With gas price soaring check new EPA data

With gas reaching $4.00 per gallon (probably higher by the time you read this) you might want to check the government's fuel economy webpage at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/. The site is maintained jointly by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency and helps fulfill their responsibility under the EPA Act of 1992 to provide accurate "miles per gallon" information to consumers. There's lots of good information here. Everybody should take a look at it.

When you buy a new car you will see on the window sticker the official EPA estimated MPG rating for city and highway driving and a combined figure. For example, a 2007 Honda Odyssey minivan was rated at 19mpg city, 26mpg highway and a combined figure of 21mpg. But in 2008 EPA changed the way they estimated MPG by reflecting faster speeds and acceleration, air conditioning use and colder outside temperatures. As a result, MPG estimates were lowered for most vehicles. It reduced Odyssey's rating to 17mpg city, 24mpg highway and a combined 19mpg. Of course, actual mileage depends on driving habits, traffic conditions and other factors but the ratings help in comparing vehicles. You can search before and after EPA ratings on vehicles as far back as 1985 on the above webpage and also view what other drivers are saying about MPG.

While at the site be sure to review tips on driving more efficiently. I've started driving slower and noticed that traffic from River Bend to New Bern has slowed. Folks seem to hang in behind me probably to take advantage of drafting, just as I do when cycling in a paceline. According to EPA, aggressive speeding and rapid acceleration can lower your gas mileage by as much as 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer.

The escalating cost of gas is on everybody's mind. I feel sorry for commuters. Our daughter is lucky to get into a vanpool in the DC area because there is now a long waiting list. She claims she saves over $300/month. I'm sure lots of vacation trips will be cancelled this summer and I see SUV sales dropping, automotive plants closing and planes being retired. Life is changing because of rising gas prices.

One of the links on the DOE/EPA webpage points to a "Primer on Gasoline Prices" at http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/gasolinepricesprimer/. Take a look at this because it explains how gas is priced and why the price varies.

There's lot of hype going on over gas prices. What do we really know? (1) There is no shortage of gas. There are no waiting lines. (2) With the exception of OPEC member nations, gas costs more in most countries than in the US and (3) we will probably reach a peak price when worldwide demand falls off. Some say the peak could be as high as $5.00 to $6.00 a gallon. In the meantime, learn all you can about gas pricing and get a bicycle.