Are fuel efficient tires a hoax?

By Steve Smith


Over the last few years, the consumer demand for fuel saving cars has increased to a great extent. The various environmental issues and fuel price hike are the main reasons behind the increasing demand. Tire manufactures and auto manufacturers have been working together to develop fuel efficient tires. Let's see how these tires work on fuel economy.

Better rolling resistance is provided by the full treaded tires. Rolling resistance slowly reduces by 20% during the lifespan of a tire. The revolution of full and new treaded tires is stronger than the shallow and worn ones. It has been experimented that about 10% rolling resistance results in a 1% to 2% decrease in fuel economy; however, drivers can expect 2% to 4% decrease. New tires truly help in reducing fuel economy. It is always better to check the vehicle's tires to save a lot of money.

One may ask how one can easily lessen car's rolling resistance without using low rolling resistance tires. Having the advantage is not a difficult task. If the air pressure in the tire remains strong enough, the car's tire pressure on the road along with mileage increases up to a fair scale. Thus one should recurrently keep an eye on the tire pressure.

Every ingredient of a tire is equally important to lessen the rolling resistance. It is very significant that a tire is truly fuel efficient, if its ingredients are of high quality. Good rubber quality will increase the fuel mileage to a great extent. There are many kinds of tires that don't provide sufficient pressure on the road. The main concern of the tire developers is to reduce the frictional and heat producing components of a tire. It is very important to have tires with plain edges. Thus, the vehicle achieves better mileage and saves money on fuel.

Now there is a vital question: How can you identify the fuel efficient tires? It is pretty easy to sort out the desired tire. We know that the quality of a tire depends on the quality of the rubber it contains. Tires that bounce can be a good choice. Contrary to this, rubbers that bounce little are of lower quality and they consume much energy during working with any surface. Fuel efficiency can be measured by observing the bouncing nature of the tire.

There are many consumers that have provided positive feedback for fuel efficient tires. Fuel costs can be reduced by using the low rolling resistance cars. The test was conducted on Michelin and Cooper GFE tires. Both the two tires are fuel efficient although, Michelin showed the best result. It was able to save up to 3mpg on the highway and it will save about 100 dollars per year.

Nitrogen can be used in the tires instead of normal air for better results. Using nitrogen is a good idea as it is environment friendly. It helps maintain durable air pressure and sustains mileage.

Fuel efficient tires can help people save a lot of money. They are also environment friendly. Reduction in fuel cost also leads to limited fuel consumption. So it is highly necessary to choice fuel efficient tire as it will simultaneously save money and the environment.




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