Energy-Saving News

Fuel-Efficient Driving In 10 Easy Steps

Posted on 20. Feb, 2009 by Ross in Energy Prices

With high prices at the pumps and the threat of global warming at the back of everyone’s minds, cutting down on your car’s fuel consumption is an easy route to saving your credit card and your carbon footprint from unnecessary damage. On top of that, these tips will help you drive more safely and minimise wear and tear on your car.

• 1. Shift into higher gears as quickly as possible.

The aim here is to keep the car’s engine revs down to a minimum: driving at lower engine speeds is more fuel efficient. Change up a gear at around 2,000 rpm.

• 2. Maintain a constant speed in as high a gear as possible.

Again, the aim is to minimise the engine revs: driving at steady speeds requires minimal effort from the car’s engine. Strong acceleration and braking is far less fuel-efficient.

• 3. Anticipate road conditions and other drivers and drive more smoothly accordingly.

Maintaining steady speeds on straight, empty roads is comparatively easy. The negative impact on fuel efficiency of corners, hills and other car drivers can be lessened by anticipating the need to brake early and ease off the throttle, letting the car decelerate by engine braking, then accelerate slowly rather than flooring the accelerator.

• 4. Drive a bit slower.

Most cars run at their most efficient between 45-55 mph. The faster you travel past this optimum speed, the more fuel your car will consume.

• 5. Avoid using roof racks and roof boxes.

Roof boxes add a massive aerodynamic burden to a car, increasing fuel consumption by up to nearly 40%! Avoid their use whenever possible.

• 6. Keep the car windows closed.

Driving at speed with the windows open causes a sizeable amount of aerodynamic drag - keep them closed to keep your car fuel-efficient.

• 7. Switch off unnecessary electrical appliances.

Air conditioning systems burn a large amount of fuel in keeping a car cool, but all a car’s electrical extras create an additional energy burden: radios, heaters, sat-nav, in-car dvd players, phone chargers, and so on.

• 8. Keep your car well maintained.

Keeping tyre pressures at recommended levels substantially helps fuel efficiency by minimising friction, whilst taking your car for regular servicing keeps the engine working optimally.

• 9. Remove unnecessary weight from your car.

The heavier a car is, the more energy is required to move it: by not storing heavy object such as tool kits, golf clubs and prams in the car you can keep your fuel consumption to a minimum.

• 10. Switch off the engine instead of idling.

Stuck in a traffic jam that’s going nowhere fast? Popping into the local shop to grab the nearest chocolate bar? Turning the engine off instead of leaving it idling for more than a minute will help save fuel.

Related posts:

1. Green Driving: Fuel Efficiency Through Vehicle Maintenance
2. CBI: We Want Energy Efficiency On Driving Tests
3. Save (Light + Heat + Fuel) = Save Money + Save Carbon
4. Will Algae Fuel The Hydrogen Economy?
5. White Is The New Green!

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Tags: car, driving, efficient, fuel, tips