By Felix Tjozongoro
ONGWEDIVA – This month is known to many as “Januworry” in which most Namibians would have spoiled themselves during December holidays, with very little cash left for January. Woema felt it appropriate to share some tips with the reader regarding fuel saving.
Twenty percent of a vehicle’s fuel consumption, or one tank in every five, is used to overcome the rolling resistance of tyres, but this increases if tyres are under-inflated.
Low tyre pressure and the resulting increase in rolling resistance leads directly to higher fuel consumption. In a vehicle, tyres under inflated by 15 psi (1 bar) lead to 6 percent greater fuel consumption.
- Avoid High Speeds: As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 100 km/h will reduce fuel consumption by about 15 percent.
- Do Not Accelerate or Brake Hard: By anticipating the traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20 percent.
- Don’t drive in the rush hour: There are few worse places to spend your time than stuck in a traffic jam, but it is also a very expensive way of travelling. Every time that you stop and start in traffic, your vehicle needs first gear and a huge amount of fuel to get moving again.
- Use Aircon sparingly: When the air conditioner is on it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used, about 20 percent.
- Keep Windows Closed: Open windows, especially on highways, increase drag and result in use of more fuel, up to 10 percent.
- Service Vehicle Regularly: Proper maintenance avoids poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels.
- Use Cruise Control: Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves petrol.
- If you anticipate being stopped for more than one minute, switch off the engine. Restarting the vehicle uses less fuel than idling for a long time.
- Back off the bling: New wheels and tyres may look cool, and they can certainly improve handling. But if they are wider than the original tyres, they will create more rolling resistance and reduce fuel economy. If you upgrade your wheels and tyres, keep the old ones. For long road trips, the original wheels give a smoother ride and better economy.
- Don’t drive: Not a popular thing to say, but the fact is that if you can avoid driving, you will save petrol. Take a taxi or ride with friends and consolidate your shopping trips. Walking or biking is good for your wallet and your health. And before you get into your vehicle, always ask yourself: “Is this trip really necessary?”