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Guides, tips, and in-depth articles about fuel economy, gas mileage calculation, and saving money on fuel.
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Best Gas Mileage Cars 2026
The best gas mileage cars in 2026 are led by hybrids like the Toyota Prius (57 MPG combined) and Honda Civic Hybrid (49 MPG combined), which deliver dramatically better fuel economy than...
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“You Save/Spend More Over 5 Years” on the EPA Label: What It Means
The “ You Save/Spend More Over 5 Years ” line on the EPA fuel economy label is a standardized fuel-cost comparison. It estimates how much more or less you would spend on fuel over five...
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Aggressive Driving and Gas Mileage: What the Data Shows
Aggressive driving—rapid acceleration, hard braking, and speeding—can reduce fuel economy. DOE’s fuel-saving guidance provides ranges for how much aggressive driving can...
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Beyond Tailpipe: Comparing Upstream Emissions with FuelEconomy.gov
Tailpipe emissions are only part of a vehicle's emissions footprint. FuelEconomy.gov provides a "Beyond Tailpipe Emissions Calculator" that combines tailpipe emissions with upstream...
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Break-Even MPG Payback: When Higher MPG Pays for Itself
"Payback" answers one question: How long does it take for fuel savings to cover a higher upfront price? You can model this with three inputs (miles, MPG, and fuel price) and a simple...
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Carpool Savings: How to Calculate Cost and CO2 Reduction
Carpooling can reduce the number of vehicles on the road and, for participants, reduce fuel spending by sharing trips. DOE’s fuel economy guidance includes carpooling and telecommuting...
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Charging Losses and MPGe: What the EPA Test Accounts For
"Charging losses" are the difference between electricity drawn from the outlet and electricity stored in (and later delivered from) the battery. EPA's plug-in vehicle testing overview...
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Check Engine Light and Fuel Economy: When a Fault Can Cut MPG
A check engine light means the vehicle's onboard diagnostics detected an issue. Some issues primarily affect emissions; others can also reduce fuel economy. FuelEconomy.gov notes that...
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CO2 Per Gallon of Gas: A Simple, Sourced Way to Estimate Emissions
If you want to estimate tailpipe CO2 emissions from gasoline use, you need one reliable conversion factor and a clear boundary. EPA provides a commonly used factor: 8,887 grams of CO2...
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Cold Weather Tire Pressure: PSI Drops, TPMS, and Next Steps
Tire pressure often drops when temperatures fall, and underinflation affects both safety and fuel economy. FuelEconomy.gov notes that underinflated tires can lower gas mileage, and NHTSA...
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Combine Errands to Save Fuel: The Cold-Start Problem Explained
One of the simplest ways to reduce fuel use is to combine errands so you take fewer short, cold-start trips. DOE’s fuel economy guidance notes that several short trips from a cold start...
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Combined MPG Explained: The EPA’s 55% City / 45% Highway Weighting
The EPA’s Combined MPG is designed for quick comparisons, using a standardized mix of city and highway driving. EPA’s gasoline label documentation explains that combined fuel economy is...
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Commute Gas Cost: Daily, Weekly, Monthly (Formula + Examples)
Your commute fuel cost is a simple multiplication problem once you convert everything to cost per mile (or cost per kilometer). The key is using the right MPG number for your route and...
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Cost Per Mile (Fuel): The Simple Formula + Examples
Fuel cost per mile is a budgeting metric: it tells you how much you spend on fuel for each mile you drive. You can calculate it from your gas price and your MPG in seconds. Once you have...
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Cost to Fill Up: Formula, Examples, and a Quick Calculator
"Cost to fill up" is a simple multiplication problem once you estimate how many gallons you will buy. The only tricky part is translating your fuel gauge (fraction of a tank) into gallons.
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