Fuel Efficiency Estimator

Choosing a car? Consider features for fuel efficiency

Zeydy Ortiz, Ph. D.

Energy Crisis

Cars in 1973

It's 1974 and you are trying to choose the best car for your family. The oil embargo imposed by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) is causing fuel shortages and prices are sky-high. It's time to consider the features of the 1973-74 models that will help your family save at the pump.

Presenting the Fuel Efficiency Estimator

ShinyApp

Available at: http://zortiz.shinyapps.io/AutoFuelEfficiency

Explore the Fuel Efficiency Estimator

With the Fuel Efficiency Estimator, you can find out:

  • How cars with the same number of cylinders compare in fuel efficiency?
  • Will a 4-, 6-, or 8-cylinder car be more efficient (for same weight)?
  • How will fuel efficiency be affected if the car is carrying a heavier load?

Navigating the Fuel Eficiency Estimator

To get an estimate of fuel efficiency, select the two major features of the 1973-74 car models that were found to determine fuel consumption:

  • number of cylinders: 4, 6, or 8
  • car weight in lbs

The right side shows a plot of the data featured in the 1974 Motor Trend US magazine. The figure also includes a data point for the estimated fuel efficiency of the input selections.

Below the plot are the results of the prediction. You can clearly see how changes in car features will affect the expected fuel consumption.

About the data and model

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The Fuel Efficiency Estimator uses the R mtcars dataset. I previously developed the fuel efficiency model for the Regression Models class:

mLm <- lm(mpg ~ wt * cyl, mtcars)