Saving the earth, one kilometre at a time: Driving greener in Singapore

You cut down on fuel consumption if you choose the right car and adopt good driving habits
Christopher Tan, Straits Times 15 Mar 08;

THE automotive world is going on overdrive to improve fuel efficiency (and consequently, reduce emissions).

With pump prices setting new records every other month, the world can do with a few more fuel sippers.

Unlike the 1970s oil shock, which sent big gas-guzzling 'yank tanks' the way of the dinosaur but was quickly forgotten, high fuel prices today will have a far more lasting impact on the world.

Why? Simply because there are a lot more cars around now. According to the World Motor Vehicle Market Report, there are now about 800 million vehicles in the world - double the population in the 1970s.

And by 2020, the figure is expected to hit 1.3 billion.

Hence the search for the '3-litre car' is back on track. The term refers to cars which can clock 100km on 3 litres of fuel or 33.3km per litre. In fact, Toyota is working on '2-litre' cars.

While such cars tend to be tiny capsular contraptions with weedy performance, car-makers such as Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have hinted that fuel economy need not be at great expense to driveability or comfort.

Volkswagen's twincharging technology (a direct injection engine employing both supercharger and turbocharger) is able to get a 1.4-litre Corolla-sized car to produce 170bhp while consuming 10 litres of petrol every 100km in city driving.

If it were to be tuned to produce, say, 140 or 120 horses, it could well be a lot more frugal.

Mercedes' F700 research car has a turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 258bhp and propels the car to 100kmh in 7.5 seconds.

Built like an S-class, the F700 is said to consume only 5.3 litres of petrol per 100km (or about 19km per litre). It could be ready as early as 2011.

Toyota hinted at the current Geneva Motor Show that its next-generation hybrid could cover at least 35km on a litre of petrol - some 50 per cent better than the Prius.

The 1/X concept car is extremely lightweight and its hybrid battery system can be recharged via a household electrical outlet, thus giving it more electric mileage without sapping the fuel in the tank.

So, the future looks bright. But you can also do much to cut down fuel consumption if you choose the right car and adopt simple economy driving habits.

With just a little effort, you can slash your fuel bills by 20 per cent, which can add up to savings of $800 a year if you are currently getting 10km for every litre.

On a national level, Singapore would save over $300 million a year if every car owner can improve economy by 20 per cent.

And we would not be saving only money, but we will also be doing our bit to save the planet.

Driven savers
Christopher Tan, Straits Times 15 Mar 08;

MANY motorists find it hard to achieve the fuel economy figures stated in their car's sales brochure. The truth of the matter is, how you drive and where you drive affect your car's efficiency more than you think.

Take the case of Mr Chiam Yak Seng, owner of a Toyota Corolla 1.5 manual - the last of the made-in-Japan Corollas brought in by authorised agent Borneo Motors.

He squeezes 18km out of every litre of petrol - not far from what a hybrid Toyota Prius accomplishes.

How does he do it? Firstly, he spends 80 per cent of the time on expressways, often during offpeak hours. So his car experiences little efficiency-sapping stop- start conditions.

Secondly, Mr Chiam, 48, drives with the single-mindedness of an economy rally champ.

'When I am alone in the car, I drive without the air-con, and with the windows wound down slightly, to reduce the parachute effect,' he reveals.

The stay-home parent of two teenagers also stresses the importance of driving in the correct gear - a golden tip all economy drivers share.

And when he cold-starts the car in the morning, he does not waste time idling in neutral. 'I let the idling propel the car forward, without stepping on the accelerator,' he says.

By the time the car gets out of the carpark, it is suitably warmed up.

At the lights, he actually turns off the engine (when he is alone). This is another fuel-saving tip, as idling for a merely a minute uses up as much energy as starting the car.

Some new models actually come with an automatic engine cut-off function that kicks in when the car stops for more than 30 seconds or so.

'I use the brakes very little. Instead, I shift down and use engine braking to slow down,' he adds.

Another pointer: When entering a multi-level carpark, go for the basement instead of the floors above. It is usually a shorter drive down than up.

Once a month, he pumps up his tyres 'to the recommended pressure'.

Being an economy-minded driver does not mean being slow. He takes merely 20 minutes to get from his home in Tampines to his son's school in the Thomson area.

The joy of frugal motoring is not the exclusive purview of Japanese car owners. Aircraft sales engineer Ng Tzong Sheng, 30, gets between 13.5km and 14.2km per litre from his Skoda Octavia 1.6, also a manual.

The consumption figure is a mite better than what the manufacturer declares.

Mr Ng has a few simple rules he lives by on the road. 'Travel a longer route with less stop-and-goes as opposed to a shorter route with a higher probability of jams,' he says.

Like Mr Chiam, he picks the right gear ratio for the job. This, he says, 'contributes significantly to fuel consumption'.

'The owner's manual provides information on the recommended speed range for a particular gear ratio,' he notes.

Next, a practice common to all drivers who enjoy extra mileage per litre: Apply pressure as lightly as possible on the accelerator.

Mr Ng says this is more crucial than maintaining a low engine speed in an incorrect gear ratio. If, for instance, you use the fifth gear at speeds of 50 to 60kmh, 'you will have to step harder on the accelerator to get the vehicle moving''.

A heavy-footed driver can see a three-fold rise in consumption. So the key is to be light on the gas pedal, and in the right gear. He says coasting in neutral may not save fuel (it can, in fact, be unsafe). Instead, just lift your foot off the pedal and let the car glide in gear.

Medical doctor Au Kah Kay, 45, is also able to achieve more than decent economy with his Peugeot 407. 'I believe that the way you drive is the most important determinant of fuel consumption. For me, I find that the most fuel efficient way of driving on the expressway is to set the cruise control to a constant speed of 80 to 85kmh and drive in the middle lane,'' he says.

This mode improves his car's fuel consumption to about 16km per litre, from the 10km per litre that he normally gets in city driving.