Eco-Driving Habit Ideas

The Golden Rules of Eco-Driving to improve mileage, save fuel and the environment.

Eco-Driving is becoming a mandatory European-wide campaign for improving driving behaviour, energy-efficiency and traffic safety among drivers of passenger cars, delivery vans, lorries and buses organised during 2006 and 2008. It is being implemented in nine countries at this time.

On a lighter note, there are ways of saving fuel which it seems always continues to move upward in price. Some of the most feasible options are listed below:

Shift up as soon as possible
For manual transmission petrol/LPGas cars, shift up before 2500 RPM, for diesel cars before 2000 RPM.

Part of the power of a passenger car's engine is lost by internal friction. These losses increase with engine speed. By driving at low engine speeds these losses remain limited, which reduces fuel consumption. The efficiency of a car engine also increases when a high engine load is used (giving more gas at low engine RPM (revolutions per minute)). Under these conditions the engine power is generated more efficiently. During acceleration the most efficient way of driving is therefore to shift up as soon as possible (at low engine speed) and to apply a relatively high load on the engine. Driving in a high gear automatically requires a high engine load to keep up with traffic.

In order to use the efficiency of a car engine in an optimal way, a maximum engine speed of 2500 RPM for shifting is recommended for petrol/LPG engines. Because diesel engines generally reach their optimal efficiency at lower engine speeds, a maximum engine speed of 2000 RPM for shifting is recommended. A rev(olution) counter is a useful aid to determine the right shifting moment. The shifting recommendation is anyhow applicable to cars with a manual gearbox, but it can also partly be applied by cars with an automatic transmission (see 'cars with an automatic gearbox). The recommended way of shifting is in no way harmful to a properly maintained engine.

Maintain a steady speed
Use the highest gear possible and drive with low engine RPM's. Extra fuel is used to costantly increase your speed, after consistent braking. Not to mention your breaks and tires wear out faster.

When accelerating, energy in the fuel is used to propel the car. Part of this energy is wasted when you brake. You may experience this phenomenon after hard braking; the brakes have become very hot because of the transformation of propulsion energy into heat. Therefore, repeated acceleration and braking requires a lot of energy (fuel).

This can also be explained by the fact that the average car only needs 5 kW of power to drive at a steady speed of 50 km/h (at 120 km/h the amount of power needed increases to approximately 25 kW). The remaining 90% (or more) of the engine's power is only needed for acceleration or for driving at very high speeds. By driving steadily as much as possible, the wastage of energy and fuel remains limited. Try to avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking. Cruise control is a useful aid for smooth and steady driving.

Driving at steady speed not only increases fuel-economy, but it also has a positive effect on exhaust emissions, traffic safety, traffic flow and passenger comfort.

Anticipate traffic flow
Look ahead as far as possible and anticipate to the surrounding traffic. It takes a huge amount of fuel to get your car moving, and quite a bit less to keep it moving, once you reach the speed limit.

In order to drive at a steady speed (as discussed in recommendation 2), it is important to anticipate to surrounding traffic to avoid unnecessary braking and accelerating. For example, when approaching traffic lights, when overtaking traffic like cyclists or agricultural vehicles or when driving on a busy highway, anticipating to other traffic can have a big influence on how steadily you drive.

Many situations can already be noticed far ahead, long before approaching the situation itself. In case you use cruise control (see recommendation 2) you will have to anticipate even more to be able to make full use of its benefits.

Decelerate Smoothly
When you have to slow down or to stop, decelerate smoothly by releasing the accelerator in time, leaving the car in gear. Many times you will not have to stop for a light, if you anticipate the traffic patterns properly.

Petrol and diesel cars manufactured from 1990 onwards, are generally equipped with fuel injection combined with an electronic function that cuts off the engine's fuel supply under engine braking (accelerator released and a gear engaged). The advantages of this fuel cut off function can be used by releasing the accelerator in time, for example when approaching traffic lights. This also reduces wear and tear on the brakes, reducing maintenance costs. Engine braking, not only has a positive effect on fuel consumption, but also on exhaust emissions, traffic safety, traffic flow and passenger comfort.

In case of less modern cars with a carburettor and older diesel cars (generally manufactured before 1990), it makes no difference whether you decelerate with gears engaged or disengaged, for the carburettor is a mechanical device that is not equipped with electronics to cut off fuel supply. These cars consume an equal amount of fuel under engine braking and when idling. However, releasing the accelerator in time still avoids hard braking and improves the durability of the brakes.

Check the tire pressure frequently
25% too low tire pressure increases rolling resistance by 10% and your fuel consumption by 2%.

An important part of the energy for propelling a car is needed to overcome the rolling resistance of the tires. 25% too low tire pressure increases rolling resistance by 10% and fuel consumption by 2%. Too low tire pressure also has unfavourable effects on vehicle handling and braking distance.

To ensure correct tire pressure, you need to check your car's tires at least once a month. tire pressure must be checked at cold tires. This means that you have driven less than three kilometres, otherwise you have to wait for about 10 minutes to let the tires cool down. Car manufacturers always recommend two different tire pressures: one for driving unloaded and/or mainly at normal speeds and one for driving fully loaded and/or mainly at high speeds. These pressure indications can be found in the instruction manual, but often also on a label at the door post or at the fuel filling flap of your car.

Nowadays newly sold passenger cars of several makes are already equipped with an electronic system that continually monitors the tire pressure. Such systems can also be fitted in as an accessory in other cars.

My Favorite: Slow down.
Try driving the speed limit, this saves fuel and surprisingly you seldom get there any faster. I"ve noticed that driving 55 mph on a highway limited to 55 mph, gives me significantly better mileage. Of course, that is my vehicle, and you may find your vehicle functions differently.

Don't be an aggressive driver. Time studies show that fast starts, weaving in and out of traffic, and accelerating to and from a stop sign or traffic light doesn't save much time, but does waste fuel and wear out car components such as brakes and tires faster.