Honda’s program taught government fleet operators the simple formula: DRIVER plus VEHICLE plus FUEL equals FUEL ECONOMY. Using correct driving habits, a well-maintained vehicle that is designed with fuel-saving technology and high quality fuel that aids better combustion efficiency, one can easily save on fuel.
Here are a few practical tips to gain extra fuel mileage:
- Plan your journey. Avoid congested roads that are under construction.
- Change your driving habits. Leave early to avoid traveling during peak hours. Also, combine small trips and errands. Your car burns 20% more fuel every time you start your engine cold.
- Gas up wisely. Buy gasoline during the coolest time of the day and use only clean and high quality fuels.
- Get rid of all extra weight. Extra weight reduces mileage especially when driving inclines. Your car’s mileage reduces by 2% for every 100 pounds.
- Accelerate with care. Avoid jack-rabbit starts and avoid sudden, heavy braking. Rapid speeding and sudden braking decrease fuel efficiency by 5% in city driving.
- Shift gears sensibly. On hills, shift up as soon as you can without lugging the engine.
- Pick a lane and stay on it. Frequent changing of lanes is unsafe and burns more fuel.
- Observe proper maintenance. Regularly tune up your car to ensure best performance. A clogged up air filter can waste one mile per gallon. Dirty oil can cause friction and can rob you of gasoline mileage.
- Check your tires. Keep your tires properly inflated. Under-inflated tires are dangerous and require the engine to produce more power to drive the vehicle. Each under-inflated tire causes a 1% increase in fuel consumption.
- Park your car properly. Park your car under the shade of a building or a tree whenever possible.
For more information, visit www.hondaphil.com.