Completely made up, why would there be more friction when the engine is going the same speed and the wheels are going slower?? and why are you generating more torque when you are traveling slower?B, - my take, even though you are using more fuel to generate more torque in B , the frictional engine losses predominate in A so the fuel used to travel a given distance ends up being greater than travelling in 6th at a higher speed, despite the increase in fuel for aero drag at higher speed
so to travel a mile in 1st @1500 say 2000J friction + 50J aero (driving that mile might take 10minutes?)
6th @1500 50J friction + 1000J aero
Im seriously amazed that you guys have been driving for how long? and haven't noticed that driving slower on the motorway uses less fuel. Instead we are making up formulas to try and prove physics wrong. Lower engine speed less friction, lower vehicle speed less drag. Engine speed needs to be around optimum BSFC for really optimal but this concept is why idling at 50mph wouldnt work either.
The point made about accelerating slowly is a different discussion and based on how ICE work rather than speed vs drag.
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