How Does Tire Pressure Affect Fuel Economy?

Driving a car daily is a necessity for many people. When you drive and own a vehicle of any kind, it is important to keep it — and its tires — in good condition. While quality car tires that are kept in good condition can ensure traction and stability, they can also help you manage fuel efficiency. The tire pressure can affect your fuel efficiency for a variety of reasons. 

Increased Rolling Resistance

Many wonder why does under inflated tires increase fuel consumptions. The main reason for the increased price at the pump is due to increased rolling resistance. Rolling resistance is the amount of resistance that your tires make when driving on the road. When a tire is low in pressure and is flatter, more of the tire will touch the road when driving. Not only is this bad for the tires, but the resistance will be increased as well. Due to this, even a slight change in PSI in the tires will increase resistance and reduce your fuel efficiency. 

How Much Does Tire Pressure Affect Efficiency?

While it is clear that fuel efficiency is affected by tire pressure, understanding the total impact is important. Generally, your tires should be inflated to about 30 to 32 PSI. Any level below this will start to affect fuel efficiency; a 1% reduction in tire pressure will correlate to a 0.3% decline in fuel economy. As a car can lose a couple of PSI naturally each month, you could see your fuel efficiency decline by as much as 5% even if the tires are in good shape. Due to this, you should be in the habit of checking tire pressure and filling them up regularly. 

Impact of Replacing Tires

If you notice that your tires are having a hard time retaining air and pressure, it may be time to replace them. However, you should be aware that you may not see an immediate improvement in fuel efficiency. For those wondering does gas mileage drop with new tires, the improved air pressure in the tires can be offset by additional resistance caused by more tire tread.

While this additional tread can provide you with more traction and stability, the additional friction it causes can slightly impact your fuel efficiency. This impact will slowly go away as the tread wears down. 

If you are an owner of any type of vehicle, you will want to ensure your car is as efficient and safe to drive as possible. One way that you can improve both fuel efficiency and safety when driving is by ensuring your tires are properly inflated. Tire pressure can impact your fuel efficiency in a number of ways. 

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