Saving Fuel While Driving
As fuel prices, both petrol and diesel continue to rise it is becomming increasingly important for all of us to examine our driving and find ways to save money on fuel. This article provides a few hints on how to save money on fuel
Diesel vs PetrolFor ages, company car and van drivers have been driving diesel powered vehicles due to their low maintenance costs, relatively long time between service and far higher MPG figure compared with a comparable petrol engine. In recent times manufacturers such as BMW have lead the way with high-tech diesel and petrol power plants which are incredibly frugal when it comes to using fuel. With low rolling resistance tyres, and highly optimised drag co-efficients modern cars can go a long way on a tank of fuel. Many of the new eco models use technologies including regenerative braking where kinetic energy can be captured during the deceleration periods and applied during periods of acceleration. Fuel Efficient Driving TechniquesFuel is energy and every time you accelerate you are using energy to increase the speed of your vehicle. The amount of energy used depends on a number of things including the weight of your vehicle and the acceleration applied to reach your target speed. So, getting onto a motorway slip road at 20mph and accelerating hard to hit 70mph while carrying a car full of people, luggage rack and holiday stuff is a sure-fire way to burn through fuel quickly. Step1. Remove Excess Weight Just how much stuff have you got in your car or boot that you really don't need with you All the time? Removing excess weight is one of the ways to reduce your fuel costs. Don't have a roof rack or bike rack fitted to your car unless you need them on, otherwise they're just costing you money everytime you drive. Of course, roof racks and anything else you attach to your car has a massive effect on the wind resistance of your car and therefore reduces efficiency. Step 2. Watch Your Speed Heading along the motorway at 70+ mph is all well and good but you might be pleasantly surprised how your MPG will rise should you reduce your speed a little. Just dropping your speed to around 60-70 mph can make a difference of 10% or more! Step 3. Stop Racing Ok, so the car next to you is beating off the lights! Saving money on fuel is about driving a different race - who can go furthest on a tank of fuel? Tags: Save money on fuel | Efficient driving | Fuel saving ideas |
