How Do I Maximize My Fuel Economy?

Many factors can affect the individual fuel economy figures your vehicle will actually achieve – driving style, vehicle loading, tire type and tire pressure, wind direction, traffic conditions, and even what accessories you have fitted to the vehicle.    

To Improve Your Fuel Economy

The following tips might be useful:    

Chill Out: aggressive driving wastes fuel and can increase fuel consumption by as much as a whopping 33% at highway speeds and 5% in the city. Keep your cool and aim for smooth acceleration and braking;    

Speed: consider this: at speeds over 80 km/h, your vehicle uses more fuel than it does at 60 km/h. That's pretty simple to understand. But, did you know that going from 90 km/h to 105 km/h increases fuel consumption by 10% to 15%, and increasing speed from 90 km/h to 115 km/h increases consumption by 25%. So be sure to obey all posted speed limits and keep your speed in check;    

Cruise Control helps save fuel in 2 ways. 

1. it controls your maximum speed.
2. it helps maintain a constant speed so you won't be pumping extra fuel into your engine;    

Engine Run-In Period: fuel economy is best measured after accumulating more than 8,000 kms. This is because the brand-new components in an engine take some time to wear in, reducing friction and needing less energy (and fuel!) to move;    

Black Gold: Fuel economy may be degraded by as much as 2% by not using the manufacturer's recommended grade of engine oil. Your Ford service technician can help you select the right grade to maximize fuel economy;    

Maintain It: Replacing fuel filters and air filters when recommended can help optimize fuel economy too;    

People count: of course, cars and trucks were invented to move us around, but keep in mind if you're carrying five 120kg footy players at all times, that expends more time than Grandma and her poodle;    

Travel light: do you need to carry all that cargo? It's estimated that an extra 45kg of cargo in your vehicle could reduce your fuel economy by 2%. Don't carry unnecessary weight;    

De-Accesorise: minimize the use of heated seats, A/C, defroster, and other power-drawing accessories when not required; 

Idleness: Did you know that idling can burn between 1 to 2 liters of fuel per hour, depending on the engine size and if the A/C is on? 

Fuel selection: check your fuel filler door or the Owner's Manual and always use the recommended fuel type; 

Tires: ensure your tires are running at the correct pressure. Properly inflated tires can significantly improve fuel economy; 

Aftermarket changes: upgrading to larger or more rugged wheels and tires can also heavily impact your fuel economy. Mud terrains and chunky tread patterns might work well off-road, but they can really increase weight and rolling resistance dragging down your fuel economy; 

Carbo boxes, canopies, and loads: the heavier the load, the more fuel will be expended; 

Axle Ratios: for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs), capability is significantly influenced by the rear axle ratio. Even with identical engines, the rear axle ratio can affect payload and towing by up to hundreds of kilograms. Keep in mind that as axle ratios go up, capability increases but real-world fuel economy tends to decrease; 

Rooftop cargo carriers: surfboards, kayaks, rooftop tents, and even bikes add weight and create wind resistance impacting the fuel economy; 

Trailer towing: the height (wind resistance) and weight of a trailer, camper, or caravan really impact fuel economy; 

Terrain: hilly or mountainous areas and unpaved roads can reduce fuel economy.