Rolling Resistance and Vehicle Efficiency

Mark Hoffman, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Auburn University, and his graduate research assistant Karl Bohnenberger have been studying one of the lesser known contributors to poor fuel economy: rolling resistance. Rolling resistance is a measure of the effort required to keep a tire rolling. It might not grab headlines, but rolling resistance has a substantial impact on emissions and energy use. According to the US Department of Energy, conventionally fueled vehicles us...