By Nina Russin

Eco-driving Principles

Eco-driving is one part maintenance, one part vehicle options, and one part driver behavior. Routine maintenance procedures such as tire pressure checks, tune-ups, air filter and oil changes keep vehicles running at maximum efficiency.

New car buyers can opt for convenience features, such as navigation systems and satellite radio with traffic updates, to help them find the quickest, least congested routes to their destinations. Existing car owners can tap into aftermarket GPS products that offer similar benefits.

The final, and most important part of the equation has to do with driver behavior. Readers can find a list of eco-driving tips at http://www.ecodrivingusa.com.

Putting It All Together

The best way to learn how to put these tips into practice is to get behind the wheel with an eco-driving instructor riding shotgun: something I had the opportunity to do at the recent Ford program in Phoenix.

Ford brought eco-driving instructors from Germany to work with instructors at Phoenix-based Pro Formance Group. For the media program, journalists chose from a group of Ford vehicles on hand, driving two, six-mile loops. For the first loop, we maintained our normal driving habits. Then Pro Formance instructors showed us how eco-driving could improve average fuel economy, with minimal impact on trip time.

“Eco-driving isn't hyper-miling,” explained Curt Magleby. “Hyper-miling is fuel economy above all else... Drivers going way below the speed limit and taking other measures to save gas. It can be dangerous, and we want people to be safe.”

I chose to drive a Ford Focus: a small sedan with EPA fuel economy ratings of 24 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. Our six mile loop was divided equally between city streets in suburban Phoenix, and a three-mile stretch of the Interstate 10 freeway.

Knowing the objective was a slight disadvantage, since I modified my behavior on the first loop in favor of fuel economy. By avoiding jackrabbit starts and keeping my overall speed down, I averaged 26.3 miles-per-gallon on the loop.

The second time around, my driving instructor had me put some eco-driving tips into practice: the most important of which is to keep the engine revving below 2000 rpm. By feathering the throttle, I was able to accelerate to normal driving speeds while improving my average fuel economy.

Driving instructors recommend that drivers take well-known routes, so that they are more familiar with traffic light timing and terrain. Driving at a speed that allows the driver to pass through a series of green lights saves on gas wasted by repeated stops and starts.

By accelerating slightly on downhills, drivers can reduce the amount of acceleration and fuel wasted on uphill grades. This should be second nature to anyone who runs or cycles long distances: conserving energy allows the body to go further.

When cornering, try to take a path that minimizes the amount of braking. Typically, this means apexing early to create a wide, smooth arc through the corner.

If there are multiple lanes, try to be the first car in line at the stop sign or traffic light. This eliminates multiple starts and stops as drivers up ahead move through the intersection.

Avoid the outside lanes on roads with lots of feeder streets, since drivers entering the road from either side can interrupt traffic.

Cutting off the engine at a long traffic light saves significant amounts of fuel. Before doing so, shift into a neutral gear and apply the brakes. Keeping the ignition to the “on” (but not engine running) position allows air conditioning and other accessories to keep running.

Using cruise control helped me to achieve my greatest fuel economy gains. This is something that most drivers won't be able to do in thick traffic, unless they have adaptive radar-based systems. But it's fairly easy to do in lighter traffic, even in urban areas.

On the second loop, I had improved my overall fuel economy to 28.2 miles-per-gallon, and finished the distance eleven seconds faster.

Focus Group

My results weren't as dramatic as a random group of consumers Ford brought in for the same program. Ford solicited drivers on Craig's list. Respondents thought they were being brought in to evaluate new Ford product.

Out of over a hundred respondents, Ford chose forty eight car owners: they divided the owners into groups of twelve drivers, who underwent three hours of instruction.

Because the drivers didn't know the purpose of the program going into it, their average fuel economy ratings on the first loop were poorer. The drivers had three loops of eco-driving to try to improve their fuel economy. On average, drivers improved their gas mileage by twenty-four percent: a figure comparable to similar groups in Europe.

Ford estimates that eco-driving could save up to 22 billion gallons of gas annually, based on a fifteen percent improvement in overall fuel economy.

For more information, log onto www.drivingskillsforlife.com.