Xtreme Eco Driving
Xtreme-EcoDriving is a fuel efficiency discipline that implements many well known
techniques for saving fuel. Some of these techniques can be easily applied
to just about any vehicle on the road today. While they many of these
techniques are as easy as they are common sense, others are a little more complex
and may require a special emphasis on safety before using.
In this site we explore and discuss the benefits of each technique that we
deem safest and most beneficial for the common driver.
- Vehicle Maintenance and
setup
- Driving techniques
- Advanced Driving Techniques
Vehicle Maintenance and setup
Monitor you tire pressures
Driving with low tire pressures increases the tire's rolling resistance,
causes accelerated wear of the tire thread, generates more heat that can
compromise the integrity of the tire, and ultimately will cause the vehicle
to use more gas over the traveled distance.
Every tire has a maximum tire pressure inscribed on the tire wall.
However, most tire shops and dealers insist on inflating the tires to a
"standard" or a "recommended" pressure of 32-34 psi. This tire
pressure is certainly safe but it represents a compromise between between
comfort and safety. Sadly and contrary to their claims, this practice does not take into account
tire thread life and the long term fuel economy of the vehicle.
The optimal pressure levels for your tires should be set to several psi
values BELOW the maximum tire pressure listed on the tire. For most
passenger cars the maximum tire pressure oscillates between 44 and 50 psi.
For example:
If the maximum tire pressure for a given tire is 44 PSI then:
- Set the front tires to a pressure of 42 psi
- Set the rear tires to a pressure of 40 psi
Some eco-drivers (and hypermilers) will increase the tire pressures well beyond their
maximum rating and that will certainly help in achieving much improved fuel
economy. However, exercise care when doing so since the probability of
un-expected tire failure increases if the tire has a defect (due to a
previous tire puncture or manufacturing defect as it is likely in lower
quality tires).
Also, when replacing tires consider those rated as LRR (Low Rolling
Resistance). These types of tires will be able to provide the lowest
rolling resistance which can help cut fuel usage by 5% or more. The
lower the LRR value the greater the resulting fuel efficiency will be. Fuel
efficient hybrid vehicles typically arrive with LRR tires from the factory.
Other regular vehicles may or may not.
Typical Questions Concerning Higher Tire inflation Pressures:
Won't a tire explode if over-inflated?
Tire blowouts are more likely to occur in under-inflated tires
that are run under heavy loads. Unless the tire has a defect,
inflating to its maximum pressure is statistically unlikely to cause
a tire
blowout.
Will my car's handling deteriorate if I over-inflate my tires?
Your car's handling will actually improve. Most stunt
people and law enforcement vehicles use this technique because it is
safe and it works.
Will I be less comfortable?
As the tires become harder, the irregularities on the road
will be more promptly transmitted to the vehicle's suspension and to
its occupants. When raising the pressure please settle on a
value that offers a good compromise between comfort and fuel
economy.
Will over-inflation cause my tires to wear un-evenly?
No. The newer technology (modern) tires do not
exhibit the behavioral attributes of the tires manufactured in prior
decades. Even at pressures well above the rated maximum
pressure, the tire's thread surface will remain perfectly flat.
This behavior is by design which renders the old belief into a
modern day myth.
In fact, provided that the vehicle has a proper
wheel alignment, inflating the tires (up to their maximum pressure)
will cause the tires to experience less wear and a longer thread
life.
Change your Engine Oil
regularly
A properly maintained engine is a smooth and efficient running engine.
As the oil ages it breaks down and loses its thermal and lubricating
properties. At the same time this occurs, the engine experiences
greater internal resistances and will produce less power... which in turns
causes it to use more fuel.
For better results, consider the use of synthetic oils. These oils
typically last longer than conventional oils (2 to 3 times longer), offer
greater protection for your engine and will save a lot of fuel over the
vehicle's life. Despite the higher cost of synthetic oils, their benefits
far off-set the oil's initial cost.
Change your engine air
filter regularly
A dirty air filter will restrict the flow of air into the engine's
combustion chambers. This affects the fuel economy in some cars because the engine
will have to use more fuel to produce the required power. Changing the
air filter element regularly will ensure that the proper amounts of air are
provided to the engine so that it can operate at its peak efficiency.
In many modern engines this is no longer an issue since the engine will
sense a restricted intake air flow and adjust the fuel injection
accordingly. For these vehicles the only noticeable effect is the loss
of power and responsiveness of the vehicle in everyday driving without
causing a significant loss in fuel economy.
The other positive side effect of proper maintenance of the air filter is
longer engine life. This is because a clean air filter will prevent
larger amounts of debris and dust from to entering the engine's combusting
chambers thus introducing less contaminants and abrasives.
Use higher quality gas
Some gas brands offer measurably less energy per liter of gas. The
less energy is present in that liter of gas, the more of it must be used
over a traveled distance.
Unless your vehicle requires a higher octane gasoline, you should avoid
using any gasoline with an octane of 88 or higher. The higher the
octane value the lower the amount of energy contained per unit of volume.
Besides, higher octane fuels are generally more expensive unless they
contain a portion of ethanol (typically set at 5-10%).
Sticking to top-tier brands will ensure that you get the best and
cleanest fuel for your vehicle. Most eco-drivers are very meticulous
and keep very detailed records about their fuel economy performance.
The general consensus is that the Shell brand is consistently rated as the
highest quality gas.
Also, note that in our colder climate, many gas companies introduce
additives to the gasoline. These additives often have many positive
side effects but they also reduce the energy content. This explains
why in addition to the lower temperatures, the winter gas formulations also
contribute to lower fuel economy.
- It is important to note that the energy content of gasoline
varies from season to season. The table below shows that typical
summer conventional gasoline contain 1.7% more energy than typical
winter conventional gasoline.
Average Energy Content (btu per gallon)
Summer Winter Difference
114,500 112,500 1.7%
- The energy content of conventional gasoline also varies widely
from batch to batch and station to station. The table below shows
this variation within each season.
Energy Content (btu per gallon)
Minimum Maximum Difference
Summer 113,000 117,000 3.4%
Winter 108,500 114,000 4.8%
Perform a wheel alignment
regularly
Even new vehicles arriving "fresh" from the factory should have a wheel
alignment check. Many new vehicles - particularly for those
manufactured overseas - exhibit measurable amounts of misalignment. For
older vehicles it becomes an even more important procedure when done
regularly.
These are some of the advantages of a proper wheel alignment:
- Reduce un-even and premature wear of your tire(s).
- Increased fuel economy due to reduced rolling resistance
- Better and safer directional stability of the vehicle
- Reduced mechanical wear and stress on the suspension
Eliminate un-necessary
vehicle weight
Additional weight on a vehicle increases the friction between the tires
and the road surface. This effect has a measurable impact on fuel
economy that is well worth avoiding. While some vehicles (particularly
trucks) can improve their traction ability in adverse winter conditions by
carrying extra weight over the traction wheels, these apparent benefits do
not carry over to all other weather conditions; so it is well worth removing
the extra cargo as soon as the driving conditions improve.
Install and use and
Engine Block Heater
The regular use of an engine block heater is a critical tool in achieving
good fuel economy. An engine block heater (EBH) consists of a heating
element and an attached power cord (typically protruding from the front
grille of the vehicle) that once plugged into a normal power outlet, maintains the engine
at a warmer temperature than that of the surrounding air.
When the engine is warmer, less fuel is required to generate the
necessary amount of power and the engine's emissions are at their lowest.
By plugging in the block heater several hours before driving away, we are
ensuring that the benefits to the fuel economy are also accompanied by a
longer lasting and reliable engine.
Many eco-drivers (and hypermilers) use their EBH regularly even during the summer months
(particularly in the mornings) to achieve significant fuel savings.
Typically, the cost of powering the EBH is lower that that of the benefits
in fuel economy alone. Lower emissions and longer engine life are
additional bonuses.
Purchase and install a ScanGauge II device in your vehicle
A ScanGauge is an incredible useful and beneficial tool for anyone
committed to efficient driving - especially for non-hybrid vehicles built
since 1996.
This device plugs directly into the ODB port (typically located under the
dash - driver's side) and displays very critical information on most modern
vehicles. For Hybrid vehicle owners this instrument provides
additional insight into their vehicle that extends and complements the
built-in hybrid instrumentation. Here are some of the benefits of this
instrument:
|
TRIP COMPUTER |
| Automatically tracks four sets of trip data -
Each with 11 individually stored parameters. |
- Maximum Speed
- Average Speed
- Maximum Coolant Temperature
- Maximum RPM
- Driving Time
- Driving Distance
- Fuel Used
- Trip Fuel Economy
- Distance to Empty
- Time to Empty
- Fuel to Empty
|
|
DIGITAL GAUGES |
| Display 4 gauges at a time from the 12 built-in
digital gauges. the information is presented in Real-time! |
- Fuel Economy
- Fuel Rate
- Battery Voltage
- Coolant Temperature
- Intake Air Temperature
- Engine Speed (RPM)
- Vehicle speed (MPH)
- Manifold Pressure (not available on some vehicles)
- Engine Load
- Throttle Position
- Ignition Timing
- Open/Closed Loop
|
|
SCAN TOOL |
| The ScanGaugeII allows you to troubleshoot your
own car, read error codes, and the conditions present when the
error occurred. You can also turn off the “Check Engine” light
and avoid those costly trips to the mechanic. |
- Reads Trouble Codes
- Reads conditions that set the Trouble Code
- Clears Trouble Codes
- Turns off the "Check Engine" light
- Tells you when vehicle is "Ready" to pass OBDII testing
- Make and store up to 10 rewritable special codes
to send to the vehicle computer
|
Driving
Techniques
Avoid high speeds and speeding
Speeding is not only illegal and unsafe, but it also a major contributor to lower
fuel efficiency. For optimal fuel economy performance, please drive at the speed limit
or lower if conditions allow.
Avoid hard accelerations
Jack-rabbit accelerations (as it is often termed) contribute to
un-necessary waste and accelerated wear of the vehicle for no real benefit,
particularly in a urban environment.
Instead, choose to accelerate gently by not exceeding 2500 RPM.
For many hybrid vehicles a fuel efficient acceleration can be achieved at
much less than 2500 RPM. In some cases, electric-only propulsion will be
possible especially in HSD equipped hybrids. Honda hybrids will also
benefit greatly with the high torque electric assist.
For regular Gas and Diesel vehicles, keeping the tachometer readings
(RPM) as low as possible will be beneficial to higher fuel efficiency as
long as the traffic behind allows it.
Avoid abrupt and un-necessary stops
When a vehicle comes to a stop it loses its forward momentum by bleeding
off kinetic energy through its braking system. That kinetic energy was
induced into the vehicle through the burning of fuel. To accelerate again we
need to burn additional fuel to cover the same traveled distance. It
is therefore obvious that with less un-necessary stops (or slow-downs) we
incur better fuel economy.
On most cars: The braking system literally wastes the kinetic energy by
transforming it into brake wear and heat that is released through
ventilation. Reducing brake use helps prolong the brake components
(disks, shoes, pads, etc) as well as to minimize fuel usage.
On a hybrid vehicle: In addition to a braking system arrangement similar
to that of traditional cars, the hybrid braking system actually consists of a
regenerative mechanism that recovers some of the vehicle's kinetic energy into
electricity that will be stored in the on-board high voltage battery pack.
Later on, this recovered energy can be used to propel the vehicle forward thus
reducing and sometimes eliminating the use of fuel altogether.
Despite this often touted advantage of hybrids, there are inefficiencies
attributed to
conversion losses that are worth avoiding. It is because of this, that hybrid vehicle drivers should
also be concerned about reducing un-necessary stops and slow downs.
Maintain a steady legal speed
When driving, try to maintain a steady speed. Frequent fluctuations
is speed or throttle applications reduce the fuel economy by forcing the vehicle's engine to raise
its RPM unnecessarily. For highway trips, try to use the cruise control
especially when traveling on a highway without hills or even slight
elevation changes. Traveling above
the speed limits imposes serious penalties in fuel economy due to the
increased drag on the vehicle (cutting through the air and the tire
friction). Typically speeds above 90km/h create
drastic losses in efficiency even in the most aerodynamic of vehicles
(Toyota Prius, Insight, and Civic Hybrid). The situation is even more
dramatic for other less aerodynamic vehicles and even worse for trucks and
SUVs.
Managed Engine Load (MEL)
Managed Engine Load typically means allowing the power the engine
produces when idling to propel the car. When a vehicle is idling the
engine is producing a little more power than what is truly necessary.
Obviously if the vehicle has the transmission engaged in "D" or a specific
gear, that "power" is flowing to the wheels. Since this level of
operation often represents the lowest level of fuel consumption, it makes
sense to take advantage of it in the appropriate circumstances.
For instance, when climbing a short hill, you may choose to release the
foot pressure on the gas pedal just a little. This will cause the
vehicle to slow down a little bit but will keep the engine RPM at the lowest
possible without slowing down too much. This approach is what is
typically referred to as Managed Engine Load and has a measurable impact on your
overall fuel economy goals.
Anticipatory driving
(AD)
This technique encourages the driver to be aware of the surrounding traffic
and in particular what is ahead in terms of additional traffic, traffic
lights and signs.
When following behind moving traffic, try to build a reasonable and safe
distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. This will
allow you to plan and execute smoother accelerations and slowdowns.
The obvious side effect to this technique is that some inpatient drivers
will attempt to fill in the extra space by merging into your lane in front
of you. However frustrating this may appear at the time to you, please
continue to focus on you goals and gains by making this a permanent
technique in your fuel saving arsenal.
For instance, by anticipating the changing of the lights at an upcoming
intersection we may choose to engage in steady state driving, or simply
begin coasting to an eventual stop gradually. The longer the coasting, the
greater the fuel economy since we are traveling a greater distance with the
least amount of fuel possible. Some modern vehicles (as all hybrids
already do) literally shut off the fuel supply to the engine in a coast
action. The longer the coasting, the more dramatic the fuel saving
results.
Neutral Gliding (NG)
This technique involves switching the transmission to neutral when
coasting the vehicle over longer distances. By doing this neither the
transmission nor the Engine will offer any significant drag and the vehicle
will be consuming fuel at a much lower rate. In fact, some modern
vehicles will cease the fuel injection when in such a state thus improving
fuel economy further.
This technique should not be used in HSD or IMA hybrid vehicles.
Instead, the gliding features built into in these vehicles should be used
since switching the CVT (or eCVT) to neutral will not allow the gas engine
to completely shut down.
Advanced
Xtreme-EcoDriving Techniques
Gliding with Engine OFF (GEO may be illegal in
some jurisdictions)
This technique consists of turning OFF the gas
engine while the vehicle is in motion and/or coasting. This technique
allows a driver of a non-hybrid vehicle to forcefully stop the fuel
consumption especially when the gas engine is no longer propelling the
vehicle.
Hybrid vehicles do this automatically without any intervention from the
driver.
The main benefit of this technique is that it not only removes the idling
waste that some cars impose while coasting, but also the waste through
engine idling while stopped (at a stop sign or red light). In itself,
this technique can improve your fuel economy from 5% to 40% (or more)
depending on the distance traveled with the gas engine off.
Shutting off the engine should be done when stopped for more than 10-15
seconds.
WARNING: Some vehicles's engines should not be turned off while in
motion. Please consult your owners manual and see if the
vehicle can be towed with the traction wheels down and in neutral.
If it cannot, then GEO may NOT be an advisable technique.
To GEO a vehicle observe the following procedure:
- When coasting, place the vehicle in neutral (N).
- Turn the ignition OFF until the engine is off.
- Quickly, turn the key to power up the vehicle's instrumentation but
not as far as to turn on the engine.
- When arriving to the end of a "coast", turn the ignition ON in order
to start the engine again.
- When the engine is running, switch the transmission to D (drive) or
to a gear that more closely matches your current speed.
In some cases, owners of hybrid vehicles may wish to use this technique,
particularly when the temperatures are too cold to allow even the simplest electric
operations.
Please observe your local laws and traffic patterns before using this
technique. If your vehicle does not have electric power steering (as
most hybrid vehicles do) you may experience a loss of hydraulic pressure on
the steering system while the car is coasting with the engine off. The
braking system may also be similarly affected. If you do use this
technique, please ensure that you allow yourself a good stopping distance to
compensate for the possible loss of steering and braking assist.
Pulse And Gliding
Pulse and Gliding (P&G) is a technique often used by extreme eco drivers to
achieve impressive mileage figures. Basically it consists of
accelerating
the engine (Pulse) up to a maximum speed and then forcing the vehicle
to Glide (coasting) with minimal friction and waste, to a minimum speed.
The cycle is then repeated as often as possible for the duration of the
trip.
The following are the basic steps to implementing a typical P&G routine:
- Identify the maximum speed. This is typically the posted speed
limit or even 5-10 Km/h above the speed limit.
- Identify the minimum glide speed. This would be the lowest
speed that the traffic can reasonably and safely support. In light
traffic conditions, the lowest speed can be really low (20-30 km/h).
- Gently accelerate to the maximum speed keeping the engine RPM as low
as it can be.
On an HSD equipped hybrid (Toyota) the pulse can be made in all electric
up to 60Km/h, however this may or may not be desirable especially if
maintaining the state of charge is more important.
On an IMA equipped hybrid (Honda), avoid the use of as much EV Assist as
possible during the pulse since this may cause your P&G routine to be
short lived due to an inevitable low state of charge and unavoidable
forced regeneration.
For most hybrids, keeping the RPM well below 1900 RPM produces the best
results. A
ScanGauge or similar ODB-II device may be needed for the Toyota
Prius since it does not have a tachometer.
For most cars, keeping the RPM below 2500, yields the best results.
- When reached the maximum pulse speed, place the vehicle in a glide.
For hybrid vehicles this is quite easy to do. For non hybrid
vehicles you may wish to perform a GEO
procedure (described above). The vehicle will then glide,
bleeding speed until it reaches the minimum glide speed.
- When reaching the minimum glide speed, we turn on the engine and
pulse again to the maximum pulse speed as we did in step 3 and we continue
the cycle for as long as it is safely sustained.
If performed expertly, this technique can easily net fuel economy
improvements of 50%-150% or more, and this pretty much explains this
technique's popularity among the elite Xtreme-EcoDriving community.
Please note, that this technique is not advisable for use in urban
driving since it may frustrate other drivers following behind you.
Low Drag Surface driving
(LDS)
LDS consists of driving the vehicle in a "higher" road
patch that is less likely to offer rolling resistance to your tires.
The road areas of lower resistance are typically those that are "slightly
raised" and dryer. This means avoiding snow slush and water puddles.
Normally,
this means ensuring that you will often ride your right tires the on the dividing line
between the shoulder and your lane in an attempt to incur the lowest "tire
to road" friction possible. This way your left tires will also be
riding closer to the middle of your lane thus also avoiding the "channel"
when the water and wet snow pools.
Riding on a water or slush filled patch of the road imposes a significant loss in fuel economy
since the friction increases significantly for every additional millimeter
increase in the water or slush level.
This technique is not advisable when driving on anything but the right
most lane, especially when it is safe to do so. Please observe any
stopped vehicles, pedestrians, workers or other obstacles that may be
occupying the right shoulder.
We recommend the use of winter tire since this will ensure maximum
traction if you decide to ride on ice when avoiding slush areas.
For More Information Contact:
GreenDriving Canada
CANADA
Internet:
GreenDriving@Shaw.ca
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