BBC: Can a petrolhead be an eco driver?

[biglepton]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7530652.stm

There are so many things wrong with this 'article' I simply do not know where to start!

[patmahe]

Couldn't be arsed reading the whole thing, but let me guess - underinflated tyres blah blah blah, I saw one bit plan journey to avoid congestion and getting lost - Jaysus. All the things any good petrolhead knows already and keeps an eye on because it is just good overall practice.

Why does stuff like this even get coverage. Its common sense stuff.

[norman156]

It does irritate me when people bang on about correct tyre pressures and removing roof boxes as though it's some revelation that we haven't already known about for years. And I know that if I 'Change up before 2,500rpm' it saves me fuel, but my car sounds great between 4000-7000 rpm, so sod that

Edited by norman156 on Monday 11th August 14:30

[biglepton]

patmahe said:

Couldn't be arsed reading the whole thing, but let me guess - underinflated tyres blah blah blah, I saw one bit plan journey to avoid congestion and getting lost - Jaysus. All the things any good petrolhead knows already and keeps an eye on because it is just good overall practice.

Why does stuff like this even get coverage. Its common sense stuff.

The writer overtakes a horsebox on a B road and feels guilty for the damage he does to the environment as one example.

[Saskia7]

biglepton said:

patmahe said:

Couldn't be arsed reading the whole thing, but let me guess - underinflated tyres blah blah blah, I saw one bit plan journey to avoid congestion and getting lost - Jaysus. All the things any good petrolhead knows already and keeps an eye on because it is just good overall practice.

Why does stuff like this even get coverage. Its common sense stuff.

The writer overtakes a horsebox on a B road and feels guilty for the damage he does to the environment as one example.

I got as far as that and knew I'd read enough. Strangely, it doesn't surprise me that this came from the BBC.

[VladD]

The Eco stuff is all nonsense. The Prius is supposed to be Eco friendly, but the one I saw this morning on the M5 was going so fast that it couldn't pull back into the left hand lane. I mean, why buy an Eco car and then trash it around at 65.

[ad551]

writer said:

But I chuck out old car park tickets and receipts

Yep, that's gonna save a lot of weight...

[215cu]

Read it and it was written in a style that was 'revelatory', the chap doing it comes across as a berk and the BBC webby-kins come across as a bunch of 'No need for a car because I live in London' tts.

So nothing new there then.

How to lower the cost of motoring?

How about abolish the BBC and knock £4bn off fuel duty please.

[SleeperCell]

Just crap journalism really, you'd expect something like that to come from the Sun or Daily mail but not the BBC.

If those slackers want to always bleat on about their licence fee they should bloody well earn it, not use it as an excuse to peddle half-arsed tripe inbetween their 'alledged' coke fuelled orgies.

Edited by SleeperCell on Monday 11th August 14:47

[briSk]

"The other day I decided to partake in some eco driving and then I thought s0d this for a game of soldiers. I haven't wasted my life going to university and grease pole climbing to not spend the 57% of my money that i don't have stolen off me in tax on something i enjoy.

briSk, Hertfordshire."

[Chris71]

I agree that article has a lot of holes, but I think advanced road driving tends to be comparitively economical. Things like knowing how much to accelerate so you naturally arrive at the right distance to the car in front without slamming the brakes on and generally conserving momentum all reduce your fuel consumption.

I also think it's good that someone has pointed out that thinking about the way you drive can potentially save far more than scurying into a nasty little ecobox... Thrashing a 1.3 Fiesta must be far less economical than driving an Elise gently and it's about time the greenies realised that sort of thing!

[MrKipling43]

Such as: "and recycle the accumulated water bottles and drink cans."

What a twunt.

[PhillT]

I thought it was ok. You have to remember that the majority of people - the target audience for that article - aren't petrolheads and regard cars as little more than a transport appliance. They passed their test age 17 and since then have had no interest whatsoever in the vagaries of driving techniques.
But now, with fuel costing them an arm and a leg, they may well be wondering what they can do to stop their wallet melting. And the tips within that article are all valid ways of saving cash.
We may all know this stuff, but Joe Public doesn't. He's not bothered about the thrill of driving, he just wants more cash for cardigans and comfortable slacks.

[norman156]

PhillT said:

We may all know this stuff, but Joe Public doesn't.

I'm not so sure that's the case, surely most people must know about correct tyres pressures, removing roof boxes, changing up earlier etc helps fuel economy. If they haven't heard it elsewhere most people must have at least seen those adverts knocking around about driving more economically. Plus there's probably been a dozen 'cut out and keep' guides in the Guardian...

[The Black Flash]

"Overtaking a horse box (albeit safely) was also a bit non-eco. "

Think of the chiiiiiiiillllllldrreeeeeeeen!

And my favourite comment:

"I've just returned from a holiday in Devon and managed to get around 50mpg out of my diesel Citroen Picasso. I did this by avoiding exceeding the speed limit, freewheeling whenever possible (without taking risks) and keeping the air-conditioning to a minimum."

Take the train FFS. Please.

[Scraggles]

getting 53 mpg average on diesel estate with cruise control and a chilled out attitude to getting to work on time, seems to work fairly well even if the car is full of kit

[PhillT]

norman156 said:

PhillT said:

We may all know this stuff, but Joe Public doesn't.

I'm not so sure that's the case, surely most people must know about correct tyres pressures, removing roof boxes, changing up earlier etc helps fuel economy. If they haven't heard it elsewhere most people must have at least seen those adverts knocking around about driving more economically. Plus there's probably been a dozen 'cut out and keep' guides in the Guardian...

I doubt it. Most of the people I know that aren't interested in cars seem quite surprised when I mention anything that might save them cash on fuel. The majority never even check their oil pressures. Guardianistas may be a bit more knowledgable on such things, but again, I'd venture to suggest that the majority of people don't read the Guardian.

[crofty1984]

There was one point there,
oh well I didn't fill up to the brim, because the extra fuel would be heavy -fair enough
So I put in 35 litres when the tank holds 40 -hmm, well it won't make that much difference, but hey ho
Now My stop at the petrol station only cost me £40 instead of £50 - What??? Because you bought less fuel! idiot.

[GKP]

On a trip to Devon from where I live, the easiest way to save fuel is to get my good lady to drive. She manages to squeeze an extra 3-4 mpg out of our wagon. Mind you, the journey will take about half an hour longer.

[tinman0]

cretin said:

But I chuck out old car park tickets and receipts, and recycle the accumulated water bottles and drink cans.

taking a piss before you leave mate will do more than a few scraps of paper.

cretin said:

Stopping at a supermarket to get fuel, I obey another eco-driving edict - not to brim the tank, as this adds extra weight and reduces fuel efficiency. I pump in 35 litres (the tank holds 40). £41.26 - painful, but not as bad as before.

which is okay if you don't have to go out of your way to find a petrol station. it all adds up at the end of the day.