Insights

Economically, driving can be an expensive endeavour - whether you are passionate about driving, or keep your commute between home and the office, you’re more than likely making a few driving decisions that are having a negative economic and environmental impact. 

Whilst it might not seem important during your everyday drive, an economic approach to driving will save you in everything from fuel costs to tire replacements and general servicing costs - not to mention, your carbon footprint and overall environmental impact can be significantly reduced as well.

An economic approach to driving will involve three general factors - ensuring that your car is in the appropriate condition, employing sustainable and economic driving habits, and choosing an economic car in the first place.

Keeping Your Car in an Economically Friendly Condition

Whilst the way you drive is important in driving efficiency, the changes you make to those habits will fail to have an impact if your car is in a poor condition in the first place. 

The most effective way to ensure that your car is healthy and in an efficient state is to get it serviced on a regular basis. The frequency in which you do this should depend on the condition of your car, the type of car you have, and the age of the car. Servicing is important whether it is in regard to the car’s engine, brakes, steering, suspension, and in replacing car fluids in general. 

Finding the right car service provider is a good approach to take - it will ensure that the often tedious task of getting your car serviced is made easier, and will also ensure that a good job is done. Many drivers will opt for a service such as Enji, which helps in locating mechanics and service providers based on location and car model. 

Regular car servicing will mean that you avoid unnecessary expenses and repairs, and will also mean that your car can drive for longer periods of time, is more fuel efficient, and is at a lower risk of any breakdowns or other unforeseen problems. 

Changing Your Approach to Driving

Once you have ensured that your car is in an efficient and safe state, you should shift your focus to the way you drive. This could mean taking a more proactive approach to driving, and changing your habits while on the road. 

Firstly, focus on the things that you can change while driving. Aim to drive as smoothly as possible - this means anticipating the road ahead and avoiding any fast braking or accelerating, and will improve both fuel economy and reduce maintenance needs. Next, try to limit the use of your air-con. While heating is relatively fuel efficient, cooling will have an impact on fuel use and should be avoided if you can instead open the window. While driving, another important factor is in terms of drag and weight. Eliminating any unnecessary weight from your car, and reducing drag that might come from accessories such as roof racks can improve fuel efficiency dramatically. 

In addition to actions you can take while on the move, consider the actions you can take in anticipation of any road trips. For example, plan ahead when it comes to traffic and rush hour - avoiding congestion on the roads will mean that you can save significant amounts of fuel, and add time to the life of your vehicle. Furthermore, be sure to check tire pressure before you get out on the road, as un-inflated tires can have a significant impact on fuel use and the extent to which your car has to work in order to keep on the move. 

Finally, always make sure that you avoid any potentially dangerous attempts to reduce fuel use while on the road. While you might have heard about ‘slipstreaming’, used in professional racing to increase speed and save in fuel, this is extremely dangerous and should never be attempted on the road. The same can be said about turning the engine of your car off at any point while you are driving and still moving, and coasting (driving with the car in neutral), which reduces the control you have in being able to accelerate out of danger and has no fuel benefits in modern cars. 

Choosing the Right Car 

Finally, a good approach to an economic and sustainable driving experience is to drive the right car. Some cars are more fuel efficient and sustainable than others, with hybrid and electric cars also providing significant benefits in ongoing costs and carbon emissions. 

For example, Toyota’s Corolla hybrid offers fuel efficiency and even charges as you drive - this is an option that is always becoming more effective and streamlined in the way it operates, and is often overlooked by drivers. In addition, consider Tesla - this is a company that has built its brand around the idea of sustainable driving. They have manufactured their own set of unique energy solutions that focus on renewable energy, and are revolutionising the idea of clean transport and energy. 

More generally, sustainable and economic cars will have features that include more effective use of material, impact of general use, durability of the inside cabin, and even encouragement of sustainable driving technique. Many sustainable cars also have a focus on reducing the required frequency of change when it comes to engine fluids - this can make a huge difference when it comes to servicing frequency and significance. 

While these are features that will reduce ongoing economic costs and improve sustainability, they might not come with a low initial price tag. With this being said, there are also a number of cost effective cars that will allow you to stay within budget from the get go. This categorisation includes brands from Honda and Kia, to Toyota and Nissan - and these are just a couple of examples. Ultimately, having the most economic and sustainable approach to driving will mean driving a car that balances cost with sustainable performance - when you consider this on top of driving approaches and proper car maintenance, then you’ll see a real difference in your ongoing expenses.