was first used with airplanes to lessen the effects of the atmosphere on the plane as it flew. What auto researchers realize is that they could be used in cars as well.
Aside from design, the reason cars are losing their boxy hard edges is the term called drag.
Automotive aerodynamics is concerned with the following attributes: drag, wind noise, noise emissions, and lift at high speeds.
Drag is the car’s resistance to moving through the atmosphere at high speeds.
wind noise It is the noise caused by high-speed air whistling through a vehicle.
noise emission It is the general noise created by a car’s engine, tires, aerodynamics, and brakes, which contributes to the general noise heard in an environment such as a city. If multiple cars on the road are poorly designed, the overall noise level of an environment would increase, potentially causing health problems for its inhabitants.
Raise It is the automobile’s habit of moving in an unwanted direction as it reaches and maintains high speeds due to interaction with the atmosphere and the ground.
What does drag have to do with this?
Drag at high speeds is important because the more a car can flow with the air around it while at speed; the better you can devote more of your engine power to the forward motion. At low speeds, drag is not a significant factor.
Amazingly, about 60% of the average car’s engine power is used just to overcome road resistance at moderate speeds! Worse still, this factor increases even more as the car reaches higher speeds.
The best optimum speed for a car of current design on the highway is between 90kph and 110kph.
So the better the aerodynamics of a car, the better the fuel efficiency. Trucks have the worst aerodynamics with their gigantic front profile, flat windshield, and big, wide wheels. The best aerodynamics is attributed to most sports cars, designed for speed.
So what am I looking for?
Without opening the hood to check the engine, cars that have a low drag coefficient generally have:
-Low curved front windshield
-The headlights are aerodynamic to the body
-Side mirrors and door handles are streamlined to flow around the wind
-Vehicle ground clearance has a low profile
-The car has a rearward-sloping teardrop profile to minimize turbulence
-The wheels have less width, if possible. Wide wheels may have better grip but cause more resistance.
-Wheel openings are minimal and would allow air into the wheel.
-The overall shape of the vehicle does not have a boxy look.
What else can be considered for fuel savings?
Engine – a turbo diesel engine is the best combustion engine for fuel economy by virtue of the cost of diesel and the way a diesel engine works
Mileage – Ask for the service log of the car to see which parts have been replaced and which are aged. Do regular maintenance on your car to change oil, fluids and so on.
tires – replace worn or soft tires immediately. Check wheel alignment.
your habits – your driving habits will ultimately save you the most gas on the road
Alternative fuels – can use alternative fuels such as a hydrogen on demand (HOD) system to supplement. This system creates hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) gas on demand from a water medium to mix with air and fuel in the combustion chamber for better performance.
What does a HOD system do?
Hydrogen when compressed and fed into an internal combustion engine:
-Releases more energy than ethanol-based blends, maintaining overall car power
-Fully burns fuel giving cleaner emissions
-Raises the octane level of the fuel, avoiding knocks, making the engine quieter
-Slightly reduces overall engine temperature
-Requires the engine to use less gasoline per cycle
It is safe?
HOD systems generate hydrogen only on demand and are therefore safe. When electricity is not routed through the HOD system, no reaction is generated. There is no hydrogen stored in this system, but it is kept in a medium, which is basically water.
Cost?
Parts are sourced from everyday parts found in hardware and basic electronics stores. The total cost of a basic unit can range from $70 to over $200 USD.
What most HOD companies offer are plans for DIY systems, with offers to build the system for the consumer if desired. In this way, the client can choose to build it himself or buy a unit once the concept is understood after obtaining the plans to avoid fraud.