Labor Day Holiday Travelers Can Cut Gasoline Costs With Alliance to Save Energy’s Drive $marter Challenge Interactive Website, Resources

Washington, D.C., August 27, 2008 – U.S. consumers planning a vacation or road trip during the upcoming Labor Day weekend or beyond can save money on gas and be more fuel efficient with the many resources, tips, and myth busters on the Drive $marter Challenge website.

The website offers extensive resources that cover such questions as: Where can I rent a hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicle? At my vacation destination where can I find public transportation? Where can I find cheap gas along my vacation route?

Even with the recent drop in gas prices, road trips may still strain finances, because the average price for a gallon of gas is almost a dollar more than a year ago, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. While drivers cannot control gas prices, they can take simple steps to increase fuel efficiency and reduce gasoline costs.

Whether you are headed to the big city or sandy shore, how you drive and maintain your vehicle can either increase or decrease a vehicle's fuel efficiency and your gas costs. You can start saving money on gas even before you are on the road with a little planning and basic maintenance tips from the Drive $marter Challenge.

Planning your vacation:

• Choose the right vehicle. If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets better gas mileage if possible.
• Request the right rental. If you are renting a vehicle at your destination, request one that gets better fuel economy, and remember to fill up the tank before returning the car to the rental company, which charges much higher gas prices – and perhaps even an extra gas surcharge.
• Are we there yet? Getting lost while driving in unfamiliar areas could lead to an expensive waste of gas. Resources on the Drive $marter Challenge website can help your family print a customized vacation map that highlights low cost gas along your route.
• Rise and shine! When possible, drive during off-peak hours to reduce gas costs and stress by avoiding stop-and-go or bumper-to-bumper traffic conditions.
• Consider other transportation options. Investigate options for getting around on your vacation—public transportation, biking, walking, or ridesharing when possible.
• Motorcycling. Motorcycles average 56 mph—and motor scooters do even better. For one person or even two, motorcycles or scooters clearly use far less energy than a car with one or two people. If four people need to go somewhere, they are better off in a vehicle that gets 30 mpg than on two motorcycles that get 56 mpg.

Before You Leave: Maintenance Tips

• Inflate your tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated is simple and improves gas mileage by around 3%.
• Select the right oil. Using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil, including re-refined motor oil, improves gas mileage by 1 to 2%, resulting in annual savings of up to $45. Motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol contains friction-reducing additives. Also, change your oil as recommended to extend the life of your vehicle and remember to recycle the used oil which can be re-refined, saving even more energy.
• Tune up. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4%.

While On The Road: Driving Tips

• Decrease your speed. Speeding costs! Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly above 60 mph. Each five miles per hour over 60 mph is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas.
• Drive Sensibly. Speeding, rapid acceleration (jackrabbit starts), and rapid braking can lower gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds.
• Use cruise control on highways. Cruise control cuts fuel consumption by maintaining a steady speed during highway driving.
• Use Overdrive Gear when appropriate to reduce engine speed, which will enable you to save gas and reduce engine wear.
• It’s a “drag.” Avoid carrying items on your vehicle’s roof. A loaded roof rack or carrier increases weight and aerodynamic drag, which can cut mileage by 5%. Place items inside the trunk whenever possible to improve your fuel economy.
• Turn down the air. Operating the air conditioner on "Max" can reduce mpg by 5-25% compared to not using it.
• Avoid idling, which gets 0 mpg. Cars with larger engines typically waste even more gas while idling than cars with smaller engines.
• Navigate with a GPS system. GPS systems can help you find your way and increasingly, GPS programs can search for low prices at nearby gas stations.

To find out how to save hundreds of dollars a year on gas with your specific vehicle by taking six actions, go to www.drivesmarterchallenge.org. Those who choose to take the challenge (1-6 driving or maintenance actions) can obtain discount maintenance coupons.