PASSENGER CAR FUEL CONSERVATION

Detailed information on the way passenger car fuel consumption is affected by how people drive and by the care taken to keep car engines and tires in proper running order was sought through highway test operations. Test operations included: (1) measurement of the fuel consumption of a sample of 93 drivers for operation under specific sets of urban driving conditions, (2) measurement of the fuel consumption of a sample of 22 passenger cars both for operation before and after a major tune-up, (3) measurement of the fuel consumption of a single passenger car for both low and high ranges of acceleration rates and for stop cycles, stop-cycle frequencies, and for various road design details, and (4) measurement of the fuel consumption of a sample of 18 passenger cars for a given tire inflation pressure and for a pressure equal to 80 percent of the given tire inflation pressure. All fuel consumption measurements were made with a fuelmeter capable of measuring fuel consumption to the nearest 1/1,000th of a gallon. The findings of the study include: 1) passenger car tune-ups do not improve fuel economy unless there is some definite fuel-wasting malfunction in the car, 2) radial tires reduce passenger car fuel consumption by approximately 7 percent for the same tire inflation pressure, and 3) fuel economy varies strikingly among drivers, with those accelerating from stop at an even steady rate having the best fuel economy.

• Corporate Authors:

  Claffey (PJ), Consulting Engineer

  26 Grant Street
  Potsdam, NY  United States  13676

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Highway Planning, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Claffey, P J
• Publication Date: 1976-7

Media Info

• Pagination: 244 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Conservation; Energy; Energy conservation; Fuel consumption; Gasoline; Measurement; Mechanical acceleration; Performance evaluations; Performance tests; Speed control; Tires; Transmissions; Vehicle power plants; Velocity
• Old TRIS Terms: Acceleration physics; Automobile engines
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00154051
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/Pl-77/009 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FH-11-8490
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 17 1978 12:00AM