'I'm a motoring expert - here’s why keeping your car clean could save on fuel'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

With autumn in full flow, and winter on the way, the roads are dirtier than ever, with rain and windy conditions causing mud and debris to cover your car in muck.However, with the colder weather coming in, it may become more of a chore to clean the car regularly, as nobody enjoys standing in the freezing cold with a bucket of water.But, have you ever wondered whether dirt would impact fuel efficiency, and how much you spend at a petrol station?Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing, busts this myth that could make drivers think twice about setting off in a filthy vehicle.The expert said: "A cleaner car is in fact more fuel efficient.

Experiments found the vehicle was more fuel-efficient when clean, averaging two miles per gallon (mpg) more than when it was dirty.

The average fuel mileage of the dirty car fell to around 24 mpg, while the clean car was 26 mpg."If you extrapolate that over an entire year, and with a driver covering around 8,000 miles, there’s a potential saving of around £200 annually just by keeping your car clean. "The main determining factor here is when the car doesn’t have dirt around it, it is much more aerodynamic.

The surface area of a vehicle can impact mileage and fuel efficiency because when it has no debris, it can travel through the air much easier and freely. "Car manufacturers will cleverly design the body shape of a vehicle so that it is as aerodynamic as possible.