Four Reasons to Save on Gas

Why go to the trouble of learning hypermiling culture and buying fuel efficient vehicles? Well, here are four reasons why you might do just that.

Number one is the money you can save. Saving on gas means you will be shoveling out less cash each time you fill up. Remember when the price of gas was at $4.00 per gallon? Well, that can come back. Just because right now today the price is under $3.00 per gallon does not mean it will stay there. And if the price of gas soars having a fuel efficient vehicle can put a lot of money back in your wallet.

Number two is you can reduce the dependence of the nation on imported oil. The US now spends something north of $400 billion dollars a year on oil imports. That makes the nation very vulnerable to oil market moves. An increase in fleet fuel efficiency nationwide of only 10% would keep $40 billion dollars in the US economy. That is a lot of money.

Number three is peak oil. Petroleum is a non renewable resource. One day soon it will no longer be possible to increase the extraction rate. However, the demand for oil will almost certainly keep growing as the global population rises and developed nations like China and India increase their standard of living. That means we will enter into an era of permanently high oil prices. The less gas we use now, the more prepared we will be.

Number four is climate change. Using less gas will dump less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And dumping less CO₂ certainly cannot hurt the climate.

So start introducing yourself to hypermiling culture. You can help yourself, the nation and the world.