Hybrid cars are now the new craze worldwide, not only because they are cost-effective, but also because these cars are eco-friendly. The need for fuel efficiency has laid the foundations of the modern automotive industry however; there are fewer options when it comes to heavily laden vehicles. In fact, even semi-trucks are lagging behind in the battle for more fuel efficient and easily driveable vehicles.
The reason that fuel economy has not progressed by much in heavily laden trucks when compared to smaller and lighter vehicles is that these trucks are built for carrying heavy loads. This requires more fuel. If you interfere with the complex mechanics of your heavily laden truck to make it fuel-efficient, you may end up reducing its driveability.
Same is the case with upgrading your vehicle i.e. if you want to upgrade your heavily laden vehicle, you may reduce its fuel efficiency.
It does not mean that you cannot make your vehicles fuel-efficient or more driveable at all.
The following are the five most effective ways of making your heavy vehicle more driveable and fuel efficient.
-
Use a Diesel Tuning Chip
Improving the power of your truck or heavy vehicle without consuming more fuel is every car owner’s dream. A diesel tuning chip boosts the power of your heavy vehicle without altering its mechanics. This means that you can get a smoother gear transmission and sharper throttle response along with minimised turbo lag and flat spots, simply by installing a diesel tuning chip. It also boosts the brake horse power and engine torque.
For example, if you have a 130 BHP standard engine with 330 Nm torque, its driveability can be enhanced by up to 170 BHP and 390 or even 400 Nm torque with a diesel tuning chip.
Hence, this is an economical investment as by getting efficient diesel tuning chips at good prices through retailers such as https://www.chipexpress.com/ who are tuning specialists, you can improve the fuel economy and mileage of your vehicle by up to 40%.
-
Ensure Proper Tire Pressure
Do you know that you can improve your vehicle’s fuel economy up to 3% simply by maintaining proper tire pressure? Your vehicle can even fail the emission test due to improper tire pressure. Under-inflated tires can reduce fuel mileage up to 0.3% or even more.
Also, if your tire is over-inflated, it can reduce the amount of rubber touching the road surface (also known as tire patching). This can reduce the life of your vehicle’s tires and cause pre-mature wear and tear on the centre of tires.
The pressure of vehicle tires can be affected due to difference in temperature, weather and air pressure. As heavily laden vehicles carry loads to different areas, it is important to check the tire pressure every time you enter a new area. Always use a high-quality tire pressure monitoring system or pressure gauge.
-
Become a Speed Pro
Frequent acceleration and braking can affect the fuel consumption of your vehicle. Following the recommended speed limit is also important because speed milestones and boards are placed on highways after evaluating the geographical conditions of a particular area. If you do not follow these milestones, increased air pressure, elevated temperature, inadequate road conditions and other such factors may affect the fuel consumption or performance of your vehicle.
-
Invest in Auxiliary Power Unit
Auxiliary power units are mostly used in naval ships, aircrafts and vehicles that need to reduce the pressure or load on the engine. These units are required for starting main engines and support all functions of the engine except for propulsion.
In heavily laden trucks, you can keep the APU started for some time before starting the engine. This way, you can start the engine right away and improve the driveability as well as fuel consumption of your truck.
Many times, when you have to stop the vehicle for a short time, you have to keep the engine turned on which means that your vehicle keeps consuming fuel. You can turn off the engine and keep the APU switched on in this scenario to reduce fuel consumption and the load on your engine.
-
Get Fuel Additives
If you are worried about the fuel consumption of your heavy vehicle, then a great way to increase economy is by using fuel additives. These additives help clean the engine and ensure that your truck is running on the best quality fuel. Simply put, the fuel efficiency of your truck improves this way and it becomes more driveable.
Small tools like diesel tuning chips and boxes are one-time investments which help you decrease fuel consumption and improve the efficiency of your vehicle. They can also make heavily laden vehicles more driveable and economical.
