On the Road

Here are a few easy fuel saving tips that you can incorporate today as soon as you step into your vehicle:

1. Watch your speed

You can help save fuel simply by reducing your speed. When on the highway, driving between 90 k/h and 100 k/h can reduce fuel consumption by up to 30%.

2. Stop Idling

If you are idling for ten seconds or longer, it's better to turn your engine off. 45 seconds of idling uses about the same amount of fuel it takes to drive a kilometre. There's no sense in wasting gas when you're not even moving. Click here to find out about our Idle-Free Campaign!

3. Added Weight

Every 100 pounds extra you add to your vehicle results in 2% more fuel consumption. If you don't need it, then get rid of it.

4. Heat and Air Conditioning

Air conditioning uses up fuel. For city driving, roll down the windows. When on the highway, close the windows so it won't increase drag and only use the air conditioning if you really need it.
For Canadian winters, the block heater is a great invention to warm the engine before you start it. A cold engine is at its worst for fuel consumption, engine wear and exhaust emissions. Block heaters can improve fuel economy in the winter by up to 10 percent by pre-warming the engine, coolant and oil

5. Leave a slightly larger space from vehicle in front of you

Allow yourself to view upcoming traffic situations from farther away and have more time to react to construction obstacles, left turners, bicycles, pedestrians, slowing traffic or red lights. Maintain the momentum you have just achieved by coasting without the accelerator and accelerating again when you are clear of the obstacle. This also enables you to even out variances in traffic speed.

6. Learn to coast

Experiment with how far you can coast, or coast to stops using the vehicle's momentum by taking your foot off the gas earlier than you normally would (without impeding the traffic behind you. at 30 km/h and 50 km/h)

7. Avoid jack rabbit driving

Quick starts and hard stops save you 2.5 mins/hr, but increase your gas consumption by up to 37%.
Most drivers waste fuel by not paying attention to what we are doing. By accelerating fast and braking hard, we built momentum by burning fossil fuels, then turned that momentum into brake pad heat. Improved consciousness of road and traffic conditions, vehicle momentum characteristics, as well as increased vehicle separation allows the eco-driver to conserve momentum and therefore fuel.
A steady pace uses less gas. It also decreases stress levels associated with rushed driving. Remember, although you feel like you're saving time, you really aren't shaving many minutes off your trip.

8. Avoid short journeys

Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are disproportionately higher when the engine is still cold (see above). Research shows that 1 in 2 urban car journeys are less than 3 kilometres - a distance that can be easily cycled or walked.

9. Coasting

Coasting signals the engine to run at an idle speed, which requires a certain amount of fuel (unless it's a hybrid, which automatically turns off). Simply removing your foot from the accelerator pedal while descending a grade will cause the computer to stop all fuel from being delivered to the engine, and is the most fuel-efficient and safe mode of operation.

Heard something about fuel efficiency and wonder if it's true? Check out fuel efficiency MYTHS!