Saving money on your car isn’t all about travelling less and using other means to get about, it’s also about how you drive and reaping the rewards from converting your driving style to combat the rising fuel costs.
Buying an economical car is also a great first step, one that offers a great return on miles per gallon, whether it be a hybrid, a modern diesel or EV vehicle. However, they won’t be any good to you if you’re driving them in the incorrect fashion.
The general idea of economical driving is to do everything smoothly and gently, accelerating without excessive force and reading the road ahead to avoid unnecessary heavy braking. Slowing the car down smoothly is also imperative, whilst also leaving the car in gear.
Reading the road also gives you enough time to slow down without the need to stop, as stop-starting will use up more fuel and instead it’s advisable to keep the car rolling for as long as possible.
Some modern cars will allow you to make use of an indicator of when to change gear, another important factor in driving economically. Changing gear at the correct time is vital when saving fuel, as over revving a car’s engine will use up more petrol or diesel and the general rule is to keep the revs below 2,500 in most vehicles.
Gadgets in the car are also powered by the car’s fuel reserves when the engine is turned on and turning off things like air conditioning, rear window heaters, demisters and headlights when it’s not necessary to have them in use will help bring down fuel costs.
Additional elements to saving fuel can come from making sure you’re maintaining the car in the proper manner and frequently. Getting the vehicle serviced, checking/changing the oil and making sure tyres are inflated to their required amount are very important.
Cars tend to be getting lighter each time they’re redesigned, but making sure you’re not carrying any unnecessary weight will also help you cut down costs, as will having the car streamlined as much as possible, so removing roof-racks when not in use will reduce resistance and drag.
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