The practice of "eco driving" or "green driving" involves strategies to reduce emissions and fuel consumption and perform regular engine maintenance, resulting in significant financial and environmental benefits. Here are some tips provided by EcoDriving USA:
Use Air Conditioning At Higher Speeds
Air conditioning can reduce mileage significantly, by as much as 20%. In fact, your air conditioner can consume up to one gallon of gas per tank to cool the vehicle. But driving with your windows open can produce aerodynamic drag, which reduces fuel economy. What's a driver to do? When driving at slower speeds (less than 40 mph), such as driving in urban areas, open windows are better. At higher speeds (over 40 mph), open windows use more fuel than the air conditioner, so close the windows and turn on the air conditioner. Another good idea is to take advantage of the "recycle inside air" feature. The air that is already cooled in the car is reused by the air conditioning system, instead of drawing hot air from the outside to be cooled.
Use Cruise Control
During highway driving, cruise control helps maintain a steady speed. According to a test conducted by Edmunds.com, cruise control can provide a 7% average fuel savings, compared to driving without the device operating. These benefits come largely from driving on flat terrains, according to Edmunds. Cruise control maintains a constant vehicle speed. If you are driving on hilly roads, cruise control may cause your engine to speed up on climbing hills and slow down on the other side, reducing mileage, so use cruise control selectively. Using cruise control on 10,000 of the miles driven in a year could save you nearly $200 and save more than 60 gallons of fuel, according to the Department of Transportation (assuming $3 a gallon for fuel, 20 MPG, and 15,000 miles driven annually).
Remove Excess Weight from Your Vehicle
Pull those golf clubs out when not needed. Every pound of extra weight requires your automobile to work harder to move it, and that effort uses fuel. While it is convenient to leave items in your vehicle, weight affects fuel economy and CO2 emissions. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk typically reduces mileage by about 2%.
Drive Your Vehicle To Warm It Up
Today's automobile does not need a warm-up period before driving it. Even on the coldest morning, running your engine for 30 seconds is all you need before your vehicle is ready to drive, according to J.D. Power. This is enough time for the oil to circulate throughout the engine. Your vehicle will reach its optimum operating temperature much faster when you are driving, rather than idling. Today's engines are designed to run most efficiently when warmed up, so you want to warm up the vehicle by driving it. During the first few minutes of driving when an engine is cold, try to avoid sudden or severe acceleration. Also, you don't need to step on the gas pedal before starting the engine. Take advantage of a warm engine by "trip chaining", or grouping your trips together.
For more helpful tips, please visit EcoDriving USA.
