An Introduction to EcoDriving

EcoDriving is a new trend that has been getting some publicity recently. It’s the art of using a variety of driving techniques and careful maintenance to squeeze every last drop of fuel economy out of your car.

With petrol prices at an all time high of over $4 a gallon in the US and £5 a gallon in the UK more and more people worldwide are looking into it as a way of making their household budget go a bit further. Apart from saving money using less petrol means your car also puts out fewer greenhouse gasses and other emissions.

In the US, where the technique is called Hypermiling, there has been quite a lot of negative publicity recently about EcoDrivers who go to extreme lengths on their quest to increase their miles per gallon to new highs. However you don't need to do anything dangerous or illegal to make big savings. In fact the United States government encourages ordinary drivers to use "EcoDriving" methods to save petrol.

Haulage companies have been teaching their drivers these methods for a very long time, and for a very good reason. If you run a haulage business then petrol or diesel is your single biggest cost, and servicing your trucks is not cheap either. The money saved in fuel and maintenance costs through skilled driving can make all the difference between showing a profit at the end of the year instead of a loss.

To keep tabs on how their lorries are performing, and to let their drivers know how much fuel they are burning, many companies fit "in cab computers" to their lorries. You can now easily and cheaply do the same thing in your own car. Many cars already have a miles per gallon meter, and you can also fit a computer that measures cost per mile and a whole load of other stuff too.

Whether you use electronic gadgets to help, or just learn a few tips and tricks about how to drive and service your car, you too can reduce the cost of running your vehicle, and even do something to help save the planet at the same time.

Become an EcoDriver.  You know it makes sense!