Alliance to Save Energy Helps Motorists Get Better Mileage, 'Fill 'Er Up' Less Often

WASHINGTON, May 26, 2005 -- It's the start of the summer driving season - and gasoline prices, despite a recent downturn, are at a record level heading into any Memorial Day holiday weekend. But with vehicle maintenance and driving tips from the Alliance to Save Energy, motorists can get better mileage and make fewer trips to the gas pump:

  -- Keep tires properly inflated to improve your gas mileage by more than
     3 percent and to extend the life and ensure the safety of your tires.

  -- Keep your car properly tuned up to improve gas mileage by about 4
     percent.

  -- Use the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil to improve your
     gas mileage by another 1-2 percent.  Select motor oil with "Energy
     Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains
     friction-reducing additives.

  -- Check and replace air filters regularly.  Replacing a clogged or dirty
     air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10
     percent, and a clean filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside
     of your engine.

  -- Improve mileage by up to 40 percent by replacing a faulty oxygen
     sensor.

  -- Curtail aggressive driving.  Speeding, rapid acceleration, and rapid
     braking all waste gas - and curb mileage by as much as 33 percent at
     highway speeds, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).  Nix
     jack-rabbit starts, opting instead for slow acceleration from a dead
     stop.

  -- In addition, speeding wastes gas - and your money.  Each mile per hour
     you drive over 60 mph is like paying an extra 10 cents per gallon,
     according to DOE.

  -- When buying a new vehicle, think high gas mileage.  Check out the DOE
     website, http://www.fueleconomy.gov/, and the ACEEE website,
   http://www.greenercars.com/, for information on fuel-efficient
   vehicles.  Learn about current electric drive vehicles on the Electric
   Drive Transportation Association website,
   http://www.electricdrive.org/.
   
   -- Get a $2,000 federal tax deduction this year when you purchase a
   hybrid-electric car.  Next year, the deduction drops to $500.
   
   -- If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets better gas
   mileage whenever possible.
   
   -- Pack lightly when traveling, and avoid carrying items on your
   vehicle's roof.  An extra 100 pounds in the trunk cuts a typical car's
   fuel economy 1-2 percent.
   
   -- Avoid idling, which gets 0 mpg.  Cars with larger engines typically
   waste even more gas at idling than cars with smaller engines.
   
   -- Combine your errands into one trip and plan your routes carefully to
   drive fewer miles and use less fuel.
   
   -- If available, use your vehicle's overdrive gear when appropriate to
   reduce engine speed, save gas, and decrease engine wear.
   
   -- Use cruise control to help cut fuel consumption by maintaining a
   steady speed during highway driving.
   
   -- When renting a car, ask for a model that gets better fuel economy.
   Also, remember to fill up the tank before returning the car to the
   rental company, which always charges much higher gas prices - and
   sometimes an extra gas surcharge.
   
   -- Carpool and use public transportation whenever possible.  And consider
   telecommuting if your employer allows it.
   
   -- Protect your health and your pocketbook by walking to your destination
   whenever possible.  You'll lose weight, lower stress, save gas and
   money, and reduce pollution.
   
   -- Find additional tips for saving fuel and money from the American
   Automobile Association at
   http://www.aaanewsroom.net/Files/gaswatch02.pdf.
   
   -- See Alliance gasoline-saving tips in Spanish at
   http://www.ase.org/content/news/detail/1608.

The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, economy, and national security.