Robert Gibson presented on the fueleconomy.gov website. He discussed that the website is a joint effort between DOE and EPA to provide accurate fuel economy information to consumers. It allows users to compare vehicles, learn about tax incentives, track their own fuel usage, and find tips to improve fuel economy. The site has become a major information source for consumers and the media.

1. 7/13/2011
Using fueleconomy.gov to
Save F el
Sa e Fuel and Mone
Money
Robert C Gibson
C.
University of Tennessee Center for Transportation Research
Fuel Economy & Idle Reduction Seminar
July 13, 2011
1

2. 7/13/2011
Today’s Presentation
 What is fueleconomy.gov?
fueleconomy gov?
 Using Find a Car to compare fuel economy and
environmental benefits of vehicles
LLearn about f d l tax i
b federal incentives f f l ffi i
i for fuel-efficient vehicles
hi l
 Using “Your MPG” to calculate and track your fuel economy
and view real-world estimates from other consumers
 Getting the best fuel economy you can using our fuel-saving
tips
2

3. 7/13/2011
What is fueleconomy.gov?
 Consumer oriented web site
Consumer-oriented
 Joint effort by
 Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energ
Rene able Energy (EERE) Clean Cities Program
 Environmental Protection Agency
 Helps fulfill DOE and EPA’s responsibility under the Energy
Policy
Polic Act (EPAct) of 1992 to provide acc rate f el econom
pro ide accurate fuel economy
information to consumers.
 Implemented in 1999 to aid in disseminating fuel economy
information
3

4. 7/13/2011
Our goal…
 Reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas
emissions from passenger vehicles by
 Educating consumers about fuel economy, alternative fuels, and
advanced technology vehicles
 Encouraging consumers to consider fuel economy when
purchasing or operating vehicles
 Providing reliable information that helps consumers make
informed decisions about fuel economy
4

5. 7/13/2011
The Fuel Economy Program’s two
primary products are the annual Fuel
Economy Guide and fueleconomy.gov.
5

6. 7/13/2011
Fueleconomy.gov has several
advantages over printed guide.
 Easily accessible from computer or hand held devices
hand-held
 Consumers can perform research before they go to a
dealership.
 I can be updated when new i f
It b d d h information i available.
i is il bl
 It contains more information than the printed guide.
 Consumers can perform searches, personalize information,
use interactive tools, view videos, etc.
6

7. 7/13/2011
Fueleconomy.gov has become a
major source of information for
consumers…
Traffic on www.fueleconomy.gov by Model Year
45
40
35
ssions (millions)
)
Users
U Unique Vi it
U i Visitors
30
25
20
15
User Ses
10
5
0
000
001
002
003
004
005
006
007
008
009
010
011
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
(data projected for MY 2011)
7

8. 7/13/2011
…and the media.
8

9. 7/13/2011
Find a Car
9

10. 7/13/2011
Find a Car helps consumers find
and compare fuel efficient vehicles
 Data includes all light duty vehicles with EPA MPG ratings
light-duty
from model year 1984 to the present, except for
 Motorcycles
 Vehicles with Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) over 8 500
8,500
lbs. (SUVs and passenger vans with GVWR up to 10,000 GVWR
included as of 2011 model year)
 Search for a specific vehicle
 Find suitable vehicles based on selected characteristics
 Compare vehicles side-by-side
 Vi
View li t of most fuel efficient vehicles
lists f t f l ffi i t hi l
10

11. 7/13/2011
Online “Find a Car” Demonstration
11

12. 7/13/2011
Find a Car will soon have new ways to
search for vehicles.
12

13. 7/13/2011
Fuel Economy
F el Econom tab incl des EPA f el
includes fuel
economy estimates, real-world estimates
from other consumers, and fuel economics
consumers economics.
13

14. 7/13/2011
Fuel economy, environmental, and fuel
economics estimates can be personali ed to
personalized
fit your driving environment and fuel prices.
14

15. 7/13/2011
Energy and Environment Tab shows
petroleum consumption, carbon footprint,
and smog rating.
15

16. 7/13/2011
Safety tab shows National Highway Traffic
Safety
Safet Administration (NHTSA) safet ratings
safety
for many vehicles.
16

17. 7/13/2011
Specs tab shows vehicle characteristics,
such
s ch as interior volumes, si e class dri e
ol mes size class, drive
type, etc.
17

18. 7/13/2011
Find a Car can also be accessed
from your PDA, cell phone, or
other mobile device
18

19. 7/13/2011
Tax Incentive Information Center
informs consumers about federal
incentives for fuel-efficient vehicles
 List of qualifying vehicles and incentive amounts
 Requirements for qualification
 How to claim the credit
 Phase-out and termination of incentive
 Additional information from IRS
 All of our tax incentive information is based on Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) press releases, guidance documents,
and personal communication with IRS staff
 Example: Electric Vehicle Tax Incentives
p
19

20. 7/13/2011
Current Electric Vehicle (EV) Tax
Incentives
20

21. 7/13/2011
“Your MPG” feature helps
consumers calculate, track, and
view real-world MPG
 Calculate and track MPG based on
 Fuel purchase records
 In-dash readout
 B t guess
Best
 Drivers can share their average MPG score
 Drivers must register in order to share MPG
 Error checking helps improve quality and reliability of data
 Consumers can view average MPG for vehicles with data
21

22. 7/13/2011
Online “Your MPG” Demonstration
22

23. 7/13/2011
Your Garage is your home base for
using the Your MPG feature.
23

24. 7/13/2011
Your MPG allows you to
calculate and track fuel economy by
entering your fuel purchase data.
24

25. 7/13/2011
Gas Tips: Getting the best possible
fuel economy out of your car.
 Many drivers are unaware that the way they drive and
maintain their car can reduce fuel economy by up to 33
percent.
 Fueleconomy gov provides reliable unbiased tips based on
Fueleconomy.gov reliable,
peer-reviewed studies and input from our panel of automotive
experts.
 Fuel are savings based on current national average fuel
prices.
 Note: If you are already following our fuel-saving tips, you
may already be getting the best MPG you can achieve
achieve.
25

26. 7/13/2011
Driving style and conditions have
the largest effect on fuel economy.
 Aggressive driving: 5% 33%
5%–33%
 Idling: $0.01–$0.03/min. (AC off),
$0.02–$0.04/min. (AC on)
EExcess weight: 1 2% per 100
i ht 1–2%
pounds
26

27. 7/13/2011
Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL)
Currently Studying Speed vs. Fuel
Economy
 Preliminary results from 50 The V6 4WD midsize cars V6 2WD
cars,
large cars & V6 2WD minivans were
current ORNL study 45
combined due to similar results.
 Data from a major vehicle 40
manufacturer covering 51
g
35
vehicles from various
MPG
manufacturers 30
 Data on 9 vehicles tested at 25 Average for misc. I4 2WD cars (5)
NTRC Ave. for V6 2WD midsize cars (7)
20 V6 lg cars, minivans & 4WD midsize cars (9)
 Data based on laboratory Ave. for V8 2WD large cars (4)
15
tests on a chassis 30 40 50 60 70 80
dynamometer Vehicle Speed (mph)
27

28. 7/13/2011
Speeding can reduce fuel
economy significantly.
 Speed vs. MPG relationship varies among different vehicles
vs
 On average, light-duty vehicles typically reach optimal fuel
efficiency at speeds between 30 mph and 50 mph.
 F l economy drops about 4 mpg f every 10 mph cruise
Fuel d b for h i
speed increase above 50 mph
 Most vehicles examined showed a 3–5 mpg drop per 10 mph
increase over 50 mph.
i h
 Four-cylinder cars showed a 6 mpg drop per 10 mph
increase over 50 mph.
28

29. 7/13/2011
Vehicle maintenance affects fuel
economy.
 Out-of-tune engine: 4%
Out of tune
 Under-inflated tires: 0.3% per 1
psi under-inflation of all four tires
 Wrong motor oil: 1% to 2%
 Dirty air filter: 2% to 6% for older
gasoline vehicles with
carbureted engines
 DOES NOT reduce MPG for
computer-controlled, fuel-injected
gasoline engines
 We hope to test diesel engines in
the near future.
29

30. 7/13/2011
Trip planning and other strategies
can also reduce fuel consumption
 Trip planning can reduce
driving distance and can
reduce the mileage under
cold-start conditions
 Drive your most efficient
vehicle
 Stagger work hours to avoid
congested rush-hour t ffi
t d hh traffic
 Ride sharing and carpooling
 Mass transit
T l
Telecommutingti
30

31. 7/13/2011
Other factors can affect fuel
economy.
 How much you use electrical accessories
 Temperature
 Driving on hilly or mountainous terrain, unpaved roads
 Using four-wheel drive (Vehicles are not tested in 4WD
mode.)
 New vehicles do not obtain their optimal fuel economy until
the engine has broken in. This may take 3–5 thousand miles.
 Energy content of fuel
31

32. 7/13/2011
All gasoline does not have the
same energy content.
 EPA ratings based on tests with 100% gasoline
gasoline.
 Using oxygenated fuels or reformulated gasoline (RFG) can
cause a small decrease (1–3%) in fuel economy.
MMost of the gasoline now sold h a small amount of ethanol
f h li ld has ll f h l
in it—up to 10% by volume depending upon the region. Using
gasoline with 10% ethanol decreases fuel economy by 3–4%.
 Th energy content of gasoline varies seasonally. T i l
The t t f li i ll Typical
summer conventional gasoline contains about 1.7% more
energy than typical winter conventional gasoline.
32

33. 7/13/2011
Some things that don t improve
don’t
fuel economy
 Using a higher grade of gasoline than your vehicle requires
requires.
 Higher octane merely prevents engine knock. There is no fuel
economy benefit.
 Fuel conditioners, gizmos etc
conditioners gizmos, etc.
 EPA has evaluated or tested more than 100 alleged gas-saving
devices and has not found any product that significantly improves
gas mileage. In fact, some such products may damage a car's
car s
engine or cause substantial increases in exhaust emissions.
33

34. 7/13/2011
Thank you for your time and
attention!
34