EPA Gas Mileage – What You Should Know
Due to rising concerns about global warming and the effects of exhaust emissions from engines using fossil fuels, there is a new standard for EPA gas mileage calculation. These new standards are based on a new, more-accurate method of calculating fuel efficiency. It is this new methodology that is used to calculate the fuel economy miles per gallon on all new cars and trucks, starting from 2008.
Who is the EPA?
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is a US Government body, tasked with assessing possible and actual environmental issues that affect our environment, and indirectly, we the people who live in that environment.
The organization has been around for a while – since 1970 in fact – but increased environmental awareness has lead to their activity building up over time.
Why Is the New Formula Necessary?
Before the new EPA formula came into play, many vehicles used to be rated with a far better mpg than they could ever achieve under real driving conditions. This was because the formula used failed to take into account real driving conditions and issues, such as speeding, cold weather and aggressive driving, all of which impact on fuel economy (your miles per gallon).
Improving the way that average miles per gallon information is calculated means that you are better able to make good choices when buying a vehicle. You save money on fuel costs and, hopefully, will have less impact on the environment.
How Does This Help You?
Well, by having more accurate information regarding fuel consumption on easy to read stickers in the windows of all new cars and trucks sold in the US, consumers can now shop according to their requirements. For instance, you can now easily find, for example, cars that get 30 mpg or more, or even cars that get more than 40 mpg, and make a selection from those “pre qualified” candidates.
Making this information freely available to the public, by an unbiased third party, means that consumers can choose cars that will really save fuel.
What Other Information Does the EPA Provide?
Aside from the new EPA gas mileage statistics on every car, a visit to the EPA website is worthwhile if better fuel economy is high on your list of requirements for your car, or even to check data on your existing vehicle.
Among the information offered on the site is a fuel consumption calculator, that allows you to search based on make, model and year, and provides average fuel consumption data. This can help you to check whether you are driving to save fuel, or even if your car could do with maintenance and repair.
The site also has a section for the greenest vehicles. These are the best fuel economy car, truck and vehicle statistics, and are a great resource when buying a new car.
What Information is Included
When running a search on the EPA site, you can make a comparison between two models, again useful if you are upgrading. You can also calculate the running costs for a year, based on an average of 15000 miles per year.
Information on where specific car models are sold, the emissions of those models, and many other useful pieces of information are included. This helps you to not only choose a car that will save money on fuel, but it let you know where to buy one, and how much of an environmental impact your choice will have.
What Else Can You Do
Once you have used the EPA site’s data to choose and purchase a new vehicle, which offers more miles per gallon as a standard, there are other ways you can improve this. So you can further improve gas mileage, and really save fuel.
When considering the fuel efficiency and emissions problem from all angles, whether it be finding cars that save fuel when buying, checking emissions to find out what your environmental impact is, or choosing a car that provides the best of both worlds, the new EPA gas mileage calculator, and indeed the whole website, is certainly a great resource.
Fuel-efficient cars save you, the driver money, and the environment in terms of less consumption of finite fossil fuel resources, and probably a lower emissions score. So if you are in the market for a new vehicle, or you want to find out more about your existing car, pay the EPA website a visit, and check how your wheels stack up.
Make informed choices, learn how to save on fuel costs, find out how alternative fuels can help you save money or emissions, and start making a difference, and saving money by getting more mpg out of your car or truck today.
