Slipstream and MPG
Discussion
hi all...
I have always been curious as to what effect slipstreaming has on MPG on the motorway... so the other day in the name of science i tried sticking to the back of a lorry on cruise control...
now, it is hard to find the balance between visibility of what's ahead/reaction time v slipstream effect and its never good to be near a blindsport but I found a sweetspot and just a little tickle of the C/C every now and then to stick with it...
Now the car I was in was a Volvo S60T5 and while driving "normally" on the motorway the computer had me averaging 32mpg. Playing the slipstream game I averaged 37mpg...
I was wondering if any of you have opinions or experience of this? and was it other factors like driving smoothly at a steady 60mph that the extra mpg was down to?
cheers guys..
I have always been curious as to what effect slipstreaming has on MPG on the motorway... so the other day in the name of science i tried sticking to the back of a lorry on cruise control...
now, it is hard to find the balance between visibility of what's ahead/reaction time v slipstream effect and its never good to be near a blindsport but I found a sweetspot and just a little tickle of the C/C every now and then to stick with it...
Now the car I was in was a Volvo S60T5 and while driving "normally" on the motorway the computer had me averaging 32mpg. Playing the slipstream game I averaged 37mpg...
I was wondering if any of you have opinions or experience of this? and was it other factors like driving smoothly at a steady 60mph that the extra mpg was down to?
cheers guys..
I don't doubt it to be honest........I don't know about cars so much but I remember from my cycling days that it made a massive difference to the effort I had to put in......eg a JCB overtook me on a hill I was puffing and panting up, I put in a bit of extra effort and tucked in behind the rear scoop and from then on it was like two people were pedaling.
Like you say though the maximum effect is at the shortest but most dangerous following distance....
Like you say though the maximum effect is at the shortest but most dangerous following distance....
hornetrider said:
I tried it behind a National Express coach once when I was in my old diesel Bora. Was well chuffed with an approx increase of about 7mpg or so... until I got home and saw the bus had spat billions of tiny droplets of oil all over the front of my car 
did you save enough money to take her for a jet wash?Mythbusters increased mpg by 20% at 20' behind a lorry - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lttgT1XZVvE (FF to 5 mins to see the actual tests)
They did use an American car that started at 32 mpg (presumably they're US gallons) and it's mythbusters so hardly precise measurements, but it does seem to give a good improvement.
They did use an American car that started at 32 mpg (presumably they're US gallons) and it's mythbusters so hardly precise measurements, but it does seem to give a good improvement.
http://mythbustersresults.com/episode80
Mythbusters said:
Drafting behind a big rig will improve your car’s fuel efficiency.
confirmed
To test this myth, the build team procured a car, a big rig, and a device that could measure a car’s fuel efficiency. They then drove the car behind a moving big rig at various distances ranging from 100 to 2 feet and measured the amount of fuel the car consumed. The Build Team discovered that the closer the car was to the big rig, the less drag is produced, thus the more fuel saved. At just ten feet, the car managed to increase its fuel efficiency by 40%. Drafting at two feet was slightly lower than the ten foot distance, mainly because Grant had to keep working the car pedal to maintain distance from the truck. However, that did not dispute the fact that drafting actually can increase your car’s fuel efficiency. However, the Build Team has warned that drafting is incredibly dangerous because the truck driver may not able to see you and you may not be able to react in time if the truck were to make a sudden stop.
confirmed
To test this myth, the build team procured a car, a big rig, and a device that could measure a car’s fuel efficiency. They then drove the car behind a moving big rig at various distances ranging from 100 to 2 feet and measured the amount of fuel the car consumed. The Build Team discovered that the closer the car was to the big rig, the less drag is produced, thus the more fuel saved. At just ten feet, the car managed to increase its fuel efficiency by 40%. Drafting at two feet was slightly lower than the ten foot distance, mainly because Grant had to keep working the car pedal to maintain distance from the truck. However, that did not dispute the fact that drafting actually can increase your car’s fuel efficiency. However, the Build Team has warned that drafting is incredibly dangerous because the truck driver may not able to see you and you may not be able to react in time if the truck were to make a sudden stop.
I've done it in the car when I've realised I'm running on fumes on the mway and need to conserve as much as possible!!
Also on my bike, its a huuuuuge help to tuck in behind a lorry or bus ( vans tend to be too fast lol ) then you can pedal your life away with in a bubble of are moving precisely at your relative speed... I've managed to cruise at 30mph doing this ( not for long tho... I'm unfit lol )
Also on my bike, its a huuuuuge help to tuck in behind a lorry or bus ( vans tend to be too fast lol ) then you can pedal your life away with in a bubble of are moving precisely at your relative speed... I've managed to cruise at 30mph doing this ( not for long tho... I'm unfit lol )
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff