Fossil fuel is decreasing day by day. Fuel price is also increasing. To think about nature and our bank balance, we need to decrease usage of fuel without considering our daily needs. 

How can we do that?

I think a lot about the issues. Here are some effective ways that I do practically in my daily life and get better results. I think you should also get the benefit from that.

The term “ fuel saving” is not only about cutting costs, it’s also about driving smarter. Some little change of driving habits, proper car maintenance, and a little foresight can make a big difference.

Planning ahead is imperative and forms the foundation of all other tips. Think about things happening in front of you, like red lights, your acceleration as speed limits increase, and your approach to junctions and roundabouts. 

Don’t just look at the car directly in front of you. Look as far down the road as you can. 

Right now, it might not seem to achieve anything, but in a second, it opens up. We can actually see the traffic lights that have just turned green, so it’s best to use engine braking.

Engine Braking

Engine braking is one of the best tools for better fuel economy. All you do is lift your foot off the accelerator while staying in gear. 

If you want more engine braking, you can downshift to increase it, and shift down again to get even more engine braking. This way, I almost stopped without touching the brake pedal. 

The fundamental here is a technology called DFCO (Deceleration Fuel Cut-Off), which means that when you’re off the gas but still in gear, your engine uses zero fuel. 

Engine braking works best when you know you need to come to a full stop, like at a roundabout. Here, I’m going to shift down again to get a bit more engine braking since I’m coming to nearly a full stop. 

However, in situations where you don’t intend to stop completely, there’s a better solution.

Maintenance

Another factor that can affect fuel economy is car maintenance. The best way to check if your car is well-maintained is with an OBD reader—this one is from OBDeleven. 

OBDeleven is compatible with BMW, the entire Volkswagen Auto Group (Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, SEAT), and also the Toyota group, including Lexus. 

It’s literally one of the easiest things to set up: just plug it in, hit connect, and scan for faults in your car. Here, I actually found three faults with mine—an engine fault for the battery, a sound amplifier fault, and a body electronics fault. 

Not ideal, but if you see issues related to fueling, ignition, spark, cylinders, or air intake, these can negatively impact fuel economy. 

OBDeleven stands out because of its one-click apps, like ECO Pro coasting mode, where you no longer need to shift into neutral to coast—just release the accelerator. This tool is excellent for fuel economy; with OBDeleven, you just hit activate, and it’s one click to engage it. Use those one-click apps to improve your fuel economy.

Coasting

Let’s talk about coasting. 

If you’re in a situation where you want to maintain momentum, coasting is better. My speed barely increases because I’m going downhill in neutral. By taking the car out of gear here, we’re able to hold onto speed down the hill. 

I know there’s not a traffic light ahead, but we’re still doing 65 mph. It’s a bit unsafe to go around corners in neutral, so we’ll shift back into gear. However, coasting has helped maintain our speed effectively.

Tire Pressure

Increasing tire pressures is a significant factor as it reduces rolling resistance, meaning better fuel economy, especially on the motorway. 

Anytime you’re coasting or engine braking, you’ll go a bit farther if your tire pressures are higher. 

Just don’t go too high, as this could risk tire damage. Check your tire’s specifications for the maximum PSI, but even an increase of around 5 PSI above manufacturer recommendations can make a big difference in fuel economy.

Start/Stop

I know we all dislike the start/stop button; most of us habitually press it every time we start the car. 

If you’re like me, start/stop can be annoying, but if you’re aiming for the best fuel economy, leave it on because it can make a massive difference. 

Start/stop is convenient, as long as you’re in neutral when you stop, since it kills the engine briefly and saves fuel. When you’re ready to take off, it automatically restarts. 

Hybrid car owners benefit even more, as the electric motor assists before the engine turns back on. 

I enjoy how start/stop functions in a manual car because I can control it by holding the clutch if I don’t want the engine to turn off. However, I know most of you drive automatics, where although a bit more intrusive, it still greatly helps with fuel economy, especially in town. 

When stationary and burning fuel, it affects your fuel economy—it just makes sense to keep it on.

Low Revs

Avoid taking off from every light with excessive revs. 

You don’t need to race; just apply enough revs to get moving gently. Keeping revs as low as possible, close to the 1,000 RPM idle mark, is key to efficient driving. The lower the revs, the less fuel is used. To keep revs low, be gentle with the throttle and shift gears frequently. Once you pass idle RPM, shift up to stay at the bottom of the rev range where fuel economy is best. 

Even when joining motorways, if efficiency is the goal, keep the revs low with frequent gear changes—just a bit of acceleration goes a long way.

Air Conditioner

Turn off the air conditioner if you’re aiming for maximum fuel efficiency. Air conditioning creates a parasitic load on the engine, draining some of its power. 

To save fuel, just turn it off when not needed. If you have a straightforward system, it’s just a button; for my car, I have to navigate the screen to the climate settings and then turn off the AC. 

This tip is mainly for those aiming to maximize fuel economy, as I know many prefer to leave it on.

The No-Brake Game

The “no-brake game” is effective because it forces you to engine brake and plan ahead, ultimately improving fuel economy. 

The rule is simple: don’t brake. 

Any time you want to slow down, use gears instead. For example, I’m approaching a roundabout, so I’ll shift down to reduce speed without braking, finding a gap, and entering smoothly. 

Planning ahead for roundabouts or other stops allows you to use engine braking effectively. A speed limit change to 30 means I’ll match revs, slowing down slightly. 

Now that engine braking has done its job, I’ll shift up and hold momentum. With the right timing, you can maintain this practice even on motorways for miles.

Hypermiling

Hypermiling is driving solely for fuel economy. For most cars, 56 mph is the most efficient speed. Setting cruise control at 56 mph achieves maximum efficiency, though it might mean getting overtaken by buses and trucks. 

When hypermiling, combine all these tips to go the extra mile. This approach is especially useful for electric cars, helping extend range. Reduced speed drastically cuts air resistance, which grows exponentially as speed increases. 

This is how those crazy quotes of people reaching 80+ miles per gallon become achievable.