For many years, tire companies focused on the tread of their tires without worrying so much about fuel economy. The result was extremely safe tires, with a design that sacrificed fuel economy in favor of tread.
Gas prices have gone up quite a bit in the last 10 years or so, and truck drivers are looking for ways to improve their fuel economy. And one of the best opportunities for improvement has been in the tires.
The tire industry has responded with tires that improve fuel economy without compromising safety. New tread designs and improvements in rubber compounds have been able to reduce fuel consumption considerably.
Here are a few of the ways tires can affect your fuel economy:
Air Pressure
Tires are designed so that they perform best at a specific air pressure. If they are either underinflated or overinflated, you’ll see a reduction in fuel economy as well as a shortened life of the tire.
For example, some people think that an overinflated tire has an improved rolling resistance (the amount of resistance as your tires roll forward), which would lead to better gas mileage. The truth is, the tire wasn’t designed to operate at that air pressure, and the extra pressure can increase tire wear and reduce traction.
On the other hand, an underinflated tire adds more resistance, which can lower your fuel economy by as much as 25%.
Amount of Tread
There’s a reason winter tires get worse gas mileage—the increased amount of tread adds more rolling resistance, which lowers the fuel economy.
With improvements in design and engineering, however, tire companies have been able to improve their tires’ rolling resistance, without lowering the tread to an undesirable level.
As long as you keep air pressure at the recommended level, you can rest assured that you’ll have improved gas mileage without any reduction in tire traction. For more tips on how you can improve your fuel economy, click here.