Do tires affect fuel consumption? What you should know
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What causes high fuel consumption?
Rolling resistance greatly affects fuel consumption. The larger the marks, the more force is required to break the tire. This simple relationship follows from the fact that the wider the tread, the greater the area of contact between the tire and the asphalt. Even 1 cm more is enough to increase the resistance by 1,5%.
How does tire shape affect fuel consumption?
Tire tread shape also plays a big role in fuel consumption. Experts say that the shape of the sipes, blocks, ribs and grooves of the tread increases rolling resistance by 60 percent. It follows that the more complex the design of the tires, the greater the need for fuel. That is why it is worth choosing tires that are energy efficient.
New EU mark on tires and fuel efficiency
How easy is it to recognize them? In the European Union, a label has been introduced that greatly facilitates the classification of tires by fuel economy and rolling resistance index. The tire manufacturer must indicate on each label:
- a letter from A to G, where A is the highest fuel efficiency and G is the lowest,
- a letter from A to E, indicating the length of the braking distance on a wet surface. And how the highest score determines the shortest stopping distance.
- The 3 classes, i.e. A, B or C, symbolize the level of generated noise.
In addition to labels, at the Autobuty.pl tire store you can get professional help in choosing the right tires. There you will buy tires of above average quality from trusted rubber manufacturers.
How to calculate the average fuel consumption of a car?
Many cars give an average fuel consumption per 100 km, but if you don't have it at your disposal, nothing is lost. You can easily calculate how much fuel you burn, especially when driving in the city. After refueling, check the number of kilometers on the odometer. It is best to remember this number or reset it. Because when we calculate the average fuel consumption, we need to divide the amount of liquid filled in by the number of kilometers that we have traveled since the last refueling of the tank. Multiply all this by 100. The result shows how much fuel the car needs to travel 100 km.
What to do if the car consumes fuel quickly?
First, you need to make sure that this is the case. Now that you've noticed them, you're probably aware of a car's previous average fuel consumption. It is worth recalculating the average fuel consumption after refueling. Once you are sure of excessive fuel consumption, and no indicators will signal a malfunction of the vehicle's components, you can check the tire pressure. They often cause excessive fuel consumption.
Tire pressure and fuel consumption
The higher fuel consumption compared to tires is not only due to their shape. Additional factors contributing to increased fuel consumption include low tire pressure. This was shown by tests carried out by the German Association for Technical Inspection - GTU. It took only 0.2 bar below low pressure to increase fuel consumption by about 1%. After further testing, it turned out that just a 0.6 bar reduction in pressure would lead to an increase in fuel consumption by as much as 4%.
Winter boots in summer? Summer in the country? How about incineration?
Winter tires are not suitable for driving in summer weather conditions. However, there is no ban on this. However, the use of winter tires in summer does not bring good results, even economical ones. However, you should be aware that using tires that are not adapted to the current season will cost you more in the form of more fuel burned! However, if you are not convinced only by the question of fuel costs, keep in mind that winter tires, due to the tread pattern adapted to snow removal, are not suitable for dry surfaces, which significantly lengthens the braking distance. There are other negative effects of using winter tires in the summer, including: increased fuel consumption, faster tire wear, and louder driving.
