How much fuel can you save by inflating a car’s tires?
- July 20, 2022
- 0
On numerous forums, motorists are constantly discussing fuel economy. One of the most popular ways is to increase tire pressure. That is, they need to be pumped a
On numerous forums, motorists are constantly discussing fuel economy. One of the most popular ways is to increase tire pressure. That is, they need to be pumped a little. Is it possible to save on this and how such actions will affect security, the AvtoVzglyad portal says.
To begin with, let’s take a look at how changing tires affects the behavior of the car, that is, its safety. As tire pressure increases, the contact patch between the tires and the road decreases, resulting in poor grip. This allows the car to ‘relax’ in the event of a sharp lane change or a bend on the track, for example. And at high speed, and even in the rain, the risk of aquaplaning increases.
Pumping also shortens the life of suspension components because tires dampen bumps and potholes worse. It feels like it’s fitted with low profile tires. If you drive that long, you will have to replace the silentblocks, which can crack or twist.
IN NUMBERS
A number of car manufacturers, citing their own tests, claim that increasing the tire pressure from two to 2.5 bar can save about 1.5% fuel. That is, do not spend 10 liters per 100 kilometers, but 9.85 liters. Now the 95th gasoline costs about 51 rubles per liter. It turns out that the saving will be about 4 rubles per hundred kilometers. Ridiculous result. And this is if you are driving on a flat country road at a speed of 80 km/h.
If you increase the speed when overtaking, all savings are negated by aerodynamic drag. And if the car has aerodynamics of a brick, then it is not worth being “wise” with pressure. What can we say about traffic in the city, where there are many traffic lights and traffic jams.
As you can see, there is no way to save money by inflating tires. But problems on the road can be serious. If it rains on a winding highway, the driver could lose control of the vehicle and end up in a ditch. Then the attempt to save liters of fuel will have serious consequences. Even if the journey turns out to be accident-free, the tread will come under increased pressure, which will wear out faster than normal. In any case, saving on fuel turns out to lead to considerable costs.
Inflating tires will lead to increased tread wear.
Photo: avtotachki.com
To begin with, let’s take a look at how changing tires affects the behavior of the car, that is, its safety. As tire pressure increases, the contact patch between the tires and the road decreases, resulting in poor grip. This allows the car to ‘relax’ in the event of a sharp lane change or a bend on the track, for example. And at high speed, and even in the rain, the risk of aquaplaning increases.
Pumping also shortens the life of suspension components because tires dampen bumps and potholes worse. It feels like it’s fitted with low profile tires. If you drive that long, you will have to replace the silentblocks, which can crack or twist.
IN NUMBERS
A number of car manufacturers, citing their own tests, claim that increasing the tire pressure from two to 2.5 bar can save about 1.5% fuel. That is, do not spend 10 liters per 100 kilometers, but 9.85 liters. Now the 95th gasoline costs about 51 rubles per liter. It turns out that the saving will be about 4 rubles per hundred kilometers. Ridiculous result. And this is if you are driving on a flat country road at a speed of 80 km/h.
If you increase the speed when overtaking, all savings are negated by aerodynamic drag. And if the car has aerodynamics of a brick, then it is not worth being “wise” with pressure. What can we say about traffic in the city, where there are many traffic lights and traffic jams.
As you can see, there is no way to save money by inflating tires. But problems on the road can be serious. If it rains on a winding highway, the driver could lose control of the vehicle and end up in a ditch. Then the attempt to save liters of fuel will have serious consequences. Even if the journey turns out to be accident-free, the tread will come under increased pressure, which will wear out faster than normal. In any case, saving on fuel turns out to lead to considerable costs.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
I’m Sandra Torres, a passionate journalist and content creator. My specialty lies in covering the latest gadgets, trends and tech news for Div Bracket. With over 5 years of experience as a professional writer, I have built up an impressive portfolio of published works that showcase my expertise in this field.
