Inflate your tires
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Summary
Ensure your tires are properly inflated to save fuel, money, and reduce pollution. Check your tire pressure regularly and use a gauge to ensure they are at the recommended level.
Description
Ensure your vehicle tires are properly inflated to increase your fuel efficiency, save money, and reduce pollution.
Under-inflated tires will cause your fuel economy to drop by an average of 0.4 percent for every PSI (pounds per square inch) drop from the recommended manufacturer tire pressure. This might seem like little. However, globally, light-duty passenger vehicles account for 50 quadrillion BTUs (British Thermal Units) of energy consumption annually. Sorry, I just like that number! Ha!
What does that mean? Well, by losing 0.4 percent for an average of 1 PSI drop in tire pressure, that means that globally, we burn 655 million liters just because our tires are not inflated properly.
(The math logic if you want to go there: Light-duty passenger vehicles use 50 quadrillion BTUs of gasoline annually, and 1 liter of gasoline = 30,489 BTU. Then 50 quadrillion BTUs/year divided by 30,489 BTU/liter = 1,639,935,714,519
Under-inflated tires will cause your fuel economy to drop by an average of 0.4 percent for every PSI (pounds per square inch) drop from the recommended manufacturer tire pressure. This might seem like little. However, globally, light-duty passenger vehicles account for 50 quadrillion BTUs (British Thermal Units) of energy consumption annually. Sorry, I just like that number! Ha!
What does that mean? Well, by losing 0.4 percent for an average of 1 PSI drop in tire pressure, that means that globally, we burn 655 million liters just because our tires are not inflated properly.
(The math logic if you want to go there: Light-duty passenger vehicles use 50 quadrillion BTUs of gasoline annually, and 1 liter of gasoline = 30,489 BTU. Then 50 quadrillion BTUs/year divided by 30,489 BTU/liter = 1,639,935,714,519
Tips
• When it comes to having the correct tire pressure in your vehicle, this can vary slightly. A quick search online for your make and model should give the right target.
• There are several ways to tell if your tire pressure is low. You can use a tire pressure gauge by removing the cap on your tire valve and inserting the gauge. Alternatively, some newer vehicles have their own tire pressure monitoring systems. In the worst-case scenario, if you notice decreased responsiveness and ride quality, it could be due to low tire pressure.
• Changes in outside temperature can affect the pressure inside your tires. Check them regularly around changes of the seasons.
• Over-inflating does not help. Tires are designed to be at a specific pressure. If you over-inflate your tires, it may deform them and change the contact surface with the road, leading to wear on the tire's surface. So again, your tires wear out sooner.
• Keep an eye out for the future of tires that are more sustainable options. How about an eco-friendly wood-based tire? Or perhaps turning food scraps to biodegradable, airless wheels?
• There are several ways to tell if your tire pressure is low. You can use a tire pressure gauge by removing the cap on your tire valve and inserting the gauge. Alternatively, some newer vehicles have their own tire pressure monitoring systems. In the worst-case scenario, if you notice decreased responsiveness and ride quality, it could be due to low tire pressure.
• Changes in outside temperature can affect the pressure inside your tires. Check them regularly around changes of the seasons.
• Over-inflating does not help. Tires are designed to be at a specific pressure. If you over-inflate your tires, it may deform them and change the contact surface with the road, leading to wear on the tire's surface. So again, your tires wear out sooner.
• Keep an eye out for the future of tires that are more sustainable options. How about an eco-friendly wood-based tire? Or perhaps turning food scraps to biodegradable, airless wheels?
Additional Resources
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=23832
https://www.baileygreer.com/dangers-driving-inflated-tires/
https://www.baileygreer.com/dangers-driving-inflated-tires/
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Photo Credit
Photo by Frank Albrecht on Unsplash