02:38 29-12-2025

How tire pressure affects fuel economy, especially in winter

Learn how underinflated tires increase rolling resistance, cut fuel economy by 2–10%, why winter drops PSI, and where to find the recommended tire pressure.

Whenever you catch yourself wondering why the fuel use is up again, start not with the accelerator, but with the tires. An underinflated tire flexes more under the vehicle’s weight, the contact patch changes, and rolling resistance climbs. The engine has to work harder just to keep the car moving, and the fuel disappears faster. It won’t necessarily destroy the transmission, but the overall load on the car definitely rises.

A study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, available to 32CARS.RU, shows a clear pattern: cut tire pressure by 25% below the recommended level and efficiency drops by roughly 2–3%. Halve it, and the losses reach 5–10%—noticeable at the pump over long distances. The takeaway is simple, and it’s precisely the sort of basic check that’s easy to ignore.

In winter the effect intensifies: pressure can fall by 1–2 PSI for every 10 degrees of temperature drop. The reason is straightforward—air contracts as it cools, and what seemed fine the day before can turn into a TPMS warning in the morning.

Just remember where to look for the correct numbers: on the driver’s door pillar or jamb, and in the owner’s manual. The figure on the tire’s sidewall is the tire’s maximum, not the recommended setting for your car. Paying attention to this small detail keeps you from chasing phantom issues elsewhere.