With today’s high gasoline and diesel prices, lingering uncertainty about the economy and concerns about air pollution, most people are interested in ways to save fuel. 

And while getting a newer car might be the biggest and most obvious way to conserve fuel, there are ways to extend your mileage, regardless of what vehicle you drive. Eco-driving is the practice of changing your driving habits to extend your mileage to the utmost limits of your car’s capabilities.

You can become an eco-driver by following these tips:

• Don’t speed: The fuel economy of most vehicles decreases above 50 or 60 mph. Though a higher speed allows you to cover more miles per hour, it also costs you more cents per mile.
• Accelerate slowly: Accelerating slowly uses less fuel than accelerating quickly, even if you end up going the same speed at the end.
• Coast to a stop: Once your car has built up momentum, it can keep rolling for some distance without using much fuel. Braking, however, wastes that momentum. Unless you have a hybrid that recaptures the energy lost through braking, you are better off slowing down sooner and minimizing your need for brakes.
• Shift at a lower RPM: If your engine is running slower, it will use less fuel than if it is running at a high RPM. If you have a manual transmission, shift to a higher gear earlier (at around 2,000 RPM) to extend your mileage as much as possible.
• Don’t idle: If you are going to be stopped for more than a minute, turn off the engine. Idling burns fuel without getting you even an inch farther down the road.
• Plan ahead. Figure out the shortest or most efficient route, and check traffic reports to avoid fuel-wasting congestion. And don’t wait until the last minute; leaving earlier and having more time to reach your destination allows you to drive slower and put these other tips into practice.

For more ways to extend your mileage and reduce your carbon footprint, contact us at Swapalease.

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