Tips for saving fuel
Saving Fuel: What Your Drivers Should Know
Fuel consumption is a major portion of the total fleet cost. Therefore it is very important to sustainably lower costs through an efficient driving style. To help you and your drivers do just this, we have put together a summary of the best tips and tricks for a sustainable driving style without making compromises to your driving fun. According to a recent study by the ÖAMTC these tips can bring savings of up to 25 percent. A savings potential that is impressive even if you only have a smaller fleet.
Keep your distance
Keep your distance is the motto! It is safer and lets you take better advantage of coasting phases. Short changes in speed can be compensated for which also saves your brakes. The general rule is: a defensive driving style allows you to optimally utilized coasting phases, for example when approaching a railroad crossing or a red light.
Avoid short trips
Whether to the baker or the post office: avoid short trips. The reason is that the engine does not reach its optimum operating temperature until after a few kilometers. Until the engine has warmed up, your fuel consumption will be much higher than normal.
Get rid of any unnecessary ballast
A car with a state-of-the-art aerodynamic design is useless if you have a roof rack mounted on top. The increased air resistance also increases the fuel consumption. If you want to save fuel, you need keep your car streamlined and avoid any additional weight such as roof racks or water boxes.
Check your tire pressure
Perhaps you already know this problem from your childhood: pedaling a bicycle with a flat tire is twice as hard. The same is true for cars. Therefore, regularly check your tire pressure at the gas station. If your car is heavily loaded, you can increase the tire pressure slightly. Just remember: a fully loaded car also increases your fuel consumption.
Drive consistently
The fuel consumption increases excessively above a speed of 100 km/h. Even more important than your speed however, is a smooth and consistent driving style. Try to maintain a constant speed as this will help protect the environment and reduce the wear and tear on your tires, brakes and other moving parts.
Use the right gear
Despite popular belief, driving at a low RPM does not harm the engine in any way. Don’t worry about shifting up earlier; simply pay attention to the optimum torque. As a rule of thumb: shift to fourth gear already at 40 km/h and to fifth gear already at 50 km/h.
Think about what you turn on
Comfort while driving is important. Nevertheless, you should only use air conditioning, heated seats and the like in moderation to reduce fuel consumption. Especially in the summer you should try to avoid larger temperature differences between the interior and exterior of the car.