3 eco-driving techniques to help you save fuel

When you’re looking to use a novated lease to buy a new car, there are near-countless things you’ll look out for. Features, comfort, safety and colour are some of the common ones. Price is also a big factor, which is probably why you decided to save with a novated lease in the first place.

However, fuel efficiency is still a top priority, according to Roy Morgan research. A 2015 study showed that a huge 80 per cent of our 15 million+ motorists would rather have a car that’s conservative with fuel than a high-performing gas guzzler.

Chances are, you’re one of these people. And yet, fuel efficiency is not just something to consider when buying a new car; if you really want to save at the pump, you may need to follow a few simple driving tips.

Here are three eco-driving techniques to try out on the road:

how to save fuel, fuel-saving driving tips, novated lease, buying a car, save moneyAvoid sharp cornering and watch your speed – all good advice.

1) Gentle braking

Eco-driving is all about maintaining momentum. Trying to accelerate in a rolling car requires much less fuel than getting all that weight going from a standing start. In fact, Earth Easy found that hard braking increases fuel consumption by about 40 per cent, and releases five times more emissions.

Eco-driving can be a game. Try and judge whether you will have to brake in good time by looking up the road. Then, when you need to, slowly reduce your speed. Doing so means you can release the brakes and keep your momentum should traffic start moving again before you reach it.

Hard braking increases fuel consumption by about 40 per cent.

2) Stick to the speed limits

Fuel efficiency drops off massively at around 95 kilometres per hour (km/h), which is useful considering the maximum highway speed limit of 100km/h. Don’t be afraid to travel slower if you want to save a dramatic amount of fuel.

Earth Easy says you can get 10 to 15 per cent more mileage from your fuel tank by driving at 55 miles per hour (88km/h) than 65mph (104km/h)

3) Easy cornering

Research from the appropriately named Smartdrive shows that the average motorist makes one hard turn over a normal one-hour driving period. However, taking corners too sharply accounts for 16 per cent of fuel wastage.

You’ll almost never see a professional driver taking a corner hard; it’s all about anticipating a turn, decelerating smoothly into the corner and gently accelerating out. Again, this can be a fun trait to emulate, and will improve your safety and fuel efficiency.

Easy, right? Combine your fuel savings with the 10 per cent you can cut from your new car price with a novated lease, and you could save an attractive amount of money indeed.

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