The cost of fuel is rising steadily and so are the warnings that burning fossil fuels contribute to climate change. Drivers may want to know how they can reduce fuel consumption, help their vehicle last longer, and help the environment.
Eco Driving – How to Save Fuel and Drive More Efficiently
The single, best thing you can do to save fuel is to buy a fuel-efficient car. The smaller the engine size, the smaller your fuel bill. Diesel engines are more fuel-efficient than gasoline engines. Vehicles with manual transmissions use about 10 percent less fuel than similar models with automatic transmissions. Hybrid and electric vehicles are the most efficient.
Fuel cost is a major factor in any car driver’s expenditure so making sure your car is performing at maximum efficiency will help you save money on fuel bills. The way you drive and the condition of your car has an impact on the amount of fuel you use.
Try these tips to help you save fuel and money.
Minimize Vehicle Use
Vehicles are least fuel efficient and most polluting at the start of trips and on short trips. Catalytic converters, which reduce air pollution emissions, do not operate properly until they have warmed up, and trips of less than five kilometres generally do not allow the engine to reach its peak operating temperature. Plan to do a number of errands in one trip rather than several trips. Avoid short vehicle trips by walking or cycling. This will save over a quarter of a kilogram of greenhouse gas emissions per kilometre of vehicle driving, as well as give you healthy exercise.
Drive in the Right Gear
Driving in a gear lower than you need wastes fuel, and letting the engine labour in the top gear on hills is also wasteful. In a manual vehicle, change up gears as soon as the car is comfortable with the higher gear but without accelerating harder than necessary.
Automatic transmissions will shift up more quickly and smoothly if you ease back slightly on the accelerator once the car gathers momentum. Avoid the use of power options, which drop the car into a lower gear and therefore use more fuel.
Drive Smoothly
Stop/start driving is much less efficient and more polluting than driving at a constant speed. Avoid travelling during peak-hours and on congested roads. Take it easy on the accelerator. Keep at a good distance from the car in front so you can anticipate and travel with the flow of traffic. This avoids unnecessary acceleration and frequent repetitive braking that ends up wasting fuel and brake pads. It’s also far safer. If you see traffic stoppages ahead, first take your foot off the accelerator and allow the engine to slow the vehicle, particularly by also changing to a lower gear.
Avoid Idling
Modern cars don’t need to be “warmed up” by idling. This wastes fuel. Start your car when you’re ready to go. Once on the road, minimize fuel wasted in idling by stopping the engine whenever your car is stopped or held up for an extended period of time. By turning the engine off, even for a short period, you will save more fuel than is used to restart the engine. Idling gets zero mileage while it pollutes.
Don’t Speed
Fuel consumption increases significantly over 90 km/h. At 110 km/h your car uses up to 25 percent more fuel than it uses at 90 km/h. If your car has cruise control, using it during highway driving will help to maintain a steadier speed, which will save fuel: Disengage the cruise on steep hills and reengage it on more level going. Driving at the speed limit is most economical and you’ll never get a speeding ticket.
Minimize Aerodynamic Drag
Additional parts on the exterior of a vehicle such as roof racks and spoilers, or having the window open, increases air resistance and fuel consumption, in some cases by over 20 per cent at higher speeds. Remove roof and bike racks when not in use. If you have to use roof racks, load them carefully to help reduce wind resistance or use a streamlined roof box.
Keep Tires Properly Inflated
Inflate your vehicle’s tires to the highest pressure recommended by the manufacture and make sure your wheels are properly aligned. Looking after your tires will not only reduce your fuel consumption, it will also extend tire life and improve handling. Replacing the air in the tires with nitrogen will reduce fuel consumption and prolong the life of the tires. Nitrogen keeps the tires running cooler than with air, which reduces tire wear.
Use Air-conditioning Sparingly
Air conditioners (AC) can use about 10 per cent extra fuel when operating. However, at speeds of over 80 km/h, use of AC is better for fuel consumption than an open window as this creates aerodynamic drag. If it is hotter inside your car than outside when you start a trip, drive with the windows down for a few minutes to help cool the car before starting the AC.
Travel Light
The more weight a vehicle carries, the more fuel it uses. Leave heavy items like tools and sports equipment at home when you don’t need them on a trip.
Keep Your Vehicle in Good Condition
Keep your vehicle well tuned and regularly maintained. Get your car serviced at the intervals specified in the manufacturer’s handbook. Use the fuel that is recommended for your vehicle by the manufacturer. If you use regular unleaded in a car designed to run on premium unleaded you can expect slightly less performance and fractionally higher consumption. Using premium unleaded fuel in a car designed for regular unleaded may give better fuel consumption in some newer vehicles but it is unlikely to offset the extra cost of the fuel.
Watch Road Surfaces
On highways avoid driving in the center of the driving lane when possible, as that’s where the pavement is roughest and most worn. Driving closer to the right side of the lane where the pavement is less worn creates a smoother and quieter ride, reducing tire wear and fuel consumption.
Driving motor vehicles is the most risky thing we regularly do. Driving requires our complete concentration for the safety of our passengers and ourselves, as well as for all other people sharing the road with us. Responsible drivers pay attention to reducing fuel consumption and vehicle efficiency as well as safety. Smart driving adds enjoyment to the constant challenge of driving, and arriving, safely.
It will be some time before clean energy vehicles become available and are widely used in New Brunswick. Meanwhile, reducing and avoiding the use of fossil-fueled vehicles whenever possible will keep more cash in your pocket and less pollution in our air.
Sam Arnold is a member of the Woodstock Sustainable Energy Group (SEG).