Rising Fuel Driving Up Your Expenses? Become Fuel Efficient

Now that the economy is unlocking, the real impact of COVID-19 on our income and expenses is coming to the fore. Rising fuel prices is one of the main pocket pinchers for daily drivers. If you too are feeling the pinch caused by the historic rise in petrol and diesel prices, perhaps it’s time to consider becoming more fuel efficient in your driving habits.

In today’s post, we are sharing ways to make your car, SUV or bike more fuel efficient and help you shave off some amount from your expense bucket.

Let’s start with some driving techniques that help in saving fuel

• Accelerate gently: The harder you accelerate the more fuel you use. By easing onto the accelerator pedal, you can save more fuel when driving in start-stop city traffic. Take at least 5 to 7 seconds to accelerate between speed thresholds. E.g., take 5 seconds to go from 0 to 20 kmph so on.
• Maintain Steady Speed: Besides acceleration, staying at a constant speed is also helpful in saving fuel. Studies show that rapidly changing vehicle speeds can cause up to 20% higher fuel consumption.
• Avoid High Speeds: Cars, SUVs and bikes are most fuel efficient when they are driven at speeds of 50 to 80 kmph. Above these limits the rate of fuel consumption keeps getting higher with each threshold, without giving a relative time advantage. For e.g., if you complete a 25 km stretch at 100 kmph and 120 kmph, the fuel consumption will be higher by 20% in the latter case while the time difference is just 2 minutes.
• Coast to Decelerate: Braking efficiently will also save fuel for you. Letting go of the accelerator and coasting to lower speeds will help save the energy loss that occurs with sudden loss of momentum, i.e., sudden braking.

Here’s an easy way to implement the above tips

Continuously track the movement of other vehicles and pedestrians on the road. It will help you avoid the need for sudden acceleration and braking.

More ways to save fuel when driving

Keep your engine in tip-top shape: The engine is the heart of your vehicle; a well-oiled and serviced engine will perform better than a stuttering old one. So, make sure you are not missing vehicle service calls, especially now that COVID-19 has kept most of us at home for an extended period. Track your service record and stick to the upkeep schedule.

Avoid idling for long durations: We cannot stress enough on this point, especially for city drivers. Turn off your engine when you stop for more than 60 seconds. For every 10 minutes you idle, your vehicle can use up to 300 ml of fuel.

Don’t carry unnecessary weight: There is a direct relation between fuel consumption and vehicle weight. So, make sure you are not carrying around heavy objects like old gym equipment in your boot. Studies point out that every 25 kg increase in weight increases the fuel consumption by around 1%.

Use air conditioning judicially: While hot weather during peak summers in India warrants the use of air conditioning, you can start dialing down its use as monsoons arrive. Air conditioning is also a primary reason for higher fuel consumption and its judicial use can bring down your fuel consumption by as much as 20-25%.

Ensure proper tyre maintenance: Tyres can make or break your vehicle’s performance. Always use the right sized tyres for your car, SUV or bike. When upsizing, installing tyres that violate OEM specifications for maximum size and width can lead to increased fuel consumption. Heavier tyres also add weight to your vehicle, hence, causing drop in fuel efficiency. Moreover, properly inflated tyres can significantly increase fuel efficiency and handling.

Switch to low resistance tyres: You can further improve fuel efficiency by switching to low resistance tyres that reduce friction between the tyre surface and the road. These tyres are made from strong yet lightweight rubber compounds to help reduce the vehicle’s weight as well. Today, low resistance car tyres like the Apollo Alnac 4G are the preferred choice of many OEMs across the country.

In conclusion, sticking to the right driving habits and vehicle maintenance tips will help you drive more and spend less on travel. However, the COVID-19 situation is still a developing one and we would advise against travelling unnecessarily. Apart from that, drive safe, drive well and maintain the distance.