Fuel Efficiency Lifecycle

ByPunta Dewa

Nov 13, 2022 #1978 Supra, #1979 Supra, #1980 Supra, #1982 Supra, #1983 Supra, #1984 Supra, #1985 Supra, #1986 Supra, #1987 Supra, #1988 Supra, #1989 Supra, #1990 Supra, #1991 Supra, #1992 Supra, #1993 Supra, #1994 Supra, #1995 Supra, #1996 Supra, #1997 Supra, #1999 Supra, #1jz Supra, #2.0 Supra, #2000 Supra, #2019 Supra, #2021 Supra, #2022 Supra, #2023 Supra, #21 Supra, #2jz Toyota, #3jz Supra, #80s Supra, #82 Supra, #83 Supra, #84 Supra, #85 Supra, #86 Supra, #87 Supra, #88 Supra, #89 Supra, #90s Supra, #91 Supra, #92 Supra, #93 Supra, #94 Supra, #95 Supra, #96 Supra, #97 Supra, #98 Supra, #99 Supra, #A90 Supra, #A91 Supra, #Abandoned Supra, #Abflug Supra, #Auto Supra, #Automatic Supra, #Awd Supra, #Best Supra, #Black Supra, #Blue Supra, #Buy Supra, #Castrol Supra, #Celica Supra, #Cheap Supra, #Cool Supra, #Fastest Supra, #Ford Supra, #Getrag V160, #Gr Supra, #Green Supra, #Grey Supra, #Grmn Supra, #Gt Supra, #Hks Supra, #Lexus Supra, #Lifted Supra, #M3 Supra, #Ma70 Supra, #Mazda Supra, #Mk6 Supra, #Mk7 Supra, #Mobil Supra, #Mrk2 Supra, #Mrk3 Supra, #Mrk4 Supra, #Nagata Supra, #Nascar Supra, #New Supra, #Orange Supra, #Pandem Supra, #Pauls Supra, #Red Supra, #Ridox Supra, #Smokey Supra, #Stradman Supra, #Supra 1, #Supra 1000hp, #Supra 1998, #Supra 2, #Supra 2.0, #Supra 2000, #Supra 2001, #Supra 2002, #Supra 2003, #Supra 2004, #Supra 2005, #Supra 2006, #Supra 2007, #Supra 2008, #Supra 2009, #Supra 2010, #Supra 2011, #Supra 2012, #Supra 2013, #Supra 2014, #Supra 2015, #Supra 2016, #Supra 2017, #Supra 2018, #Supra 2019, #Supra 202, #Supra 2020, #Supra 2021, #Supra 2022, #Supra 2jz, #Supra 3, #Supra 3000gt, #Supra 3jz, #Supra 4, #Supra 4k, #Supra 5, #Supra 80, #Supra 90, #Supra 90s, #Supra A60, #Supra A70, #Supra A80, #Supra A90, #Supra A91, #Supra Autotrader, #Supra Car, #Supra Cargurus, #Supra Cena, #Supra Convertible, #Supra Cost, #Supra Ft1, #Supra Gr, #Supra Grmn, #Supra Gt, #Supra Gt4, #Supra Gt500, #Supra Gt86, #Supra Hatchback, #Supra Horsepower, #Supra Hp, #Supra Jza70, #Supra Jza80, #Supra M3, #Supra M4, #Supra Mk1, #Supra Mk3, #Supra Mk4, #Supra Mk5, #Supra Mk6, #Supra Mk7, #Supra Mk8, #Supra Ml3, #Supra Ml4, #Supra Mobil, #Supra Models, #Supra Mr2, #Supra Msrp, #Supra Nascar, #Supra Pandem, #Supra Paul, #Supra Price, #Supra R, #Supra Racing, #Supra Rz, #Supra Sz, #Supra Trd, #Supra Turbo, #Supra V8, #Supra Years, #Supra Yellow, #Supra Z4, #Tom'S Supra, #Toyota 3jz, #Toyota A90, #Toyota Ft1, #Toyota Mk3, #Toyota Mk4, #Toyota Mk5, #Toyota Supra, #Used Supra, #V12 Supra, #Varis Supra, #Veilside Supra, #White Supra, #Yellow Supra
Fuel Efficiency Lifecycle

Suzuki IgnisDriving a fuel-efficient vehicle is more than just the money it saves you, as an individual, at the pump–it is also about helping to reduce carbon emissions and keeping the air we breathe cleaner.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 30 seconds.                                              

Equally, it is not about the money you may save today. A fuel-efficient vehicle will perform better over its life cycle, presenting less in the way of unnecessary maintenance issues–along with the added cost of those.

Fuel economy is all about fuel consumption or the number of litres of fuel used for every 100 kilometres travelled. The factors that influence this include the engine capacity, the mass of the vehicle, its aerodynamic drag, and the rolling resistance from the tyres among them.

Fuel, whether petrol or diesel, needs oxygen to allow the fuel to ignite in the cylinder and, since oxygen levels are highest at sea level, this explains why non-turbo cars perform better at the coast. However, whether up high or down low, fuel-efficient operation still comes down to driving style.

Simple steps to save fuel

1. Accelerate gently

Harsh acceleration is a fuel demon. Gentle acceleration from rest can go a long way to achieving noticeable savings. Try and imagine a glass of water on the dashboard–do not let it spill!

2. Maintain a steady speed

Once you are moving at the same speed as the surrounding traffic (below the speed limit!), try and avoid accelerating and decelerating as these dips in speed greedily slurp up fuel.

Using cruise control if fitted to your car can help, especially on long and level roads. However, gravity can also help with fuel saving by increasing your momentum on the downslope with little or no pressure on the accelerator but, the counter there is to lose some of that on the uphill – always being mindful of traffic conditions.

3. Anticipate traffic

You should be keeping a minimum of a three-second gap between your car and the one in front as a safety precaution. At the same time, you should be looking ahead of that vehicle and identifying pedestrians, animals or other activity on the side of the road that might force a sudden stop. Also, keep checking on what the cars ahead and next to you are doing. All of this will help avoid needless braking and acceleration.

4. Avoid high speeds

Most drivers know, and are quite proud of, how fast their cars can go but speed is not the best friend of high consumption. Most cars and SUVs are at their most fuel-efficient between 50 km/ and 80 km/h and consumption goes up rapidly at more than 120 km/h.
For example, at 120 km/h, a vehicle uses about 20% more fuel than at 100 km/h. On a 25-kilometre trip, this spike in speed–and fuel consumption–would cut just two minutes from your travel time.

5. Coast to decelerate

If you have taken the time to anticipate the traffic and are looking ahead on the road, you can often see well in advance if there is a need to slow down. Rather than waiting until the last second and braking heavily, ease off on the throttle early and coast to the point where you have to apply the brakes.

6. Avoid idling your vehicle

If your car is not fitted with an automatic stop/start function, consider turning off the engine when you are likely to be stationary for 60 seconds or more.

7. Measure your tyre pressure every month

Under-inflated tyres increase fuel consumption significantly to say nothing of the damage to the tyres themselves or the safety risk. It is vital to check, and maintain, your tyres inflated to the manufacturer’s specification and this should be done every time you fill up while the tyres are still cold.

8. Use a manual transmission properly

The simple rule with a manual transmission is to shift into a higher gear as soon as possible. If your car is fitted with a gear shift indicator, use it or simply avoid revving the engine more than absolutely necessary.

9. Don’t carry unnecessary weight

The golf bag might look good in the boot but every kilogram adds to the consumption–around 1% for every 25 kilograms. Also, the roof rack is great for holiday travel or specific leisure pursuits but remove it when not in use, as this creates aerodynamic drag that increases fuel consumption.

10. Use air-conditioning sparingly

It is a tough call in the midst of a South African summer but the less you use the air-conditioning, the more fuel-efficient you will be.

Why Fuel Economy is Important

1. Saves You Money

The fuel price is almost the highest it’s ever been with little sign of that changing for the better. In fact, the price of fuel has roughly doubled every six or so years since the 1980s. The maths is simple–the more fuel-efficient your vehicle, the better your wallet will feel.

2. Reduces Environmental Impact

As hard as automakers work at developing technologies to reduce the amount of exhaust gases being pumped into the atmosphere, pollution remains a very real threat and, as a driver, you can complement the vehicle technology by driving as efficiently as possible.
Take a look at some of these articles for more information:

Love our blog and want more? Subscribe and get our latest articles delivered to your inbox – hot off the presses!

New Call-to-action