Fuel economy additives

A fuel composition comprising a major amount of fuel to which has been added a minor amount of an additive comprising an ester of a polyhydric polyether, wherein said ester contains ether oxygens and free and esterified hydroxyl groups in its polyhydric polyether backbone portion, and wherein said minor amount of said ester added is from 0.001 to 10 wt. %.

A method for reducing fuel consumption in an internal combustion engine which comprises operating said engine on a fuel composition comprising a major amount of fuel to which has been added a minor amount of an additive comprising an ester of a polyhydric polyether which contains both ether oxygens and free and esterified hydroxyl groups in the polyhydric polyether backbone portion of said ester, said ester having been prepared by condensing at least one polyhydric alcohol having at least three hydroxyl groups to form a polyhydric polyether and then partially esterifying the so-formed polyhydric polyether with at least one organic compound having from 10 to 30 carbon atoms selected from the group consisting essentially of a carboxylic acid, an acid halide, an acid anhydride and mixture thereof to form said ester, wherein the number of said free hydroxyl groups present on said backbone portion of said ester ranges from 3 to 20.