How to drive to reduce fuel consumption:
Maintain proper air pressure
Underinflated tires are one of the biggest causes of using excess fuel in the world. The American Automobile Agency has stated that operating a vehicle with underinflated tires can result in a 25% reduction in fuel economy.
Select low rolling resistance tires
The lower the rolling resistance, the less effort from your engine, the better the gas mileage. Some additional tips:
Drive at a constant speed, avoiding rapid stops and starts.
Turn off the engine when the car is at a standstill, for example in a traffic jam or at a railroad crossing, if it is safe to do so.
Drive light. Extra weight increases fuel consumption and polluting emissions.
Remove unused accessories like roof racks and luggage carriers, which create aerodynamic drag.
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Pressure is key
Check your tire pressure monthly. Underinflated tires increase fuel consumption. Overinflated tires have less grip.
Choosing your tires:
- Choose tires that have “fuel economy” as one of their main performance characteristics.
- Tires that have “traction” as their main characteristic will often have reduced fuel economy; winter tires and tires for heavier vehicles such as SUV and light trucks might not be the most fuel-efficient.
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FAQ
Read our Frequently Asked Questions.
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Smooth acceleration and braking: jackrabbit starts and hard stops are the biggest fuel-wasters—accelerate gradually and anticipate stops to coast to a deceleration
Maintain a steady speed on the highway: use cruise control where appropriate—speed fluctuations burn significantly more fuel
Reduce highway speed: fuel consumption increases sharply above 100 km/h due to aerodynamic drag—driving at 110 vs. 120 km/h can save 10–15% fuel
Reduce idling: modern engines don't need extended warm-up periods—extended idling consumes fuel with zero forward progress
Reduce excess weight: remove unnecessary cargo from your vehicle—extra weight increases fuel consumption
Significantly. Rolling resistance—the energy a tire expends as it flexes under load—accounts for roughly 20–30% of a vehicle's fuel consumption. Low rolling resistance tires can improve fuel economy by several percentage points. Keeping tires at the correct inflation pressure is equally important: underinflated tires have more rolling resistance and burn more fuel. Note that tires designed primarily for maximum traction (winter tires, all-terrain tires) typically have higher rolling resistance than touring all-season tires—this is a normal and expected tradeoff.
Yes. Switching from winter tires to summer or all-season tires in spring typically improves fuel economy by 2–5%, as winter tires have a softer compound and more aggressive tread pattern that increases rolling resistance. This is another practical benefit of seasonal tire swapping beyond safety. Among all-season tires, products specifically marketed as fuel-efficient or low rolling resistance (often designated with eco-friendly branding or EU tire label grades of A or B for rolling resistance) can deliver meaningful fuel savings over their lifespan.
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