Weight Reduction

[Will]

I just found a way I can remove 50 pounds from my Metro I could lose 50 pounds

[rsx2002]

sounds like a good idea

[Twerp]

I've lost about 20 so far.

[modmonster]

wait- are you guy on the slim fast diet?

[nowhhs]

You guys must be doing something wrong. The only difference between the new Honda Fit and my 90 hatch is that the fit weighs 340 pounds more. Same size engine, same length and width. That extra 340 pounds, about 15%, costs it 12mpg! I think weight reduction must be the answer.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

The Cd of the Fit, and certainly the CdA of the Fit is higher than your Civic. Aerodynamics are very important to FE; since most ICE vehicles do their best FE at 45-55mph.

[BrianAbington]

I took out my passenger seat...which weighed 30 lbs, the back seat bottom cussion was 12lbs, both of the back cussions for the back seat are 7lbs each and the brackets for the seats and seatbelts weigh 5lbs.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by nowhhs

You guys must be doing something wrong. The only difference between the new Honda Fit and my 90 hatch is that the fit weighs 340 pounds more. Same size engine, same length and width. That extra 340 pounds, about 15%, costs it 12mpg! I think weight reduction must be the answer.

For the EPA composite cycle,a 10 % change in weight would yield only a 3.8 % difference in MPG.Less than 6 % for the 15 % difference.There must be something other than weight to account for the 12-mpg differential.

[whokilledthejams]

Originally Posted by aerohead

For the EPA composite cycle,a 10 % change in weight would yield only a 3.8 % difference in MPG.Less than 6 % for the 15 % difference.There must be something other than weight to account for the 12-mpg differential.

Drag and gearing, probably.

[Vekke]

I just read article in composites manufacturing about weigth and fuel consumption:

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If the link doenst work... Ford have done a test with lightweight materials and their results are that 20% weigth reduction is worth of 2 MPG.

In finland car magazines they claim in test have proven that +200 kg of weigth costs you 0.2 litres/100km... However they dont say the percentages of the weight reduction.

What I have noticed the weigth has guite big difference if you are doing P&G driving all the time. +200 kg cost me 0.4litres/100 km according to SGII.