Many of the best practices for green driving are subtle, but they can add up over a year. Making small changes in your driving can be the most effective way to reduce fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions, and the best part is you can do it today, with whatever vehicle you are currently driving. What you monitor, you manage. So start changing a “lead foot” into a “feather foot.” Typically, practicing moderate levels of eco driving can reduce fuel use by an average of 15%.
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Rapid starts and stops (often called “jack rabbit” starts and stops) use fuel and cost money at the gas pump. Gentle acceleration and braking can save more than $1 per gallon, according to the U.S. EPA, because smart driving can improve fuel economy by up to 33%. A few seconds of high-powered driving can use as much gas as driving for several minutes at more measured speeds. Ease into accelerations and brake smoothly, especially around corners, to raise your mileage the most.
Avoid tailgating. When you avoid rapid starts and stops, you’re not only practicing safe driving habits, you’re also reducing the energy required to get the vehicle moving again.
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Slow-and-go is always better than stop-and-go, and not just to reduce traffic congestion woes. Maintaining a constant speed in your commute increases fuel economy, because it takes much more energy to move a stopped vehicle than to keep a vehicle moving. In fact, it can take 20 percent more fuel to accelerate from a full stop than from 5 miles per hour. Many truckers practice this approach to reduce shifting ten-speed truck transmissions. Drivers who try to achieve the highest mileage possible (often called “hypermilers”) practice looking ahead down the road to anticipate stops and to coast as much as possible.
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Traffic lights are often synchronized so that a motorist driving at a specific speed will pass through a series of green lights without stopping. Driving more quickly means you arrive sooner at a light and need to stop. Engineers optimize the traffic light timing to reduce congestion and improve traffic slowly. A steady speed often can help drivers avoid red lights, thereby keeping the car moving more efficiently.
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Air conditioning can reduce mileage significantly, by as much as 20%. In fact, the 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.
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Highway driving that exceeds 60 miles per hour uses more fuel. According to the U.S. EPA, every 5 miles over the 60 mph level is equivalent to paying 20 extra cents per gallon for gas. Observing the speed limit and not exceeding 60 mph (where legally allowed) can improve mileage by 7% to 23%.
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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. 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 nearly $200 and 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).
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Curbside idling uses fuel, but because the car is going nowhere, it translates into 0 mpg. An automobile may burn more than half a gallon of fuel for every hour spent idling. Unless you are simply dropping off or picking up someone, make it a habit to turn your engine off when waiting at the curb even if it’s just for a short period. Make safety your highest priority and never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running. For more info go to www.edf.org/stopidling. With today advanced vehicles, turning the engine off and on again is no longer hard on your starter and you no longer need to warm up your engine.
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Computers make our lives easier in many ways, including reducing fuel use. Every I-GO car is equipped with an Illinois I-PASS, and by using it on toll roads, drivers avoid stopping and starting the vehicle and idling in lines. Special lanes allow drivers to maintain a cruising speed through the toll. This saves time and money at the pump.
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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 information, visit www.DriveLessSaveMore.com.
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The inside of a vehicle heats up quickly in summer sun, reaching 120 – 130 degrees Fahrenheit in just 10 minutes. That can mean more air conditioning use, and that means more fuel use. Keeping your cool reduces carbon dioxide emissions, too. So, always roll down the windows when getting into a hot car to blow out the hot air. Try to park in the shade. Parking in garages during trips instead of outdoors can help keep the vehicle cooler in the summer.
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Tire pressure changes an average of 1 PSI for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit change in air temperature. So, a sudden cold snap or heat wave may mean it’s time to check the tires. Properly inflated tires run cooler, last longer and improve fuel economy. The U.S. EPA estimates that gas mileage can improve by about 3% by keeping tires properly inflated. (Vehicle maintenance is one of the benefits provided by I-GO for all our cars. If you experience problems with tire pressure, please alert I-GO Member Services whether or not you take action to inflate the tires.)
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Gasoline evaporates relatively easily, so today’s automobiles have been engineered to significantly reduce evaporative emissions compared to vehicles from the past. But a loose cap can be a quick escape route for gasoline. As much as 30 gallons of gasoline could be lost annually to evaporation when the fuel cap is not fully tightened. Loose, damaged or missing gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year, according to the Car Care Council. Your owner’s manual may have good advice, because some manufacturers urge drivers to turn their gas caps until they click.
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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%.
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