All of us know that an underinflated tire accounts for a lot more fuel consumption then otherwise. So its only obvious that while we look at all and any way of saving fuel that the wheel needs to be given a second look.

Wheel makers are not disappointing either; they have come up with an energy saving wheel which requires less energy from the engine to get it and keep it in motion at the same speed as compared to an ordinary wheels. They are called low resistance tires and while they certainly help in increasing fuel efficiency, they are also more expensive to the normal tires.

Using the 16-inch Michelin Latitude Tour low rolling resistance tires on its four-cylinder 2009 Escape boosted fuel economy by 1 mile per gallon, to 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. Michelin estimates a set of its Latitude Tour HP tires can save you $300 or 68 gallons of gas during a lifetime of regular use.

A set of Primacy MXV4 tires can save you 51 gallons of fuel or $200. Prices of these tires vary from dealer to dealer and it wouldnt hurt you if you shopped around looking for a good deal if you do want a new set of tires.

Michelin plans to introduce a new series of Latitude tires that will include low rolling resistance models. They are the first set of tires to be Green X certified for the replacement market. The company sells its Energy Saver tires in Europe. Since the company began selling energy saving tires 15 years ago, it has sold 570 million and estimates that it has helped save 2.38 billion gallons of fuel.

Around 2-4% of fuel used by cars and trucks can be saved annually if all were to switch over to these lower resistance tires. With oil prices shooting up with no end in sight, every drop matters.

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