Increasing prices of Petrol & Diesel | Improved Fuel Consumption

Whether you're driving a little 1300 hatchback or a thirsty V8, the amount of fuel consumed is directly proportional to the pressure applied by your right foot.

There are obviously other factors that can also have an effect on increasing fuel consumption eg. Weather conditions, night driving, altitude, tuning, etc.

Cruising along a scenic drive on a Sunday afternoon at 80 km/h, your little hatchback’s engine is burning fuel at the modest rate of x litres/100 km.

Step the speed up gently to 100 km/h and the fuel flow into the cylinders is upped by around 12 percent.

If you sprint from one robot to the next, accelerate hard out of corners, and “push it” on the open road, no matter what vehicle it is or which fuel saving device you are using, its economy will plummet.

So the sensible rule is: “Whether driving solo or with a caravan, accelerate smoothly and gently, and stick to a sensible cruising speed.”

Use the cruise control should your vehicle be fitted with one, it will assure you maintain the same speed at all times without applying unnecessary pressure to the pedal when attempting a steep uphill.

The following table shows the results of a fuel consumption test recorded with a popular 2-litre car under a variety of driving conditions. Results are in kilometres/litre and steady speed runs are at a true speed of 80 km/h.