by MJ Miller

Created on: March 05, 2011

When it comes to getting good gas mileage with the car, there are a lot of factors that influence how often you’re going to have to fill up the tank. Some are built into the car through it’s design, but some are within the control of you as the driver of the vehicle.

If you look at the design of vehicles today, you’ll notice that they are designed more aerodynamically than they used to be. They have more rounded fronts with long sloping windshields and rear windows that likewise slope off to the rounded rear of the car. Many of the cars today have these same design features built in. That’s because it’s the most efficient shape to push through the air with the least amount of aerodynamic drag.

Drag is basically the friction or resistance of the air passing against the surfaces of the vehicle. These drag factors were once only considered when designing aircraft but as the gas prices started to rise and increasing fuel efficiency became a goal in auto manufacturing, it was discovered that by designing cars more aerodynamically, big gains could be made in gas mileage. One reason is that as speed increases, the influence of drag increases exponentially, so simply by designing a car more aerodynamically, it’s highway mileage can be improved substantially.

You’ll also notice other “aero-factor” design features including streamlining any protrusions on the car such as mirrors, antennas, door handles, etc. Most cars today have an aero-dam or air dam built into the lower front of the car. This is to try and divert air to the sides and keep it from going beneath the vehicle. The underside of the vehicle has many protrusions and irregularities such as the drivetrain, exhaust pipes, suspension components, etc., that catch air and cause turbulence, greatly increasing drag, so pushing the air to the sides and around the vehicle and minimizing the air passing under it can be a major factor.

The other major fuel efficiency factor built into the vehicle is the method of propulsion. In the past, bigger engines with more power were desirable but today, the emphasis is more on fuel efficiency which means smaller, more efficient engines, alternative fuels, diesels, electric hybrids and more efficient transmissions.

Manufacturers have abandoned the big V8 engines for cars in favor of the more fuel efficient 4 or 6 cylinder engines.

There are an ever increasing number of electric hybrid vehicles on the market today that use a combination

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