Adjusting Tire Pressure Can Save Gas and Money, According to Edmunds.com Study

Business Wire, May 14, 2008

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- A driver with severely under-inflated tires can spend $800 more per year on fuel than necessary, according to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information. With approximately 250 million vehicles on the road in the United States, the potential for saving billions of dollars and tons of fuel is remarkable. These findings were among the results of Edmunds.com's study entitled "Edmunds Employees Put to the Tire Pressure Test" at http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/126090/ article.html.

The study, carried out by Edmunds.com's "Green Committee," concluded that on average, the company's employees' tires were nearly seven percent below the manufacturers' suggested tire pressure. The 212 Edmunds' employees who participated in the project will save 5,820 gallons of gas a year and approximately $20,500 per year by properly inflating their vehicles' tires. GreenCarAdvisor.com points out that such savings will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 204.3 tons a year. The company has supported this effort by distributing tire pressure gauges to its employees and promising to regularly remind them to check their tire pressure.

"When our Green Committee suggested this program, the executives immediately supported it and we began communicating it to our partners and vendors, hoping it will inspire other companies to adopt a similar practice," commented Edmunds.com President and Chief Operating Officer Avi Steinlauf. "There is real potential for companies to make a difference - both economically and environmentally - through such an initiative."

If the nearly 250 million vehicles in the United States have tires that are under-inflated by seven percent, proper inflation could result in national annual savings of $23 billion and 3.3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. However, the government estimates that the average vehicle tire is under-inflated by 26 percent, so the potential for savings is far greater.

Dan Edmunds, Edmunds.com's Director of Vehicle Testing, also pointed out the safety implications of tire pressure. "Under-inflated tires pose a safety risk; when a tire is under-inflated, it is more likely to overheat and blow out, and it provides less control in emergency maneuvers," he noted. "Tires also wear out faster when under-inflated, creating more unnecessary expense and waste."

"Keeping tire pressure at the specified level is an easy way to increase your safety, save money and reduce environmental impact," stated Phil Reed, Edmunds.com's Senior Consumer Advice Editor. "It's time to make this bit of car maintenance a priority."

To review all the results of this study, please see the full article at http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/126090/ article.html. More fuel-saving advice articles can be found by visiting Edmunds' Green Car Guide at www.edmunds.com/fueleconomy, and news on automotive environmental efforts can be found by visiting Edmunds' Green Car Advisor at www.greencaradvisor.com.

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About Edmunds Inc. (http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/)

Edmunds Inc. publishes four Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its most popular feature, the Edmunds.com True Market Value([R]), is relied upon by millions of people seeking current transaction prices for new and used vehicles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM), was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal and was rated "#1" in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. Inside Line launched in 2005 and is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. CarSpace launched in 2006 and is an automotive social networking Web site and home to the oldest and most established automotive community. AutoObserver.com launched in 2007 and provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit.