Rally drivers slash fuel consumption by driving smarter
Nov
Although new hybrid cars and bio-fuels seem like great alternatives for reducing your fuel consumption, most people either can’t afford to upgrade or simply don’t have access to these new alternatives.
AA Insurance, New Zealand recently held a rally which aimed to show motorists how they can slash their fuel bills by choosing a fuel-efficient car and driving it in a fuel efficient manner.
A record 59 vehicles entered this year’s four-day rally around the North Island. They were put to the test with a combination of driving on motorways, unsealed roads, rural state highways, and in peak-hour city congestion. The AA ENERGYWISE Rally is held every two years and is jointly organised by the AA, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), and Gull Petroleum New Zealand.
The Driver Award, for the team that beat the manufacturer-stated fuel use of their vehicle by the highest percentage, went to the Trade Me team which drove the Holden HSV Maloo. They reduced their fuel consumption by 39.5%, achieving 9.497 litres per 100km instead of the manufacturer-stated fuel use of 15.7 litres per 100km.
What does it take to drive economically?
When the winner of the driver award was asked what tips they could give drivers in order to drive more efficiently they responded “Plan ahead, keep momentum and use the accelerator like it’s a piece of horse poo with a hard crust”. Perhaps a crude analogy but a great tips none-the-less!
Planning ahead is easy when you have the time to plan your trip and know where you are going, but what about when you don’t? This is where in-vehicle GPS systems come in.
A good GPS system will plan ahead for you and make sure that you take the quickest and most fuel efficient route to your destination. Limiting the amount of stops and time witing at lights in order to keep that momentum. If you are part of a fleet of vehicles then there’s also GPS systems to handle that too!
Fleet GPS systems will organise your routes according to your next job or location taking the hassle out of planning your day and a great system will also take into account peak traffic times, speed limits and roads restricted by the size of your vehicle.
Read more about the AA Energywise Rally.
Photo Coutesy: AA EnergyWise Rally
November 18th, 2010 at 12:21 am
Very well written.
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