The world is witnessing one of the highest spikes in gas prices ever seen. With prices burning a hole in the pockets of four-wheeler owners, one may wonder how many miles a full fuel tank lasts. Although the question is a straightforward one, the solution demands delving deeper into the major factors that influence it. In this article, we will learn about the contributing factors to fuel consumption and derive a formula to calculate how far our newly filled gas tanks will take us. With most factors at bay, a full tank of gas will take you a minimum of 200 to 250 miles. On the other hand, this value can go up to 700 miles in diesel pickup trucks and other big trucks.
Check out this website to calculate the precise value of your vehicle. fueleconomy.gov
You can find the full specifications for your car, bike, or truck in the user manual, or you can also look them up online.
But to draw an accurate picture, we must understand the various reasons influencing the fuel consumption rate.
Factors Influencing Fuel Consumption Rates And How To Increase Them:
1. Specifications of the vehicle:
The wear and tear of your tires, fuel injectors, and air filters play a very significant role in determining how many miles per unit of gas will take you.
Servicing your motor vehicle frequently and investing in a better vehicle can help you cut down on the subsequent fuel costs.
2. Driving Directions:
Driving in a rural setting will give you better fuel efficiency and less fuel consumption per mile, whereas your fuel is more prone to fuel wastage in urban areas due to denser traffic. Similarly, it also varies from city to city.
3. Speed:
Driving at slow speeds and amidst heavy traffic leads to less mileage and fuel efficiency. A state of flow is as important for athletes as it is for automobiles.
Ditch the city roads and take the highway for a smoother, cheaper ride.
4. Loads:
A higher load can hurt your fuel efficiency and lead to more fuel consumption.
Try to cut down on the load to go further on a full tank.
5. Capacity of the fuel tank:
It has a direct correlation to how far your full tank can take you. The higher the tank capacity, the more fuel it can hold. Understandably, it will take you farther than a smaller tank capacity vehicle.
6. Traffic:
Traffic plays a significant role in determining how long a full tank lasts. If you are driving during peak traffic, then the fuel depreciation rate is much higher because of idling at traffic lights.
7. Weather:
Frosty, snowy, slippery roads make it tougher to attain efficient speeds. Similarly, rainy weather can also heavily impact speed, visibility, and therefore fuel efficiency.
So, walk or take public transportation on a rainy day and save your car for a sunny day.
Formula to calculate the distance you can reach with a full tank
We’ll get to that in a moment, but first, let us understand the basic terminology involved in the vehicle fuel system.
For starters, MPG, or miles per gallon, refers to the number of miles a car travels on a gallon of gas or fuel.
First, multiply your city’s MPG by the percentage of driving time.
Let us suppose our car full tank gas goes 30 miles per gallon of fuel in our city.
Also, let us suppose you drive for 30% of the time on a full tank of gas.
We then multiply both these values, i.e., 30 x (.30).
Thus, according to the above values, our estimated average MPG in the city comes out to be 9.
Secondly, Multiply MPG (highway) by the estimated percentage of driving time.
Now, let’s suppose on the highway our MPG is 50.
Also, let’s take our driving time as a percentage of 70%.
Then, on multiplying the two values, (50 x (.70)), our highway MPG turns out to be 35. (Usually, this is more than city MPG because highways have less traffic and an efficient speed can be achieved.)
Third, Average the MPGs from the previous steps.
That means, (9 + 35)/2 = 22.
This is our average MPG for our motor vehicles.
Lastly, multiply the average MPG by your gas tank capacity.
Let’s suppose your full tank gas fuel capacity is 30 gallons is goes 660 miles.
Then, on multiplying it with the average MPG we have,
30 x 22 = 660 miles
Thus, we have arrived at the final answer to our question. Your motor in the above-given case is expected to go up to 660 miles with a full tank.
Keep in mind that this is the scenario when you are driving 30% of the time in the city and 70% of the time on the highway on a full tank of gas.
Conclusion
The uncertainty in global oil prices will push the unpredictability of gas prices further. Keeping a rough estimate in mind becomes crucial so that the journey of your life does not come to an abrupt halt.
