Many modern cars consume less than 5 liters per 100 kilometer, driving nearly 50 miles per gallon. Eco driving lets you get even more mileage for your money. Johann Gwehenberger, automotive expert at the Allianz Center for Technology, talks about the dos and don’ts.
 | Johann Gwehenberger, Head of Accident Research and Loss Prevention"You can save up to 20 percent on fuel consumption just by changing your way of driving." (Photo: Allianz AZT) |
What is eco driving?
It basically means to drive efficiently and safe. The best way to do that is to anticipate what is happening on the road, and to adjust your speed accordingly. The driver has to monitor and adjust to all the factors that could have an influence on his driving, like the density of traffic, the course of the road, and the visibility.
So, it is more than just technical modifications. How important are the driver’s habits?
It is decisive. You can save up to 20 percent on fuel consumption just by changing your way of driving. There are essential four things you should consider: check your car regularly, especially the tire pressure; shift your gears up early; keep enough distance to the car in front of you – at least three seconds is best; and take your foot off the accelerator once you see that traffic is slowing.
What else can drivers do to cut fuel consumption?
It helps if you use your air conditioning only when really necessary. Many drivers leave it on even in winter. That just wastes energy for nothing. The most important thing is simply to change your way of thinking about driving.
What can car manufacturers do to make their vehicles more efficient?
New technologies have done a lot here. One example is the start-stop technology that turns of your motor while you are waiting at traffic lights, displays that tell you when to change gear, brakes that transform heat into energy, or devices that check the air pressure in your tires automatically.
 | Infographic (click on the image to enlarge)Traffic deaths have declined throughout the last decades. Find out why (Graphic: Allianz) |
Why does AZT Automotive care about eco driving?
Fuel-efficient driving correlates highly with road safety, and thus also with our mission to enhance safety and prevent damages. Right now, Allianz and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) are trying to figure out how exactly eco driving influences safety risks.
Are there any negative effects of eco driving?
Yes, but only if you do it wrong. I can give you two examples: if you decelerate too early, you will disturb the traffic flow behind you. Turning off your motor when driving downhill is an equally bad idea. Once the motor is off, the brake booster is also off, and your brakes are less effective. If you have to decide between safety and energy efficiency, safety should always come first.
Is there something like an ideal traveling speed?
The ideal speed and number of revolutions per minute (RPM) varies a lot depending on the type of car and motor. In general, you can say that you should accelerate efficiently, shift up early, and shift down late. The more often you use a high gear at low or medium number of rotations, the lower your fuel consumption. It’s best to anticipate what’s going on and avoid unnecessary braking and changing gears. A relaxed way of driving is definitely safer and more eco-friendly.
In the past, automatic transmissions were supposed to be inefficient. Is that still true?
Today, most automatic cars have up to seven gears; older transmissions only had about three. That means that modern automatic cars can often run on low RPMs, more often even than the average driver. So saying that automatic gear boxes consume more fuel is not true anymore. On the contrary, some automatics save up to half a liter every 100 kilometers compared to cars with a manual transmission.
There are even more options to come in the future, like seamless gears or some kind of automated anticipation of traffic and speed adjustment. Motors and gears will then be able to adapt automatically to traffic density and road inclination.
editor: Thilo Kunzemann
publishing date: September 25, 2008
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