First Gear - Avoid fuel funk

CHAPTER 8: Avoid fuel funk

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We have good and bad news. The good news is that it

is actually possible to save as you drive and still have

money left for a holiday at the end of the year. The bad

news is you – and your driving habits. If you would only

tweak those habits, you’re talking about real dollar

savings, not just cents.

glide until it’s green and accelerate moderately again, he would save petrol – and brake pads.

2. Slow and Steady winS the raceTaking your speed down to 90 km/h from 105 km/h can improve your fuel consumption by 10 to 15 percent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Drive at low engine speeds, ideally at 1,500 to 2,500 rpm to maximise fuel economy. Why waste all that fuel – and risk your safety and getting a ticket – just to get there five minutes faster?

3. USe natUral air conditioninGThe verdict’s still out on this one as some studies have found that turning the air conditioning off may reduce fuel

consumption only minimally.

Don’t sweat it, but if it’s cool enough, switch off the air conditioning, and possibly save yet another 10 percent on fuel.

Given the price of fuel these days, there are tips galore on how to drive more fuel-efficiently. But which ones really work and how much can you save? Jamie McCullough, cross carline feature and technology manager, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa, reveals the top ten winners.

1. watch the aGGreSSionSudden acceleration and hard braking can increase fuel consumption by as much as 40 percent while toxic emissions can be more than five times higher. Studies have also shown that changing lanes doesn’t result in significantly reduced travel times, so stick to your lane, and decrease fuel consumption – and your blood pressure.

Jack loves to accelerate right up to the red light – but is this really necessary? Why not ease off the accelerator from a distance? Were Jack to use the car’s momentum to

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Slow down Jack! Sudden acceleration and

hard braking increase fuel consumption by 40 percent!

4. inFlate yoUr tyreSUnder-inflated tyres increase resistance and make it more difficult for the engine to move the car along the road. These under-nourished tyres can chow more fuel by up to six percent. Check your owner’s manual for optimal “pounds per square inch” or PSI ratings. The U.S. Department of Energy says that for every one PSI you are under the optimal rate, you take 0.4 percent off your fuel economy.

5. think liGhtYou don’t need to store all 300 pairs of your shoes in the boot! Clear out all the magazines, shoes, golf clubs and clothes that are in your car and you’re off to a slimmer fuel bill. Remember, an extra 48 kg of weight can add two percent to your

fuel consumption. As greenyour.com notes: “Lightening your car’s load may take a chunk out of your day, but you’ll be saving money – and the environment – in the long run.” So adopt a minimalistic approach and get rid of all the junk and clutter. Remember: a light car equates to a happy, less thirsty car.

6. oxyGen neededCars do not run on just fuel. They need oxygen too. If air flow is restricted by a clogged air filter (and your engine cannot breath as a result), the car’s performance and fuel economy will suffer. It’s been estimated that you can save eight percent each time you fill up your tank by replacing a bad air filter.

7. Get tUned inAn improperly tuned engine hurts fuel consumption by an average of 4.1 percent, according to U.S. government studies. A properly working oxygen sensor is most important to fuel economy and can increase or decrease your efficiency by as much as 40 percent.

8. reGUlar’S GoodUnless your vehicle is specifically tailored to take advantage of the higher octane level in the premium fuel, you’re potentially wasting money. Go by what is recommended in your owner’s manual. At current prices, you might save up to USD 150 a year by opting for unleaded instead of premium.

40%Your fuel bill can rise by this percentage if your car doesn’t have a properly working oxygen sensor.

Save money by using the type of fuel recommended in your owner’s manual. The difference between regular and premi-um, other than the price, is the octane rating. Now, the rat-ing doesn’t indicate how much power the fuel delivers. But a higher octane rating means the fuel is less likely to cause your engine to knock.

Knock, or detonation, happens when part of the fuel-air mixture in one or more of your car’s cylinders ignites sponta-neously due to compression, independent of the combus-tion initiated by the spark plug. Instead of a controlled burn, you get the equivalent of an explosion – certainly not good for your engine. To avoid this, high-octane gas is formulated to burn slower than regular.

Regular or premium?

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So, if you want to cut your fuel bill, look out for these features:

Smart gearboxes We all know that a manual gearbox is generally (but not always) less thirsty than an automatic transmission. But what if there’s a way of mating the best of both worlds? Ford’s PowerShift technology essentially does that with its six-speed

double-clutch gearbox and cuts fuel consumption by as much as nine percent.

Turbochargers Turbocharging technologies have allowed automakers to come up with smaller engines that can deliver the power of a larger engine. For example Ford’s EcoBoost engines combine direct fuel injection technology and turbocharging to deliver up

There are lots of ways that cars are becoming more economical.

I don’t need to carry that much. Save energy!

9. traininG payS dividendSStill not sure how to change your driving habits? Then what about enrolling in Ford’s Driving Skills for Life programme? The training combines classroom teaching and practical driving sessions to help you be a safer and more eco-friendly driver.

10. BUy a Greener carAnd, if after all that, you’re still unwilling or unable to change your driving habits, there is still one more option left – buy a fuel-efficient car. This may or may not be a hybrid; there are now lots of regular cars on our roads that boast terrific fuel economy.

Saving money at the pump is not rocket science; it just takes making small changes to the way you drive. Look at all the tips, pick one, and go save the world.

to 20 percent fuel improvement and 15 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Green tyresTyre manufacturers are developing low rolling resistance tyres – which means a lower fuel bill at the end of the day. Put simply, with these tyres, there is less friction. In other words, they roll down the road more easily. This is a very big deal; energy is wasted all the time thanks to a build-up of heat between tyres and the road.

Improved powertrains Globally, Ford is making an unprecedented investment in new engine and transmission components – all because it

seeks to improve economy. By 2015, for instance, it plans to increase car and truck fuel economy by more than 35 percent thanks to powertrain advancements.

Small is big Car manufacturers the world over are downsizing – and Ford is no exception. “We’re changing from a company focused mainly on trucks and SUVs to a company with a balanced product line-up that includes even more high-quality, fuel-efficient small cars, hybrids and all-electric vehicles,” says Mark Fields, Ford’s President of The Americas. “As customers move to more fuel-efficient vehicles, we’ll be there with more of the products they really want.”

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