Is that Big Mac Costing You MPG in Your Truck?
Tim Esterdahl | Oct 11, 2012 | Comments 4
A new infographic by Allstate and Cars.com says that the biggest factor facing automakers trying to increase MPGs is you. All of you. The trend toward increased obesity is really making it hard for automakers to cut more weight. Put down the Big Mac and check this out.
Apparently, if everyone weighed 150 lbs (like the test driver automakers use to determine max towing capacities), we would all gain 1 MPG.
The reality is that the higher CAFE standards are just going to be harder to meet with the more obese Americans become. And as it turns out, beyond the health risks of being heavier, we could save some money on fuel. With higher gas prices putting a squeeze on everyone’s wallets, saving money could be as easy as eating a salad once in a while.
As the MPG debate goes some of it seems to be centered around what the manufactures can do to increase MPG (lighter weight, more efficient engines, etc.) and some of it is, well, common sense. Being more fuel efficient includes such items as keeping your tires inflated, carrying less cargo and now comes the revelation to simply lose some weight ourselves. Could it be that simple?
What do you think? How can automakers counteract this trend or can they?
Filed Under: TundraHeadquarters.com
Definitely wrong road to go down. Now automakers are blaming the consumers? I guess they don’t want to sell anymore vehicles. If the US have that much weight that causes automakers not to meet CAFE standards sounds totally irresponsible of the automakers. These vehicles are suppose to meet the standards before the consumers buy them. If the consumers uses that weight to push it around then boycott the automakers for 3 months in a row you will see a different story then. The automakers need to balme the consumers feet for getting bad mpg’s. No one wants to 55mph so that right there will change my mpg’s from 17.5 @ 70mph and goes up to 22mpg when I do 55mph. That there has nothing to do with weight.
Easy go boys! Doing 80mph on the motorway will use between 10% and 20% more fuel than doing 70mph, not to mention its illegal! For a 20 mile motorway journey, driving at 80mph will only save you about 2 minutes compared to driving at 70mph anyway!
Listen! Some of us have a love-hate relationship with the gear stick, but the fact of the matter is that correct use of gears can make huge savings on your fuel bill of up to 15%! Make sure you change up into a higher gear as soon as its possible and safe to do so for better fuel efficiency .
Every new car and light-duty truck sold in the United States is required to have a fuel economy label. The label contains the miles-per-gallon estimates that are designed to help consumers compare and shop for vehicles.