Lesson 4: Cruising
Now that your car is moving, Newton’s second point in the law of inertia concerning the fact that an object in motion will remain in motion unless an outside force acts upon it comes into play. You probably already knew that when you car is in motion, keeping that way is pretty easy work for your engine. That’s true and easy work for your engine translates directly into low fuel consumption.
It is, therefore, in your best interest to spend as much time as possible during your drive in the cruising state, and in the cruising state you should maintain a constant speed. Follow posted speed limits for safety and fuel economy, particularly on freeways because excessive speed uses excessive amounts of gas. Except in gridlock conditions, where a lower constant speed may be necessary, the speed limit is a friend of fuel economy. Cruise in your car’s highest gear at the lowest RPM possible without lugging the engine.
As much as possible, and to whatever extent it is safe to do so, you must avoid slowing down and speeding up. That includes using your brakes. Any deceleration will necessitate eventual acceleration (unless you’ve come to the end of your trip) and, as we learned in Lesson 3, acceleration kills your fuel economy. A constant speed for as long as possible is your ticket to savings.
This sounds easier than you think but cruising actually demands discipline and constant attention to traffic conditions and the actions of other drivers. It is very easy to get swept up by impatient drivers who’ll coax you into driving aggressively by tailgating or rapidly changing in and out of lanes to get around you but you must stick with your constant-speed cruise. Those drivers are doing nothing other than racing into red lights and they’re wasting tons of gas doing so.
In a proper cruise, where your vehicle is moving at a constant speed, you will barely need to touch the gas pedal to maintain your rate of forward motion and in this state the typical sedan’s fuel economy may be 4 to 6 liters per 100km (39-59mpg). That’s highway mileage and in order to save money you want to keep it up as long as possible. I will stress again that your speed must remain as constant as possible and that your foot should barely touch the pedal.
Now, it’s natural that during your cruise you will encounter traffic conditions or temporary road obstructions that may force you to decelerate. Sometimes this is unavoidable, and you should never risk safety to save some gas, but you can minimize these conditions by ensuring a large gap between your vehicle and the one in front of you. That way, if the car in front of you is forced to slow down due to traffic or to stop behind a turning car or to allow a pedestrian to cross the street, you can maintain your cruising speed or begin to coast (by releasing the accelerator) and fill the gap in a fuel-saving way while the obstruction clears. If a vehicle ahead is turning and another lane is free, you will have plenty of time in which to change lanes around it while still maintaining your cruising speed.
Even in gridlock conditions, if you maintain a large gap between your vehicle and the one in front of you, you can maintain a constant cruising speed and save money. Have you ever noticed how bumper-to-bumper traffic tends to move in waves? You accelerate briefly, move forward a couple hundred feet and then suddenly you’re on the brakes again. As we learned in Lesson 3, this sort of acceleration-dependent driving will kill your fuel economy. Instead, try to reduce your constant cruising speed such that you can maintain the gap in front of you. You’ll find that you can cruise for extended periods of time in this way, even if at a slower speed, and cruising saves you money. Although you will not achieve exceptional fuel economy under these circumstances, your economy will be vastly better than it would be if you were to participate in the stop-and-go gridlock pattern, which stresses your engine and gobbles up your fuel.
By paying attention to road conditions, traveling at a constant speed and leaving a large gap between yourself and the vehicle ahead of you, you can save money and keep your cruise up for as long as possible. That’s how you get highway ratings in the city.
Takeaways from Lesson 4:
- Cruising is very economical and will allow you to get close to highway fuel economy in the city.
- Maintain the speed limit wherever possible, including on freeways.
- Once your vehicle is up to speed, maintain this speed constantly for optimal fuel efficiency - do not seesaw around your cruising speed.
- Minimize your engine’s RPM and ride in the highest gear you can without lugging the engine.
- Slowing down means speeding up later – this will cost you money.
- Adjust your cruising speed down for gridlock to ensure that you keep moving even if at a slower speed - avoid the stop-and-go M.O.
- Do not get caught up by aggressive drivers or succumb to the “will of the road.” Maintain your cruise and let them waste all the gas they want. You’ll see them at the next red light.
- Leave a large gap between your car and the one in front of you – this gives you room to cruise and coast.
- Pay attention to road conditions and avoid obstacles to maintain your cruise for as long as possible.
Proper cruising technique is a critical ecomiling concept and it will require practice. This is something you will get better at with time but you can immediately begin to realize tremendous savings while you practice because any purposeful attempt to improve your cruising and exclude yourself from aggressive driving is going to make a difference you’ll notice at the pump.
Now, I hope you aren’t mistakenly left with the impression that the goal of ecomiling is to avoid using your brakes until the last minute or something. That’s not safe and it’s not going to save you fuel. You can maximize your fuel economy in situations where you need to stop or slow down and you’ve already heard about it in this and previous lessons: coasting. Move on to Lesson 5. to learn all about it.
Lesson Quicklinks
Lesson 1: Get Started by Doing the ObviousDisclaimer: It is of critical importance that you always place safety first and fuel economy a very distant second. Although ecomiling may be an engaging, exciting and money-saving challenge, never place fuel economy above your safety or that of other road users. Obey all local traffic laws.