5 Ways to Eco-drive

Accelerate gently. The harder you accelerate the more fuel you consume. In the city, you can conserve fuel by easing onto the accelerator pedal gently and gradually. Pretend there’s an egg under the gas pedal and an open cup of coffee on the dash. Try to drive without breaking the shell or spilling the coffee and you’ll be good to go.

Maintain a steady speed. Be consistent. Unintentional dips in speed and sudden bursts of acceleration take a toll on your tank and your wallet. In fact, tests show that varying your speed up and down between 75 km/h and 85km/h every 18 seconds can increase your fuel use by 20 per cent. Use cruise control whenever possible.

Anticipate traffic. Read the road ahead, anticipate road disruptions, monitor the movements of pedestrians and other vehicles and keep a comfortable distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you.

Coast to decelerate. Coasting to a stop with your foot off the pedal is like driving for free. By anticipating traffic slowdowns as early as possible, you can decrease your speed, conserve fuel and save money by simply taking your foot off the accelerator. Today, most vehicles are equipped with fuel-injection systems that automatically shut off the flow of fuel to the engine when the accelerator is fully released.

Avoid high speeds. Even if you have a need for speed, slow down. Most cars, vans, SUVs and pickup trucks operate most fuel efficiently when travelling between 50 and 80 km/h. Anything above this optimal speed zone and vehicles consume increasingly more fuel the faster they go. For example, if it takes Php 250 worth of fuel to drive a certain distance at 100 km/h, it would cost Php320 to travel that same distance at 120 km/h. That’s like throwing a toonie out the window every 100 km.

Source: Natural Resources Canada, www.vehicles.nrcan.gc.ca.

www.newscanada.com

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