The Effect of Rolling Resistance on Fuel Economy
When it comes to purchasing a vehicle, very few individuals know exactly what they want when they first decide to do so. They have a notion of what they want when they go into the showroom, whether it’s cargo area, fuel economy, or anything else, but relatively few wind up making a purchase that day. In fact, according to a J.D. Power research, today’s customers may take up to 16 weeks to settle on which automobile to purchase.
When it comes to purchasing new tires, though, the procedure is often significantly faster. Many customers are willing to believe whatever the salesperson offers without doing their own investigation. While Pete’s Barns, Inc. will always make sure you have the greatest tire for your budget and vehicle, a little research may go a long way toward ensuring you drive off our lot with the best selection.
Consider the rising popularity of hybrid and electric automobiles. Manufacturers may improve the mileage of hybrid and electric cars by using standard tires with low rolling resistance.
What exactly is rolling resistance, and how does it impact fuel economy?
LRR tires are distinguished by their ability to decrease the energy wasted as friction when the tire flexes while making contact with the road. When constructing a tire, rolling resistance is a hard thing to quantify, but the difference in fuel efficiency between an LRR tire and a regular tire may be considerable. According to the Alternate Fuels Data Center, up to 15% of passenger car fuel usage is spent just compensating for rolling resistance. This figure, along with the government’s stricter mileage rules, has prompted car manufacturers to begin equipping their vehicles with LRR tires.
Don’t be persuaded by outdated information.
Choosing an LRR tire used to be considered as a compromise, and many people still assume that choosing LRR tires means sacrificing ride comfort, handling, and stopping distance for fuel efficiency. However, significant advances in tire technology have enabled manufacturers to compensate for the prior disadvantages of LRR tires. According to Consumer Reports, many LRR tires are now all-around performance suited for all-season usage. Tires like the Michelin Energy Saver A/S and the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 are designed for all-season usage while simultaneously providing greater fuel efficiency due to reduced rolling resistance.
Illustrations illustrating the LRR effect
Motor Trend selected the Chevy Bolt their Vehicle of the Year in 2017, praising the EV hatchback’s stability and performance despite being equipped with LRR tires, calling it a “wonderful little car.” Then, as an experiment, they replaced the stock Michelin Energy Saver A/S Selfseal Green X tires with the more sporty, ultra-high performance BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 summer tires to see whether there were any differences in performance. They discovered that, although the more athletic and aggressive appearing BFGoodrich tires improved the overall appearance of the hatchback, the quantity of kilometers squeezed out of the car’s battery decreased significantly. The Bolt achieved around 119 MPGe when riding on Michelin Energy Savers. When shod with BFGoodrich tires, this dropped to 89.2 MPGe.
This isn’t to say that the BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 tires are bad; they simply weren’t the best option for this type of vehicle if the owner wanted to maintain the same fuel efficiency. This is just one example of how a little research can go a long way when determining which tires are best for you.
Contact our online shop now for the Michelin Energy Saver A/S, the BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2, or any of our other tires.