Lack of fresh air costs UK motorists £440 million a year

Coinciding with our post on '10 Ways To Get More Miles Per Gallon' Drivers in the UK are losing out on more than £440million pounds by driving with under-inflated tyres.

The research*, revealed by Michelin discovered that not only are motorists letting poor tyre pressure affect their bank balance, but more than 370 million litres of fuel are being wasted each year.

Luckily for the UK, Michelin is racing to the rescue of drivers who are in the dark when it comes to tyre pressures.

The Michelin Fill Up With Air team is taking to the road to offer free tyre checks to help improve safety and reduce vehicle CO2 emissions, while also helping motorists save cash.

Michelin’s head of communications, Peter Snelling, said: “Based on the findings of Michelin's 2009 campaign, if all of the cars in the UK were running on correctly inflated tyres then motorists would save more than £440 million and more than 370 million litres of fuel a year. As a result, CO2 emissions would also be reduced by almost 1 million tonnes.

“Michelin’s 2010, Fill Up With Air campaign is going to be the biggest to date with more than 50 locations included in the tour.

“It really is a matter of life and death and people should learn to check their tyres regularly and thoroughly which is what we can help them to do.

“Tyres that are under inflated can cause poor handling on the road and potentially lead to serious accidents and put lives at risk.

“Last year we checked more than 5,000 cars and the results showed that some motorists in this country are simply not taking tyre maintenance seriously. This year the Michelin Fill Up With Air team will be visiting more locations than ever before, so if we’re in your town please take 10 minutes to come in for a free tyre check.”

Michelin is campaigning to make drivers aware that the wrong tyre pressures can mean tyres wear out more quickly as well as increasing the car’s fuel consumption. With fuel prices at an all-time high it is now more important than ever that people set their tyres to the correct pressure.

Peter Snelling added: “It is not only the nation’s purse which is suffering but the environment too. If motorists consume less fuel by having the correct tyre pressure then they produce less Co2 emissions which is much better for the environment.”

The Fill Up with Air Roadshow will be touring the UK and Ireland from May to October.

*Figures are based on a parc of 30.3 m cars driving 12,000 miles pa at 35 mpg, with fuel costing £1.20 per litre.

10 Ways To Get More Miles Per Gallon

People are often asking me how to get better fuel economy from their car, however, while there are quite a few people asking this question, there are not nearly enough overall! Most people, believe it or not, just take their cars fuel economy for what it is, be it good or bad there is nearly always room for improvement, be it major things like driving with a lighter foot and cruising in higher gears, to the finer details like maximising your cars aerodynamic properties by keeping it waxed and clean - we'll go into that one later!

So, for those of you looking to squeeze every last drop of fuel out of your tank and increase your miles per pound - take a look over these essential fuel saving tips, use them all together, and you will be surprised at the improvement to your mpg and your wallet!

Tyre Pressures

Tyre pressures really can make a big big difference to your cars efficiency. In a nutshell the flatter your tyre the more friction there is on the road and the more energy is required to move your car along, so making sure your tyre pressures are at the right level is essential for not only fuel consumption but safety too. The optimum pressure for your cars tyres can be found in your vehicles manual, sometimes on the inside of your driver side door, and if not then often your cars tyre pressure information can be found on the side of air pumps at petrol stations too. Once you have the pressures right in all four it is a great start to maximising your tanks potential - this little adjustment can improve fuel economy by 5%!!!

I know we are talking about fuel economy here but while we are on the subject of tyres I cannot stress enough to you just how important it is to get your tyres right for safety reasons too. Tyres are the first and last point of contact with the road, and incorrect pressures, be it too high or too low, will have an effect on handling, breaking, ride quality, can result in uneven tyre wear and compromise overall performance. So please put some time into getting it right, you will have a much better all round driving experience.

Using The Right Oil

An oil change is not something all car owners get carry out for them selves these days as this is often part of a routine service packaged with many cars. However, using the right oil in your car is not only advisable in looking after your engine, but good quality oil will allow the moving parts in your engine to operate more efficiently and with less friction which in turn requires less energy to once again power the car. This is proven to improve fuel economy so make sure your car has an oil change from time to time - if you aren't sure if you need one - contact your local dealer and book one in specifying they replace the old stuff with the best new oil for your car.

Air Filter

Having a clean or uprated air filter allows your car to breathe better making for a better fuel to air mixture which allows the petrol or diesel in your engine to ignite easier, this basically means it will require less petrol to make your car move so for cars over 3 years old it can be worth looking into replacing your air filter.

Combine Trips

Try not to do lots of short trips throughout your day or week, stopping and starting and stopping again, especially with a cold engine is a nightmare for efficiency. The idea is to get your car up to temperature and do the majority of your travelling while your car is warmed up - so try not to nip to the corner shop and then come home only to then go out a little later to town and then come back again. This kind of stop starting with a cold engine and short trips will sap the juice so combine your trips and it will add up to improvement over the week.

Cool It

Having the air conditioning on uses fuel even when the car is stationary and having the windows open increases drag on the car when moving at higher speeds. So, the ideal moment to use air conditioning is motorway driving with the windows up, as energy from the engine is at it's optimum, available to power the air con, and try to have your windows down when moving at slower speeds as to avoid unnecessary drag. Both little details but over journeys can save those precious litres!

Nice and Easy

Possibly the worst thing you can do for your fuel consumption is fast erratic driving, especially heavy acceleration from stand still and slow speeds and last minute heavy breaking. Having a heavy foot (pressing the pedal to the floor) will seriously sap your fuel and by scrubbing off speed quickly and heavily this expels your hard earned momentum that costs in fuel and energy to maintain. In short the biggest contributor to wasting fuel is fast driving, so keep it steady and consistent with moderate acceleration all while changing gear at lower revs and you will notice a world of difference.

Weight

Power to weight is key to both performance and economy, try not to keep heavy loads in your car all the time, extra weight requires more energy to move around and therefore uses more fuel. So keep your car light

High Gears

Driving in high gears is a great way to conserve fuel. Changing into a high gear as soon as possible around town will help increase your MPG but especially once you are up to speed on longer journeys and on Motorways, staying in a high gear allows the car to waft along with less effort therefore less energy is used than it does in lower gears.

Idling

If you are waiting somewhere or stuck in traffic for a longer than normal period of time, it is worth turning off your engine because idling not only uses petrol but you aren't even making any progress!

Wax On Wax Off

This is a funny one I came across once. Waxing your cars bodywork can make it more aerodynamic by filling in minute imperfections which in turn helps to reduce it's drag coefficient. Really this is down to a scientific level but every little helps!

Conservatives New Plans For Modern Motoring

Below is a list of promises the Conservatives made as part of their "Vote For Change" campaign regarding their proposed action on fixed speed cameras...

"We will stop central funding for new fixed speed cameras and focus on better ways to make our roads safe, including authorising 'drugalyser' testing technology.

"Road users have had a raw deal under Labour, so we will:

• Crack down on rogue clampers.
• Consult on our Fair Fuel Stabiliser.
• Give more powers to local councils to get traffic moving.
• Introduce a lorry road user charge, so foreign lorries pay their fair share of tax.
• Facilitate the switch to green cars by creating a national car recharging network.
• Crack down on road works, introducing lane rental for some of our busiest roads.

"We will free local transport funding from the requirement to introduce congestion charging and create a Transport Carbon Reduction Fund to support green projects such as initiatives to encourage walking, cycling and bus use or measures to help reduce the need for work-related travel - supported by our roll-out of fast broadband..."

If all of the above points were to be introduced today the future of motoring in Britain dosen't look so bad after all, however, the implementation of such things as we all know takes so long to actually do it'll be a wonder if we see a couple of these new schemes in place within the next few years.

Of all of the above pointers, one of the more likely to be carried out sooner than later, surprisingly, is the introduction of a national car recharging network. Due to the EU commission clamping down on emissions from all major manufacturers, by 2013 we are going to see the introduction of millions of electric cars on our roads whether the government likes it or not and so a stable recharging infrastructure is going to need to be in place sooner than later to both support the citizens driving the cars and the manufacturers making them.

BMW Secret Megacity Eco Car

BMW have recently released more confirming statements that they are working on an all electric, zero emissions, city car called the Megacity. The Megacity is said to be just the first in a line of many new technically innovative and efficiency orientated vehicles that BMW are planning on launching in the future.

With an estimated launch date within the next 3 years the Megacity is positioned to take on the likes of Audi's plug in electric A1 e-tron, which is with no surprise, also scheduled to launch within the same time frame of BMW's Megacity. Among other competitors from the likes of Ford and Infinity to name but a few.

Teaming with carbon-fibre specialist SGL, BMW is making use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastics for the vehicles body panels, clearly indicating a focus on light weight components which will greatly aid in the performance and agility of an electric car and especially the battery range which in early electric cars are often criticised.

At the Detroit motor show this year, BMW displayed an all electric 1 Series to demonstrate its innovation on electric drivetrains. Although it’s not certain if the final Megacity car will share any components with the 1 Series, the Bavarian manufacturer is displaying an early foothold in the soon to boom electric car market.

As part of their Project-i development program, there has been rumors that BMW might be adding another brand to their range in order to sell these new types of vehicles under. But there is no evidence of this just yet.

Dr. Norbert Reithofer, BMW's Chairman of the Board of Management said: "This vehicle will be the first of a range of near-zero emission vehicles. Customers will have the choice between a fully electric drive and a high-efficiency combustion engine. Large-scale production could start in the first half of the next decade. With the Megacity Vehicle, we are also pursuing a radical approach toward establishing a truly sustainable value chain from development to production and sales."

With many key manufacturers planning and announcing production of eco and electric cars within the next few years, it is no surprise that BMW are planning on throwing a lot of resources and investment into this compulsory future technology and by the looks of the concept picture we can expect some pretty cool cars ahead.

Format Wars - What New Fuel Will We End Up Using?

One of the most recent format wars that comes to mind is BluRay vs HD-DVD. A few years ago the tech blogs, websites and news pages were often awash with information, speculation and reviews of which format was dominating the digital entertainment industry each week. There were of course key players on both teams and if it were not for the withdrawal of Toshiba from the format race we might have been left with the choice of 2 or more formats to run your entertainment on - not that this is a bad thing. Lets face it though, most of us aren't really that fussed about what format the disc is that goes in your player, just as long as it does a good job right?

The future of fuel however is likely to be a very different story. What about our new alternative fuels? Which one will dominate? Which companies are going to get a sturdy foothold in the market share, Which fuel will you likely use and which will come to market first?

To cut this short, hybrid cars are already winning the race, which currently leaves, not the notorious oil conglomerates to mop up the money, but instead we are seeing battery manufacturers, with the likes of LGChem, laughing all the way as they struggle to keep up with the demand for ever improved lithium-ion power packs.

At this years Geneva motor show nearly every manufacturers stand featured eco inspiration in their new models and press releases, from Volkswagens super high MPG blue efficiency Polo to Ferrari's 599 HY-KERS. One particular company however, stood out the most; Porche. Typically being a manufacturer of performance orientated (and therefore uneconomical) cars, Porsche simultaneously unveiled 3 new hybrid vehicles this year, a GT3 leMans racer, the jaw dropping 918 Spyder and their all new Cayenne 4X4.

When the Carrera GT was first unveiled or even the first Cayenne just 4 years ago, the last thing on peoples minds would of been efficiency, economy or environmental responsibility. Merely a few years on and the primary focus of Porche's show as it unveiled it's latest range of super cars was it's hybrid technology and advancements in fuel and energy efficiency, demonstrating, that even companies who's last concern that seems to be only a blink ago, is now part of their flagship car, paving the way for the future and setting the benchmark for other companies to follow suit.

Hybrids, however eco friendly they are perceived today, are probably going to be an interim technology in the long run though. While the governments and super companies of the world are for ever recognising the importance of going green and eco, hybrid technology, while seemingly new, is something they have been able to turn their attention to in the short term to maximise green credentials.

The future of automotive design is looking at 100% electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell alternatives as well as cars that essentially power themselves from energy developed by wheel turbines and are carbon neutral as they clean the air in their immediate environment. As a personal thought, if an infrastructure (petrol stations and refineries being the primary candidates) can be developed to support hydrogen as we have done with petrol and diesel, the future of hydrogen powered cars looks healthy. There are already hydrogen fuel stations in California acting as a development program for the technology as well as serving the few hydrogen drivers currently cruising the sunny highways of LA. As we have the option of petrol and diesel today in the future it will not be unlikely to have the option of classic fuels as well as hydrogen and electric available to us at “fueling” stations.

Electric vehicles are already making a big push in the industry too. With the likes of the Silicon Valley designed Tesla Roadster making a prominent statement that performance does not have to be compromised for efficiency. With a 0-60mph time similar to that of a 911 Turbo it is a clear indicator that there is vast potential in the application of electric motors in the future of transport. Further supporting the electric trend is Volkswagen, while not focusing so much on the performance benefits electric motors bring to the table - such as 100% torque 100% of the time - Volkswagen have recently announced their Milano Taxi model which will be cleaning up the streets by 2013. Of course like all of these alternative fuels, in their infancy they each bring with them their own problems and electric cars biggest problem by far is the charging time and range. Where you might be able to drive 250 miles or so on a full charge in the Tesla, the 'empty' to 'ready' time can be 16 hours! Volkswagens Milano Taxi, albeit a lot better still only gets you an 80% charge in 4 hours - imagine standing next to the pump for that long, these are all substantial stationary charging times which the industry needs to overcome as best as it can before the masses will be able to adopt electric vehicles, even if they really want to.

In the grand scheme of things we are just scraping the surface of AF (Alternative Fuel) vehicles and their accompanying technologies, and while traditional fuel prices and gas guzzlers tax brackets are only continuing to rise, there are engines out there developing some fantastic economy figures running on traditional fuels. That being said, we are witnessing a pivotal point in automotive history that will eventually change the way the world fuels it’s transport in years to come.