Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobb
Does weight really play that much role in mpg?
|
It sure does make it far easier to achieve good mpg.
It's one of the reasons old cars can get such good fuel economy: they weigh far less than the current overweight crop.
Everytime a car is accelerated you're paying for the extra weight - and while you can get some of that back thru gliding or regen, most drivers turn the energy into heat (brakes).
The main benefit is in city / suburb driving with lots of stop (or slow) & go traffic.
Once out on the highway at a constant speed, the effect is minimal.
But then ... going at a constant speed isn't the most efficient way to drive
When going uphill, weight is also a negative factor.
You can't recoup all of that energy when going back downhill as it'd lead to excessive speeds - even in a hybrid or EV, you're done with energy recovery once the battery is full.
Less weight also means less resources being used.
Another benefit.