Driving the green way?
IAM gives advice on eco-driving
"With global warming now high on everybody's agenda, there has never been a better time to think about eco-driving.
Regardless of the vehicle you are driving, there are techniques you can use to save fuel and to minimise your impact on the environment. These techniques have been part of the advanced driving process, delivering eco-benefits through fuel efficiencies since the IAM was established in 1956.
Ask yourself: "Do I really need to drive?" It's the shortest journeys - less than two miles - which cause the most pollution and are inefficient in terms of fuel consumption. A straining cold engine will produce 60 per cent more pollution than a warm one. Yet it's these shorter journeys that are ideal for walking or cycling.
Plan your route. A bit of forethought can save much wear and tear - for the car, and the driver. Try to take the most direct route and go off peak if possible. Sitting in congestion means you are often doing zero miles per gallon. If you have to commute by car, think about car sharing, Park and Ride schemes or public transport.
Have your vehicle serviced regularly. This helps maintain efficient running and good economy. Inefficient, under-serviced engines can reduce fuel economy by ten per cent or more. Catalytic converters are environmentally friendly - but only if they are properly maintained.
Check your tyres. Correct tyre pressures will keep wear down and fuel economy up. Under-inflated tyres need replacing more often (itself an environmental problem) as well as being dangerous. Anybody who has cycled on under-inflated tyres will appreciate how much extra effort is involved! Make a point of checking them at least once a week.
Obey the speed limits. Try to "feather" the throttle as you reach your cruising speed. Doing 56mph uses 25 per cent less fuel than 70mph and a smoother driving style can bring significant fuel saving. But never coast to save fuel; vehicle control must not be compromised.
Reduce the drag factor by removing roof racks and carriers when not in use. Driving with the window open also increases drag and lowers fuel economy. Remove unnecessary boot luggage; avoid heavy accessories and wide tyres that add rolling resistance. Air conditioning lowers fuel economy so use the vent settings as much as possible instead.
Buy green fuel - and use less of it. If you know you are going to be stationary for a while, for example at a level crossing, switch off the engine. Find out if you can buy low sulphur diesel (City diesel) or cleaner petrol (low sulphur/aromatics) locally.
Use "accelerator" sense. Do you go straight from the accelerator to the brake? You would save fuel if you planned ahead, and rather than have to brake as you hit traffic, gently let the speed of the vehicle bring you to a halt as you join a queue. There is no point in rushing and then having to brake to come to a sudden halt.
Reverse in when you park. When you start off again, the engine will be cold and at its most fuel inefficient. If you can drive smoothly away without having to reverse when the engine is cold, not only will you save fuel you will also have better visibility.
Be a tank miser. Why fill the tank up to the very brim? If you do so, you may be carrying around additional fuel, which in turn means that you have more weight on board than is necessary. That extra weight will itself reduce fuel efficiency".
Oh...and what the **** is "Aromatic petrol"?!? Ted's new aftershave?
Wouldn't it be good if we could abuse the fad for trendy cod-environmentalist "save the planet" lifestyle statements, and get people to renounce their numpty driving and properly conserve momentum, avoid sharp movements, plan ahead and so on in the name of the environment.
Ideally it would need some kind of trendy lifestyle object to go with it (no good saving the planet unless you get to wear a big "I'm saving the planet!" badge after all), I'm guessing perhaps a tilt switch or accelerometer that illuminates an externally visible, "I'm a green driver!" sign if no sharp braking or cornering has taken place recently?
(Added bonus - with that design, it would switch off when the driver went over a speed hump.)
s Why is everyone going so made on cars causing global warming. They are not!!!!!!!
Anyway, if we get weather like we have had in April every year, then I am for a bit of Global warming.
(Just thinking out loud)
Surely if the planet warms up slightly then everyone will not have to have there central heating on as long each year thus saving on Carbon Immisions, not as much energy in general will be used thus saving on Carbon Immisions, also with more sunny weather, we can start setting up solar farms. And thus reduce polution without shafting the drivers!!!!!
Everyone always seem to look at the bad side,(especially a Labour Government, so they can tax us some more "Wan
s"
and never look at the bigger picture and the good points.-Ignore traffic lights, use pathway if free
-Wax the front of your car for less drag
-Grab hold of passing motorbikes to pull you along
-Speed up to 100mph, switch off engine and coast as far as possible
-Buy a siren and some flashing lights
-Drive nude. Saves weight
-Steal fuel
-Ignore traffic lights, use pathway if free
-Wax the front of your car for less drag
-Grab hold of passing motorbikes to pull you along
-Speed up to 100mph, switch off engine and coast as far as possible
-Buy a siren and some flashing lights
-Drive nude. Saves weight
-Steal fuel
Fold your back seat down.
Only put £10's worth of fuel in at a time.
Make sure your glovebox and boot are empty.
...
I'm thinking now. For urban journeys, rather than using my petrol-swilling V6 engine, I could harness a few mopeds and their riders to the front of my car and get them to pull it along, much like horses or husky dogs.
Would that be more economical...?
With the increase of bio-fuel/electric/etc/etc cars onto the market at low run-of-the-mill prices and designs we will see a huge drop in driving based emissions in this country and hopefully the world. They are becoming socailly acceptable and reasonable in performance and styling. A good thing needless to say.
I simply don't think this 'opposite body' to drivers (which lets face it will be 99.9% drivers anyway) are expecting Nick Mason to give up his 250GTO just because it uses fuel.
The problem therein lies that we, as enthusiasts, assume that we are the targets, whereas acctually it is the general driving public which is at fault.
I thank you.
People get hot in cars, that is obvious. So which is best? Open windows or A/C? once the cabin is cooled, the A/C doesn't work that hard, whereas open windows create large amounts of drag.
I also question the 56mph thing. On the beemer which is an Auto, at 56mph the 'box keeps unlocking, and going into fluid clutch mode. That isn't too fuel efficient. Above 60mph the 'box locks and becomes more efficient. So, that isn't perfect advice IMO
Doesnt this mean more trips to the fuel station, which if they keep closing means going out of your way more often?
Also isn't his a good way to get your true MPG, which inturn indicates how well your vehicle is running?
For my money I'm with Prof. Piers Corbin & a few other notable meteorological types and blame our old friend the Sun (Not the paper !!)& the "natural cycles" theory.
Rant over- shall I close the door??
www.channel4.com/4car/ft/feature/feature/6394/1
And more tips:
Never take passengers over 10 stone.
Young female passengers should dress lightly (unless they are your daughter/s).
Always park in the shade.
Don't rev up next to younger drivers at the lights, it only encourages them.
Remove unnecessary things that add weight to your car, eg tax disc, spare phone chargers, empty pizza boxes, "Now that's what I call muzak" CDs, and antique polo mints.
Don't go to out of town megastores as they sell you too many offers which are heavy
Avoid busy motorways
No trackdays
No trips to Le Mans
No trips to difficult relatives
It's endless and pointless - let's keep driving whle we can!
Have limits of packaging.
Manufacturing energy reduced.
Raw material requirement reduced, so reducing extraction costs (energy) and transport costs of that material.
Less to recycle saving energy.
Less mass to transport to supermarket and to homes, saving lots of energy.
ONE little thing like packaging savings can have HUGE benefits.
What gets me the most is that everything else appears to be ignored. Multiple layers of wank wrapping and over-designed branding crap are NOT essential to me, driving to work is!
I won't alter my driving habits until industry changes theirs and stops wasting tonnes of crap every year. I wonder how much easter costs the environment every year for example. All that bloody cardboard and plastic for about 50g of chocolate!
Dave
Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff