We often complain about the expensive petrol, the fact that diesel has increased in price and is no longer as convenient as it used to be, and that diesel engines, once tractors with no desire for performance and totally devoted to fuel saving, are now very performing but also very thirsty for fuel. The truth is that a lot depends on how you drive. With tricks you can save a lot on fuel, and in this article we’re going to see how to do it.
First, when car running costs are high and day-to-day expenses are skyrocketing as they are right now, an advice general to reduce the running costs of the car is simple but effective: take the car only when you really need it. To go buy cigarettes, to go a couple of kilometers round trip, perhaps to go to the gym or to the house of a friend who lives nearby, you can easily go on foot.
In the end, saving time with the car isn’t so decisive if we consider the phase of getting the car out of the garage and looking for a parking space, and by walking a few steps you also keep your body in shape.
But now let’s get to the heart of the matter with some technical tricks to save fuel.
The best tricks to consume less petrol and diesel
Drive smoothly
Accelerate hard at a green light and then slow down hard at the next intersection or traffic light. These are operations which, if repeated several times in just a couple of kilometres, consume a lot of fuel, and also brake pads! We learn to drive smoothly, accelerating smoothly and then traveling at a constant speed. If we then see a traffic light or an intersection, we begin to release the accelerator already a hundred meters away, taking advantage of the natural deceleration of the vehicle which occurs through the engine brake and the friction of the tyres. You save a lot of fuel by driving this way.
Check tire pressure regularly
The owner’s manual for each car indicates the optimum tire pressure, which varies depending on whether you drive alone or with a full load. The same information is usually found on the fuel filler cap flap. An optimal pressure allows the best grip and the right rolling. Traveling with underinflated tires is dangerous, but it will also make the tires consume more fuel and faster, causing more friction with the asphalt. According to studies, every 1% decrease in tire pressure results in a 0.3% reduction in fuel economy, which is no small amount!
Always unload the car
More weight on board means more power needed to accelerate and maintain cruising speed. Our cars are punctually full of often useless objects. One kilo here, two kilos there, and we find ourselves having twenty or more kilos constantly on board, which in the long run can consume a few liters more fuel.
Air conditioning only when you really need it
The air conditioner is attached to the timing chain, absorbing an average of 3Kw when the compressor is active. It follows that the car will consume more with the climate on, especially in the phases of acceleration from standstill, typical of driving in traffic. Try to keep it off when you don’t need it, or not to lower the temperature too much so that the compressor disconnects more often.
Always leave early
We always run late, and then to catch up we rush by car, often with nervous driving. A classic, but very wrong. Driving in this way not only consumes a lot of extra petrol, but we ruin the car and even risk some accidents. On the other hand, it is always advisable to leave an extra ten minutes (better half an hour) even for short journeys of a quarter of an hour. So we can drive in peace. The cost of time is not so incisive, but the fuel consumption saved is.
