Cut Your Fuel Consumption Using Better Planning

You can cut your fuel consumption by 10 per cent (or more) just by planning your trips better.

THE PROBLEM

Most people don’t plan their transport too well – either in business or in their domestic lives. This means they use their cars inefficiently – in other words they end up driving too far, too often, which wastes fuel and therefore money.

This means you can cut your fuel consumption just by planning ahead. It’s easy to cut your fuel consumption like this, but you do have to make an effort.

THE RESULT

For an average driver, spending $50-$100 a week on fuel, cutting your fuel consumption in this way will save you $250-$500 annually.

Degree of difficulty? A politician could do it. (Except they are generally disinclined to cut their fuel consumption because taxpayers fund much of their transport expenditure…)

HOW TO CUT YOUR FUEL CONSUMPTION

Cutting your fuel consumption in this way involves doing two things:

First, you cut your fuel consumption by doing

fuel, drivingJohn Cadogan20 October 2011driving, efficient driving, fuel consumption, fuel economy, petrolComment

E10 Fuel

Verdict: Don’t bother

E10 petrol – a 10 per cent mix of ethanol in petrol – is a nice idea … but E10 petrol will not save you any money.

E10 petrol sounds like a smart idea - but unless you watch the price carefully you could easily get ripped offAbove: Typical ethanol marketing fluffNEED TO KNOW

Petrol is derived from crude oil, a fossil fuel. It is a chemical hydrocarbon. (Actually it’s a collection of hydrocarbons.)
Ethanol is manufactured, usually by fermentation, from plant products containing sugars and starches. Ethanol is an alcohol (actually it’s the same alcohol as the stuff in beer, wine and spirits).
When you buy fuel, you’re buying a liquid form of energy. Unfortunately, ethanol

fuel, drivingJohn Cadogan8 October 2011E10, E10 petrol, cheap fuel, ethanol, fuel consumption, fuel priceComment

Toll Roads

Potential Saving: $4526.40 per annum – or more

Toll roads in Australia are a complete rip-off. In particular during peak periods, Sydney’s toll roads deliver no tangible benefit to the motorist, yet toll roads cost a bomb. Traffic just grinds to a halt on the major toll roads (and the major free roads) - only the drivers stuck on the toll roads can't get off or try an alternative route. Everyone stuck on a toll road in peak-hour is trapped in a linear car park - and paying through the neck for the 'privilege'. The only group benefiting from toll roads are the companies that own them.

Incredibly, the toll road trip below – common enough for people who live in the north-west sector – costs more than $4500 annually.

We tested what happens when you slash that cost to zero using established free roads.

Above: Castle Hill to the Sydney CBD via toll roads - 34km

Alternatively, try this larger version of the map

TOLL ROADS: NEED TO KNOW

Castle Hill to Sydney CBD via the following toll roads:

M2 Hills Motorway (toll road): $4.95
Lane Cove Tunnel (toll road): $2.89
Sydney Harbour Bridge (toll road): $4.00 (in peak periods)

Return Trip via the same toll roads:

Lane Cove Tunnel (toll road): $2.89
M2 Hills Motorway (toll road): $4.95
(Note: no north-bound toll on the Sydney Harbour Bridge)

driving, fuelJohn Cadogan2 October 2011cost of toll roads, save money driving, toll roads Comment

Mark Webber Tells: How to Drive Faster

Interested in becoming a race driver? Back in 2004, when Aussie F1 driver Mark Webber was driving for Jaguar and was in Sydney before the Australian GP, I interviewed him on this topic. Here's what he (and his engineers) said:

“Ask yourself: Would a better driver be faster in this car?” That’s what Aussie F1 driver Mark Webber does. Webber’s race engineer Pete Harrison agrees. “In F1, as many as 700 people

drivingJohn Cadogan18 November 2010mark weber, f1, formula 1, how to drive, advanced driving, driving technique, driving techniquesComment

What's the most efficient highway travelling speed?

Driving slower will save you some fuel, and a little money. But are you prepared to cop the time penalty?

Potential Fuel Saving: Up to nine per cent

Here's a quote from the Federal Government's Green Vehicle Guide website: “High speeds result in high fuel consumption. At 110km/h your car uses up to