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GM’s all-electric car may hit showrooms in 2010

General Motors is currently working on production of the Chevrolet Volt with the vehicle ready for 2010. The Volt is an all-electric car that will be the world’s largest automaker’s answer to the growing demand for cleaner cars. . Reuters reported that GM is already working on plans to produce a working prototype by the end of this year. Bob Lutz, GM product chief and vice president, said the automaker has already set a goal for Chevrolet Volt production in 2010.

The soon-to-be-mass-produced electric car will be based on the concept vehicle that General Motors unveiled in January this year. While the automaker has already set a goal for the vehicle’s production, there are still some design issues they need to work on. Lutz said they are more concerned with whether lithium-ion batteries can be developed while keeping production costs low to make them affordable for car buyers. Another concern Lutz noted is whether these lithium-ion batteries can safely power a vehicle. The automaker is already taking steps to address such issues. General Motors will take an unusual step with respect to the development process of the Volt: It will open the development process to the media.

Apart from the problem mentioned above that needs to be addressed, Lutz is still not sure that the company can achieve its goal. “We have set a comprehensive production goal in 2010. Whether we can achieve it or not, this continues to be an unpredictable schedule for us,” Lutz said.

It should be remembered that the concept car was exhibited at the Detroit Auto Show last January of this year. At the event, General Motors unveiled its plans for the all-electric vehicle to the public. However, during that auto show, GM did not announce a set production schedule. As a result, critics questioned GM’s effort to produce an electric car. Some went on to say that General Motors is not really going to mass produce the vehicle and is only interested in the amount of attention the concept vehicle has generated.

In response to these accusations, Lutz said that: “Competitors who write this as a public relations exercise will be brutally surprised.” It’s well documented that cleaner cars have met with wide public acceptance and support, and that’s reason enough for an automaker to produce a fully electric vehicle. When the Volt hits showrooms, we can only hope it has the same high-quality performance as other GM cars.

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US Army Tippmann Alpha Black Paintball Gun Review

The best tactical paintball guns have a balanced mix of realism and performance. No matter how cool your marker looks, you’re not going to get very far in a game of stage paintball if you can’t hit anything. On the contrary, you can have a super accurate and powerful marker, but it’s hard to fully immerse yourself and commit to the military mission you’re on if your paintball gear isn’t as realistic as possible. Tippmann’s US Army Alpha Black Paintball Gun is a .68 caliber hopper fed tactical marker that is a military replica of an M4 Carbine assault rifle. While there are other more detailed replica tactical paintball guns on the market, they struggle to beat the Alpha Black’s durability, reliability, and ease of use. This marker is a great first weapon for those new to paintball scenarios.

One of the reasons the US Army Alpha Black is so durable and well-suited for the harsh environment of the woodsball arena is because it has a die-cast aluminum receiver. While Tippmann has a good reputation for building tactical markers that last, they give the Alpha Black additional strength, as these paintball guns were originally intended for use by the US military for firearm training exercises. realistic simulation combat. The metal receiver gives this M4 replica a nice weight that feels great in your hands. This US Army Series marker packs plenty of power and will easily shoot 150 feet accurately right out of the box, however its velocity is adjustable. Not only does this tactical paintball gun look realistic, it also packs a slight kick every time you pull the trigger, but it’s still very easy to wield and nail precise targets if your hand is steady enough.

Tippmann’s US Army Alpha Black comes with a standard 11-inch barrel, an m4-style shroud, and a folding/adjustable carbine stock. The carry handle has built-in iron sights that you can line up nicely with the front site on the end of the shroud for amazingly accurate shooting right out of the box. This Tippmann paintball gun is fed paintballs by a 200-round hopper located on the right side of the gun’s receiver, just in front of the carry handle. The magazine on this tactical marker is non-functional but still useful as a small compartment perfect for carrying tools and your squeegee. With the recent popularity of realistic cartridge-fed paintball guns, the US Army Alpha Black continues to compete with this new technology because they are so much easier to handle, shoot and care for. While magazine-fed markers may be more authentic than this gun, you can’t beat the convenience of 200 rounds of onboard ammo compared to 20-round magazines.

One of the best features of the Tippmann Alpha Black is how upgradable it is. The new elite version includes a 20mm rail built into the base of the deck; Ideal for adding a vertical grip, laser, or tactical flashlight. The carry handle on this elite US Army marker is removable, revealing a long top rail perfect for adding a scope or sight. However, if you do this, be sure to connect your scope with an offset rail or add an offset hopper adapter or your hopper will impede the sight of your scope or sight. The Alpha Black paintball gun is compatible with Tippmann 98 stock and barrel threads. This is great news if you’re looking to customize and want a lot of options, as there are thousands of tactical accessories available for these guns that are cheap and easy to install. There are also numerous upgrades for the US Army Alpha Black Marker should you want your weapon to be faster, more powerful, and/or more accurate.

If there’s any downside to the Tippmann US Army Alpha Black Paintball Gun, it’s with the stock shroud and barrel. While this pistol is quite powerful and accurate right out of the box, the original barrel isn’t much compared to the rifled barrels on the market and other such high-tech upgrades. Upgrading this marker with a tactical rifled barrel will make an immediate noticeable difference in both range and accuracy. The original cover also looks a bit plastic and some complain that it is not as realistic as others available. Although it already comes with a rail attached, the Alpha Black cover looks more like a toy, while the rest of the weapon looks like a fierce tactical carbine rifle.

These few drawbacks are easy to overlook or improve upon with post-market upgrades. Overall, though, the Alpha Black’s performance, ease of use, simple maintenance, and cheap sticker price far outshine its few flaws. The US Army Series Alpha Black Semi-Automatic Paintball Gun is extremely reliable and rarely breaks down, even under the most intense pressure and roughest play. Despite this, Tippmann offers a solid one-year warranty. This tactical marker is an excellent weapon for both beginners and advanced players who are serious about their game of paintball and don’t stop at the field. This pistol is a great buy and should not be overlooked when shopping for military pistol replicas that have the best combination of realism and performance.

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Imagine the future of autonomous transportation: robotic taxis, autonomous Uber cars

Have you ever considered how much fun it is to just go out for a spin? In my youth, I did exactly that, driving sports cars and motorcycles through canyons, and taking road trips just for the heck of it. Nowadays fuel costs and time constraints, traffic and all those road rules take all the fun out of it. In the future, real drivers could be a thing of the past, rather we will all be required to be driven everywhere or flown everywhere (in flying cars) by a robotic system, in a self-driving car.

In fact, we may not have a car at all, but will instead summon a car (flying car) when we have the urge to travel. Let’s talk, because people are busy planning this future as we speak.

In fact, the OECD International Transport Forum published an interesting research paper recently titled; “Urban Mobility System Update: How Shared Autonomous Cars Could Change City Traffic,” and the research predicted that a fully integrated autonomous transportation system in a large city would eliminate the need for 80% of on-street parking and would move everyone around with only 10% of the cars. In addition, passengers would travel more miles, but would do so much more efficiently, and commuting to work would be smooth and with little or no traffic in and out of major cities.

Of course, the study also points out that as things change in the interim there will be challenges and such optimal efficiency would not be much better than without autonomous transport. However, once fully integrated, the benefits would be like night and day. We can already see some of the challenges, for example, a recent accident between a self-driving car and another car driven by a human driver in Nevada, it turns out that the car with the human driver was at fault.

As AI improves, our self-driving cars will become safer and people will demand them to prevent the 20,000+ car deaths each year in the US Of course giving up our cars, especially for us die-hard drivers that we really love our cars and driving will be a hard sell. Some people will gladly give control to a robotic because it will simply free up time to play on their personal tech devices and save stress. Imagine the chaos between us drivers and those, at least initially, wealthy self-driving car owners or the Uber-like companies with fleets of self-driving cars ready and willing to pick you up and take you anywhere you can afford to go? to go? Please consider all this and think about it.

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Synthetic motor oil: a way to save money

Synthetic motor oil has become increasingly popular in today’s society and people have become educated about the money they can save by using them. From grease to gear lube, it’s essential for a car to have lubrication.

For several thousand years, the Romans used animal fat that was soaked in a rag to lubricate the wheels of their carts. Things started to improve in the 19th century with the industrial revolution. Major changes occurred in the transportation industry, as well as in agriculture, mining, and manufacturing. The first real synthetic oils appeared during World War II used in aircraft engines.

Synthetic motor oil compared to petroleum-based products is a bit more expensive to purchase initially, but the savings will add up very quickly. For example:

Suppose you buy petroleum-based oil and filter for your car and do your own oil changes. The cost of that oil, depending on where you go and what brand you buy, could be around $4-5 per liter and a filter for about the same price as a liter of oil, depending on the brand and the store you get it from. . Now, for the sake of conversation, we’re going to use some simple math to show how synthetic motor oil can save you money.

All of us who have driven for a while have been conditioned to change the oil in a vehicle at around three thousand miles. The cost of an oil change per change is only about thirty dollars. Let’s say you drive fifteen thousand miles in a year. That’s five oil changes equal to about a hundred and fifty dollars you’ll spend on oil and filter.

The cost of a synthetic motor oil per quart, again depending on where you buy it, can be as high as ten dollars per quart, which is double that of petroleum motor oil, and a good quality filter up to fifteen dollars. That’s three times the cost!

(This is where you’ll save money by using synthetic motor oil.) Some synthetic motor oils are formulated to get you fifteen thousand miles on a single change. You can spend sixty-five dollars on an oil change with synthetic oil for fifteen thousand miles or you can spend one hundred and fifty dollars on petroleum-based oils for the same number of miles driven. That’s a huge savings over a one-year period, not to mention these factors:

• You’ll save the time of four oil changes per year when you use synthetic motor oil.

• From an ecological point of view, there is less used oil to dispose of and that helps the environment.

• Synthetic motor oils reduce friction, which in turn reduces heat, which will prevent vehicle wear.

• You will see a difference in fuel efficiency with synthetic oil.

• Easier starts in cold weather.

All of these benefits add up to help reduce operating costs. Synthetic motor oil is a way to save money, time, and help preserve the environment.

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Medical Emergencies: Leading Cause of Bankruptcies in the United States

There are various reasons why people file for bankruptcy. What may seem like shocking news is that most people are ONLY ONE major health issue away from considering bankruptcy as an option. How can this be when most families have some form of health insurance? On the one hand, everything depends on a series of circumstances. Here are some examples of what to consider:

• What kind of insurance do you have?
• What kind of medical problem do you have?
• What is the copay percentage?

Medical bills are actually the biggest cause of bankruptcies in the United States. In 2013 alone, nearly 2 million people filed for bankruptcy citing medical bills as the reason. Even health insurance provides minimal help in preventing these cases.

Why?

One reason is that the average copay in most plans is 20%. This works well for checkups and minor injuries, but if you get seriously ill or have a serious accident, you could potentially rack up a bill of more than $50,000 where you would have to cover 20% or $10,000 along with the deductible. . For almost anyone, this would be a life changing tragedy and would require seeing a bankruptcy attorney.

Who is affected?

Of those who cited medical bills as their reason for filing for bankruptcy, 78% of them had some form of health insurance. Most of those affected were educated, middle-class families. 1 in 5 Americans will have trouble paying medical bills this year. Accidents and life-changing diagnoses can happen to anyone.

Even with adequate savings and good spending habits, the burden of some medical bills is simply too much for most people. This is a problem that an estimated 56 million Americans will face this year alone.

What can happen?

Since most health care institutions use their own means to collect debt, overdue health bills are treated the same as other types of debt, regardless of the fact that you are now unable to keep your job due to your problem. of health. You can expect similar means of debt collection, such as multiple phone calls, court-ordered actions, and other harassing techniques.

How to tackle the problem?

Bankruptcy is, and should always be, considered as the final option and should only be seriously considered once all other options have been exhausted. Lawyers who specialize in bankruptcy are also experts when it comes to finding working solutions for debt. Your best course of action would be to seek the assistance of a bankruptcy attorney as soon as you are faced with a massive medical bill.

The common belief is that credit card debt or mortgages are the main causes of filing for bankruptcy. Most people are caught off guard by bills so high that they find themselves at a loss for what to do. Just knowing that 3 out of 5 bankruptcies are caused by medical bills is already a good start. Knowing is always half the battle and is always better than being caught off guard.

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11 reasons why transport companies should buy second-hand buses

From churches and schools to public transportation, many companies are in high demand for second-hand shuttle buses. Even individual artists and executives prefer to buy second-hand buses over new ones for various reasons.

Buying a second hand bus is different than buying a used personal car or any other vehicle. Through research and preliminary thoughts, there are many reasons why you should consider buying a used shuttle bus, especially if you are in the transportation business. Below are eleven reasons to buy a second-hand bus.

11 reasons why transport companies should buy second-hand buses

1. personalization – The equipment and parts of a used bus can be easily added, changed, replaced or removed, whereas you do not have this option when you buy a new bus. For example, you can increase or decrease the number of passenger seats to add more luggage space or wheelchair capacity to your bus. Similarly, you can even add a toilet and sink if needed, with the right amount of money you can make any changes you want to a used bus.

two. Save money – You will save a lot of money buying used nozzles. A transport company needs to make a profit, and the best deal is to look for cheap and reliable buses. Buying a second-hand or used shuttle bus is the best option and if you are looking for more than one bus, it is possible to find quality buses at a cheaper cost than buying new buses.

3. reliability – If you want an affordable bus that will serve you for a long time, opt for second-hand buses. Used shuttle buses simply outlast new buses. This means you can save money and expect a good lifespan from these buses.

Four. Automatic Cleaning Check Report – When buying a second-hand vehicle, you may need to get some information about it. It’s possible to get that even before you buy the vehicle. Some of the information you can get includes previous owners, previous status, accident, repairs, mileage validation, and legal history, among many others. Although the history report may not help identify all concerns, easy access to such information provides peace of mind when purchasing the vehicle.

5. road tested – Used shuttle buses are road tested and certified road ready. Most second-hand buses are sold by airport transportation companies that prefer new ones for foreigners. This means that you can find a quality shuttle bus for your transportation business.

6. overall offer – Your budget to buy a transport bus can buy more second-hand buses than new ones. The overall deal is excellent and you can quickly expand your transportation business with used buses.

7. Low registration fee – The registration fee for most vehicles is based on their price. Since shuttle buses that have already been used are cheaper, it means you will pay low registration fees. Cheaper buses mean cheaper fares. Therefore, you can also save on registration costs.

8. cheaper insurance – The insurance of any vehicle is determined by its value. Since you will be buying the bus at a lower cost, it means you will pay cheaper insurance rates. This is also beneficial for your company as you could purchase many buses.

9. lower depreciation – New nozzles typically drop more than 11 percent once they hit the road. Also, during the first year, the bus will lose more than 30 percent of its value. But this is not the case with second-hand nozzles. Depreciation is already low and you get the best value for your money.

10 Drive a better bus at a low price – For people who have bought used mouthpieces in the past; they can confirm that it is possible to find a comfortable bus for business transportation at an affordable price. No matter what model of bus you need, you can find one at second-hand dealers.

eleven Storage capacity – For transport companies, storage capacity is essential when buying any bus, whether old or new. When shopping for a second hand shuttle it is possible to find one that meets your storage requirements, seats can be increased or decreased depending on your specific requirements. There are many cheap buses that can carry any type of luggage.

last word

Buying a used shuttle bus is no more risky than before. Today, there are many second-hand mouthpieces that are affordable and much better than new. By getting bus history/auto check report, you can easily know vital details about bus past. In addition, the report guarantees that you are investing your money in a valuable asset.

So whether you are adding a shuttle bus fleet or planning to start a shuttle business, buying second hand shuttle buses is the best option.

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Reflections of my tour of Phnom Penh, Cambodia

36 years later, in front of the gate of the Royal Palace, in a public square, a dozen small children were playing. His parents, mostly in their twenties, had not yet been born when the horrific Khmer Rouge event occurred. They seemed as happy and innocent as their children. Time has healed, life has moved on.

Phnom Penh became the capital of the Khmer kingdom in the 15th century, replacing the much-lamented Angkor. Legend has it that an old woman named Penh found four Buddha images that had perched on the banks of the Tongle River. A city grew around the hill where she housed them for worship and came to be known as Phnom Penh (Penh Hill).

For centuries, Phnom Penh struggled to survive repeated attacks from its two powerful neighbors, the Vietnamese and the Thai, until the arrival of the French in 1863, who made Cambodia a protectorate, effectively protecting it from invasions. foreign until his departure in 1953. .

The French gave the city the layout we know today. Therefore, Phnom Penh has a specific colonial feel: grand boulevards lined with ancient trees, elegant villas surrounded by lush gardens; however, a new face of the capital seems to have formed, as some modern structures are being built, a landmark of modernity that the country is striving for.

In fact, the capital seems to enjoy a distinctly higher standard of living than the rest of the country: big trucks abound, the safe-deposit box business is a huge success as people find ways to store their newfound wealth and international schools are full of children from local families. wealthy families Of course, that image does not represent the majority of the inhabitants of Phnom Penh. The working class is certainly still very concerned about its daily profits. However, an impression of tranquility and abundance is very characteristic of the city today.

I decided to walk to the riverbank in front of the Royal Palace. It is a place where you can meet Cambodians from all walks of life: monks, intellectuals, businessmen, housewives, food vendors and beggars, attracted by the fresh air and the healing effect of the river. In one corner was a small Buddhist shrine, where devotees offered candles and lotus flowers placed in a fresh coconut. I watched a middle-aged couple ceremoniously shave their young son’s head. The latter was seated in a chair, with his eyes closed and his hands joined in a gesture of reverence. Apparently, he was preparing to enter aconite to fulfill his duty as a man and son, bringing merit to his family, a tradition shared in all Theravada countries such as Thailand, Laos and Burma.

For all the interesting sights of Phnom Penh, its quiet markets, bars, restaurants, and the seemingly carefree laughter of its youth, I still cannot forget the tragic events that killed a quarter of the population of this country less than half century. I went into a bike shop to rent a bike and go for a ride. The store manager, a young woman in her early twenties, did not know how to get to my destination. She had never been to the Choeung Ek extermination camp, a museum of her country’s genocide past just 13km away, it’s probably a part of history she’d rather not know about.

The Choeung Ek extermination camp was surrounded by serene rice fields and villages. At first glance, the elegant memorial tower in the center of the site did not seem horrible at all, until I saw the pyramid of skulls with thousands of victims who had been killed at this site during the Khmer Rouge regime. My audio guide led me through all the mass grave points and then back to the memorial tower. There were no words to describe the resulting feeling of touring the site. The entire site was a terrifying display of the darkest side of the human psyche, where circumstances turned people into killing machines, unable to connect with the most basic human consciousness: that of the value of life.

“The choice of the divine bird Garuda and the divine serpent Naga on the roof of the memorial tower is symbolically very significant,” the tour guide said. “In mythology, they are eternal enemies. Therefore, when worn together as ornaments, they represent a strong desire for reconciliation and peace.”

In fact, this spirit of reconciliation had been an attitude adopted by Cambodians in order to move forward, keep smiling and rebuild their country. This is how Phnom Penh has managed to put traumatized memories into museums and books, looking to the future and living life to the fullest now.

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Electric car conversion: how to convert your car in 16 steps

Slowly but surely, the electric car conversion is providing car owners with an alternative solution to the problem of rising gasoline prices in the global market. Now, people have the option to convert their gasoline cars into electric cars that will run on electric power.

Converting an electric car is the process of replacing its internal combustion engines with electric motors. People may find it difficult to do this at first. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be converting all your cars in no time.

But before you do any conversion, make sure you know what you’re doing. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do an electric car conversion:

1) Carefully remove the engine, clutch, exhaust system, gas tank and radiator from the car you want to convert. Make sure there is enough space available where you will install your electric motor.

2) Since the electric motor usually requires a custom mounting bracket, please provide an adapter plate to the transmission where you can mount the motor.

3) Electric motors need a reduction gear to maximize their efficiency and the easiest way to create a good gear reduction is to put your existing manual transmission in first or second gear.

4) After completing the first three steps, it is now time to assemble the circuit controller. Find space and make brackets to hold all the batteries in a secure position.

5) Install batteries Sealed batteries have the advantage over other types of batteries because they can be turned on their side and can be easily placed anywhere.

6) Connect the batteries and electric motor to the circuit controller. Use #00 gauge welding cable when doing this.

7) If the car you are converting has power steering, be sure to connect and mount an electric motor for power to the steering pump. For cases where you want your car to have air conditioning, you also need to connect and mount another electric motor for your air conditioning compressor.

8) Install a small but sufficient electric water heater for heating and connect it to the existing heater core.

9) For power brakes, please install a vacuum pump to make the brake booster work effectively.

10) Install a reliable charging system for your car. This is one thing you cannot ignore. A faulty charging system can easily cause your batteries to deplete their electrical charge.

11) Install a DC to DC converter to be able to power the accessory battery you have installed.

12) You should also install a voltmeter in your car so that it can detect the state of charge in the battery pack. The voltmeter is the equivalent of the gas gauge in a gasoline vehicle. It will tell you when it’s time to recharge your batteries.

13) It is also necessary to install potentiometers. It does this by connecting them to the gas pedal before connecting them to the controller circuit.

14) You need to provide a simple switch that you will connect to the circuit controller that will send a reverse signal to the transmission so that the car will shift into reverse.

15) Install a contactor that can connect and disconnect the battery to and from the controller. The contactor, which is actually a large relay, is what turns the can on and off. The relay must be able to carry a load of over a hundred amps and can break 96 to 300 volts of direct current without sustaining an arc.

16) Finally, rewire the ignition switch so you can power up all the new equipment you just installed, specifically the contactor. Once everything is tested, your new electric car is ready to go!

This is just a quick overview of what to expect when you finally decide to convert your car. There are more things you need to learn. So buy a copy of your own guide to electric car conversions online now.

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What are ethanol engines and how do they work?

Ethanol is a fuel source that is actually extracted from plants, like corn or sugar cane, and then refined into alcohol. This alcohol is suitable for use as biofuel to power all types of vehicles and equipment. When it comes to cars, ethanol fuel is widely used in hybrid vehicles with “flex-fuel” engines. Surprisingly, there are several similarities between these flex-fuel hybrid car engines and standard car engines. Read on to learn more about ethanol engines and how they perform compared to standard vehicle engines.

ethanol engines

Cars that run on ethanol fuel are quite similar to the standard engines in cars today. In fact, the only significant difference is that ethanol engines can use biofuel, ethanol; while standard car engines use oil-based gasoline. In hybrid or “flex fuel” vehicles, ethanol is injected into the engine in the same way that gasoline is consumed in standard cars. Its gas mileage is slightly less than that of a non-hybrid gas vehicle; however, the fuel emissions are much less harmful to the environment. This is one of the biggest advantages of ethanol engines. It is also cheaper than gasoline; another much-admired advantage of ethanol engines.

For people who own non-hybrid vehicles, there is still an ethanol option; for example, some standard vehicles can operate on a 10% ethanol fuel blend. There are many gas stations across the country that offer this convenience.

Here are some interesting and respected facts about ethanol car engines:

  • Ethanol fuel has an octane rating of 113.
  • Ethanol is the highest performing fuel on the market today.
  • High compression engines run best on ethanol fuel.
  • Blended ethanol fuels keep fuel systems cleaner longer.
  • Ethanol fuel leaves no residue or gummy deposits.
  • Ethanol promotes optimum performance in vehicles.
  • Ethanol prevents winter complications by working as an antifreeze in gas lines.
  • Blended ethanol fuels are approved under various US manufacturer warranties.

Additional motorized staples that can use ethanol-based fuels:

  • speedboats
  • motorcycles
  • Lawn mowers
  • snowmobiles
  • aquatic bikes
  • tractors
  • agricultural equipment
  • And more!

Do you have an old ethanol based motorized product lying around?

If you own an ethanol-based motorized product that no longer works, or just takes up a lot of space around your property, consider selling it for cash on the spot to a junk car buyer. They accept all junk motorized commodities including cars, trucks, vans, boats, boats, trailers, tractors, construction equipment, farm and landscaping equipment, and more.

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Tips to spend less money on gasoline

The average American family spends more than $2,500 a year on gasoline. In times of depression, many people look for ways to cut costs. Furthermore, there is strong evidence that the world is running out of cheap oil, so we may be left with ever-increasing gas prices for the foreseeable future. Like most Americans, I drive a lot. Taking your car out for work or just for fun can result in a hefty gas bill at the end of the year. And since I don’t have a lot of money to spend on a fancy hybrid or all-electric car, I’ve tried a bunch of different techniques to save money on gas with the car I already own. My family and I live in a mixed urban/suburban environment with many city roads and highways, so the following techniques that worked for me may also work for you.

#1 Drive slower on highways

A “regular” highway driving speed of 65 to 70 mph uses a lot of gas for most cars. After some optimum speed, as the cars accelerate further, they start burning crazy amounts of fuel for marginal increases in speed. For a small to medium sized vehicle like my Toyota Corolla, the optimum speed seems to be around 55 mph. Traveling at this speed along highways allowed me to get a consistent 10-15% increase in fuel efficiency over a normal highway speed of 65 mph.

#2 Avoid hitting the brakes

Every time you use the car’s brakes, precious fuel is essentially wasted as the heat byproduct of friction. To avoid wasting fuel (and your money), try to time your drive to avoid hitting red lights. This could mean planning a route to work that has fewer traffic lights and/or stop signs. Another way would be to start slowing down when you see a traffic light turn yellow, so that you slide to a smooth stop without having to brake too hard. This technique can significantly improve fuel efficiency when driving on city streets with many traffic lights.

#3 Keep your tires fully pressurized

This little trick has saved me at least a couple of hundred dollars in the past year. When a car’s tires are filled to their maximum safe pressure, they will spin more efficiently and therefore burn less fuel for every mile traveled. I usually pump my tires once a month to maintain good tire pressure, this gives my car about a 5% increase in fuel efficiency. Tire inflation can be done at most gas stations, and the cost usually ranges from free to 25 cents.

#4 Upgrade to low rolling resistance tires

Every two years, your tires will need to be changed. That would be a good time to upgrade to low rolling resistance tires. While these tires are a bit more expensive than normal tires, they are well worth it. With 4 of these bad boys mounted on your vehicle, an immediate 5% fuel efficiency increase can usually be achieved.

#5 Use Fix-A-Flat instead of carrying a spare tire

The spare tire on most cars is basically a gigantic dead weight being carried around. In the event of a puncture, an alternative product such as a 1lb Fix-A-Flat Tire Inflator can be used instead. This trick worked great for me on normal roads, but if your vehicle has to go over rough gravel terrain, a spare tire may still be necessary.

These techniques have saved me over a thousand dollars on gas over the last year. There are many other methods of squeezing every last mile out of a gallon of gas. You can find them on sites like Hyper-Milling/Eco-Modification Forums.