[BabyPeanut]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Peak Oil Crisis: Eco-Driving

If you are not yet ready for eco-driving, you will be soon. Once gasoline reaches five dollars or more per gallon, drivers will have only one concern about their vehicles’ performance: “How do I get the most distance out of this tank of gas for which I just paid so dearly?” Performance, acceleration, speed limits, radar detectors, speeding points and all the other concerns that grew out of cheap oil will disappear before the altar of miles-per-gallon. This is where eco-driving (getting the most out of each gallon) comes in.

[MD]

Yes, the gimmicks from the 70's will return. Overinflating tires, additives, slow driving, weight reduction, carbuerator tricks(although modern vehicles are less given to these), airflow tricks, removal of air conditioners.

Personally, I can stand $20+ per gallon for my 95 mile round trip commute, but I don't think my job will survive more than about $6.

[BabyPeanut]

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

[EnemyCombatant]

Does heat [in the car] use up more gas?

[BabyPeanut]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnemyCombatant', 'D')oes heat [in the car] use up more gas?

[dukey]

car engines are something like 30% efficient
most of the energy is simply dumped out the exhaust pipe as heat or the radiator

the heating inside your car most likely uses some of this

[MD]

The blower fan draws load from the engine, reducing mileage whether you are drawing heat or not.
You may actually get a very small but measurable efficiency difference, up or down, by pulling heat from the engine

[EnemyCombatant]

So if you put your blower on low and just get the heat from the engine, you are probably being pretty efficient?