Whether it’s your fleet or personal vehicle, tyre pressure and tread play a silent but massive role in fuel economy, which is directly linked to fuel consumption and, as a result, fuel costs.
Tyre pressure is often overlooked—that is, until you are lost and stuck in the middle of nowhere, wondering why your fleet or car used a ridiculous amount of fuel over a relatively short distance, not realising that it may have something to do with your tyre pressure, your tread, or both.
According to Forbes, tyre tread contributes to almost a third of a vehicle’s fuel economy.
Learn to save on fuel costs by educating yourself on fuel economy, tyre pressure, and tread below:
It is essential to define fuel efficiency, as many assume fuel efficiency and fuel economy are the same thing.
Fuel economy is specific to distance, and while fuel efficiency is calculated the same way, this concept is simply used to describe how to use fuel, in general, to ensure that as little as possible is used.
Lori Baker’s article for MIT School Of Engineering, “What’s the difference between fuel efficiency and fuel economy” clarifies this difference by explaining that fuel economy means miles per gallon. On the other hand, fuel efficiency is instead used to describe how efficiently fuel is used.
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Petrol prices have caused everyday South Africans and businesses’ fleet management departments to reach much too deep into their pockets, calling for innovative ways to handle fuel consumption. Riding off the Volvo numbers above, it is clear that improving fuel economy is an effective way to reduce fuel costs, whether you are a fleet manager or an everyday car owner.
Find out more about the cost benefits and other advantages of improving your fuel economy below:
Less fuel consumption means less smoke will be released from the exhaust—this smoke contains harmful gases that negatively impact the environment, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide.
Beyond the positive environmental impact, this can lead to good standing with current or new customers, partners, or other businesses.
Using less fuel over a certain distance allows fleet drivers to stop less often to refuel. Fewer stops save time, make deliveries more efficient and improve fleet productivity.
Tyre pressure impacts many parts of your driving experience, from smooth rides to flat tyres. It impacts the safety of the driver and all the passengers or goods in the vehicle. Overall, vehicle performance worsens if tyres are overinflated or underinflated, and high fuel economy is just one of the negative consequences.
Increased fuel consumption means that a vehicle will travel less distance than it could have if there had been less fuel consumption, directly influencing fuel economy. Both overinflated and underinflated tyres can lead to a climb in fuel consumption.
Underinflated tyres
Overinflated tyres
There is a misconception that overinflated tyres can improve fuel economy. While this can be true to a slight extent, the more overinflated the tyre and the longer the overinflation continues, the more opposing results can occur. The relationship between overinflated tyres and fuel consumption is more complex.
The graph below shows the assumption that fuel consumption falls with more inflation. As the tyre inflates to 3.0 bars of tyre pressure (represented by the red line), fuel consumption decreases to 10.9 at 1/100 or 1 litre per kilometre (represented by the blue line). These numbers are all accurate, but there is more to it.
While tyre overinflation may not be directly related to elevated fuel consumption, it causes wear and tear over time, which increases rolling resistance. This results in a rise in fuel consumption, bringing about a swell in fuel economy.
Tyre tread and patterns also affect fuel economy, sometimes overlapping with tyre pressure. For example, when overinflated tyres wear and tear, the tyre tread wears out, especially in the centre, and so, once again, rolling resistance climbs.
Discover more about tyre tread, patterns and their relation to fuel economy:
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Cartrack’s innovative solutions will help you prevent and detect a possible increase in fuel economy. Explore more below:
Q: How do tyres reduce fuel consumption?
A: As mentioned, tread patterns can reduce fuel consumption depending on various factors, such as tyre pressure, whether the pressure is set correctly, and whether it is over- or underinflated.
In addition, wheel alignment, size, and weight can reduce fuel consumption, among many other factors.
Wheel alignment can reduce or increase fuel consumption depending on whether they’re misaligned. Misaligned wheels drag, so they use more fuel, requiring the engine to work harder.
Adequately aligned wheels, however, have the opposite effect. There won’t be as much drag, the engine will be less stressed, and fuel consumption will be lower.
Tyre weight affects rolling resistance in that the lighter the tyre, the less rolling resistance there is, and vice versa, decreasing and increasing fuel consumption subsequently.
Q: What is the best tyre pressure?
A: Tyre pressure is measured in bars or PSI (pounds per square inch). While every vehicle has required tyre pressure, the generally recommended and accepted pressure measurement is between 28 and 36 PSI, which converts to approximately 1.9 to 2.5 bars.
Q: How can I choose the right tyres for better fuel economy?
A: Investing in energy-efficient tyres, also known as “eco-tyres” or “green tyres,” is one great way to choose the right tyres for better fuel economy. These tyres are low-resistant. While they may be high-priced, the costs you will save in the long run will outweigh the initial expenses.
Q: How can I improve my fuel economy?
A: There are many ways you can improve fuel economy, including ensuring that your tyre pressure is at the correct PSI or bar and getting them pumped when necessary is one way to do so. Another is looking after and choosing the right tyres and ensuring your wheel alignment is in order.
Regular maintenance and no speeding, rapid acceleration, or coasting are also recommended. Try to maintain a consistent speed or move into cruise control when suitable. Remove any extra weight or unnecessary cargo from your vehicle or fleet.
At Cartrack, we aim to simplify and automate your fleet management experience with various solutions such as real-time tracking, increasing delivery efficiency and route optimisation.
Contact us today to increase your fleet’s grip on the road and your profits.
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Beyond the environmental impact, fuel economy can affect your fleet or car’s fuel, and the state of tyres is a significant contributor.
