She probably wouldn’t be able to survive the Taylors’ fuel-economic Drive Around The World in 78 Days, but CHERYL TAY did survive this challenge despite having to drive much slower than usual…
French tyre company Michelin and Volkswagen recently collaborated and proposed a challenge to the media: Which journalist can get the best fuel economy out of a Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI 7-speed DSG fitted with Michelin Energy XM1 ‘green’ tyres?
This initiative followed Michelin’s earlier study of motorists’ habits in Singapore, which concluded that as much as 71 per cent of passenger cars are running with incorrect tyre pressure – one of the major causes of fuel inefficiency. The Michelin Energy range – which includes the Energy XM1 tyre for smaller vehicles and the MXV8 for sedans and larger MPVs – are designed for low rolling resistance, which can save up to 10 per cent of the total fuel bill.
On Volkswagen’s part, the TSI engine in the Golf already boasts good fuel consumption figures. Now fitted with the latest 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox, claims an improvement of 20 per cent in fuel efficiency and a combined fuel consumption figure of 16.9km/litre.
John and Helen Taylor, who brand themselves as the “world’s most fuel economic couple”, were present to conduct the fuel economy workshop and educate us with the correct driving techniques and useful everyday tips for optimum fuel efficiency.
The husband-wife team holds 38 fuel economy driving world records, including the Guinness World Record for the lowest fuel consumption in their “Drive Around The World in 78 Days” stint. That’s their greatest achievement to date, where they covered 25 countries in a Volkswagen Golf over a distance of 29,717km with just 24 tanks of fuel – an average of 22.2km/litre.
After the talk, each journalist, accompanied by either John or Helen Taylor, went through the same route – about 10km in East Coast and Marine Parade areas – with the aim of achieving the lowest average fuel consumption.
The route started and ended at Big Splash, East Coast Park, where the event was held. Consisting of both highway and normal road conditions, the route indeed put everyone to the test. It was quite tough trying to apply fuel-saving driving techniques after being accustomed to our faster driving styles.
The air-conditioning was switched off and I had the windows down; but unfortunately, I ran into several obstructions and crowded traffic situations. Nonetheless, bearing in mind the freshly-learned tips from the Taylors, I pulled off a final result of 17.2km/litre, which exceeds the stated 16.9km/litre of the Golf.
Eventually, our very own Contributing Editor Sheldon Trollope earned some pride for Top Gear by placing second with a commendable average of 20.8km/litre – 0.9km/litre off the winning average, but nothing compared to Helen Taylor who managed more than 33.3km/litre over the same route. The top three winners each took home a limited edition Michelin Pilot Experience remote-controlled car.
Although I didn’t finish amongst the top three, I definitely benefited a lot from the experience. Through the challenge, the Taylors have shown that the biggest influence in fuel efficiency is ultimately the driver. Even with a fuel-efficient vehicle and fuel-saving tyres, the results ranged diversely from 12.8km/litre to Helen’s 33.3km/litre.
This event couldn’t have come at a timelier period. In the face of a global economic slowdown, motorists are more concerned about cost-cutting measures. But with or without a financial crisis, it is advisable for motorists to adopt good driving habits to improve fuel efficiency.
Just by altering your driving styles in little ways, resources are conserved, less pollution occurs, and you also save yourself a lot of money in the long run. Besides, who knows when oil prices might rise again?
10 Tips to Improve Fuel Efficiency
1. Drive Smoothly and Keep Calm
Avoid accelerating hard or braking abruptly, and keep your steering as smooth as possible. When you’re agitated, you tend to drive more aggressively and end up using as much as one third more fuel. Be patient and you’ll achieve the same speeds with less fuel.
2. Plan Trips Carefully
Cutting down on driving time is one of the easiest ways to conserve fuel. Plan your route ahead to avoid traffic jams or last-minute rushing.
3. Maintain Your Engine
Regularly send your car for servicing as a well-tuned engine can improve fuel economy up to 4 percent. Follow your car manufacturer’s recommended servicing schedule and use fully-synthetic engine oil.
4. Keep Your Tyres Inflated at the Right Pressure
Tyres that are correctly inflated are safer and more durable. A tyre that is under-inflated by just 1psi can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 3 per cent.
5. Avoid Carrying Excess Weight
For every additional 45kg carried, fuel efficiency drops by 1 to 2 per cent. Keep the boot and backseat clear of unnecessary items that add weight to the car.
6. Use Air Conditioning Sparingly
This may sound difficult for a humid country like Singapore, but air conditioning adds a strain on the engine and consumes fuel to operate. So whenever possible, probably when driving at night, turn off the air conditioning and wind down the windows. Otherwise, the next best thing is to run the a-c at a comfortable, but not cold temperature setting – 23A C to 25A C is usually the optimal range for a climate control system to put a minimal strain on the engine.
7. Accelerate Gradually – Maintain Consistent Speeds
Change gears prudently when accelerating, especially when moving off. Fuel is wasted with varying throttle inputs so keep the throttle position as steady as you can. If your car has cruise control, use it as often as possible.
8. Use Higher Gears
Drive in the highest gear possible. The higher the gear, the lower the engine rpm, so less fuel is used. But don’t keep the revs so low that it bogs down the engine.
9. Avoid Excessive Idling
Don’t let the engine idle any longer than necessary as it burns more fuel. It is more efficient to turn off the engine than to idle longer than 30 seconds.
10. Avoid Excessive Speeding
Stick to the speed limit of the roads and avoid going above it. It reduces your chances of getting a speeding ticket and improves fuel economy. For every 10kph over the speed limit, fuel consumption increases by up to 23 per cent.
