Which is a more efficient way to drive?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Slick Rick
  • 12 comments
  • 726 views

Which is more efficient

  • Low revs but with your accelerator mostly half to all the way down.

    Votes: 15 75.0%

  • High revs with your accelerator less than half way down

    Votes: 5 25.0%
  • Total voters
    20
Slick Rick

Slick Rick

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I was just wondering which is a more efficient way to drive up inclines and with general driving when you want a bit of speed or power...
1. Low revs but with your accelerator mostly half to all the way down.
2. High revs with your accelerator less than half the way down.
 
Engines are alleged to be their most efficient when the throttle is wide open, so I suspect option1.
 
I say 1 as well, but I thought it would mainly be better because of the lower rev's.
 
Option 1

With the throttle down (butterfly open) you have less pumping losses from the butterfly restricting the intake and you have lower revs.
 
VIPERGTSR01
Option 1

With the throttle down (butterfly open) you have less pumping losses from the butterfly restricting the intake and you have lower revs.
Click to expand...

That's right. A important web site about cars have tested those exact things and the conclusion is waht you've said. 👍 Greater fuel ecconomy = lower revs.
 
I usually only have my foot part-way into the throttle when I have to climb Honey Creek here outside of GR, MI... I let the Jetta run up to 4,000RPM before shifting, any sooner she would bog quite a bit. Of course, only having 115HP to haul around 3600lbs is tough work for that 2.0L...
 
actually i wouldnt be suprised if it was between the two because if your opening the throttle more, you are putting more fuel in the cylinders. if you rev high, you get more cycles of fuel injection per minute. if you can rev not out of the powerband but just at, and not too high, you wont have to bog it with fuel or rev deep into the powerband.

i also suppose it depends on the car and the engine.
 
I say low revs.

With a larger throttle application your buring more fuel per revolution, but making less revolutions.

With less throttle your burining less fuel per revolution, but making far more revolutions.
 
I'm sure that with a V8 you want to stay low to take full advantage of the torque, but with the tiny I4 cars, you are probably going to want to rev it up just a bit...
 
YSSMAN
I'm sure that with a V8 you want to stay low to take full advantage of the torque, but with the tiny I4 cars, you are probably going to want to rev it up just a bit...
Click to expand...

Thats what i was thinking too...
 

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