Researchers at the University of California, Riverside’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CERT) are developing a new way of boosting fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent without changing a car’s powertrain at all.
Their secret? Finding ways to change our behavior so we’re more attuned to maximizing their mileage while behind the wheel.
Sure, it may sound easier than reducing vehicle weight or adding batteries or developing some new engine technology, but it’s a daunting task. It’s relatively easy for engineers to tinker with a car, but even Sammy Hagar knows that people tend to resist efforts to change their behavior.
With $1.2 million grand from the Department of Energy, the research team is in the very first stage of developing their study. Researcher Kanok Boriboonsomsin said he’s studying ways cars with network connectivity might a offer fuel-saving route on a GPS system, and how infotainment systems can provide real-time feedback on fuel economy without distracting or annoying drivers.
Read the full article by Keith Barry at: Cars Don’t Waste Fuel. Drivers Waste Fuel
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