FUEL EFFICIENCY FINDING FACTORS FOR
It’s funny the way the trend of car purchasing these days, has experienced some sort of paradigm shift. Gone are the days when the general majority have prioritized displacement size and power—as most people, of late, have begun to put a larger premium on fuel economy.
Could it be concern for the growing problem of climate change, or simply a function of economics, wherein people strive for lower costs of mobility? Whatever it is, the movement is real—more and more Filipinos are beginning to care about maximizing their fuel efficiency.
Uly and I had this talk; and we agreed that every person’s fuel economy rating is really a sum of a collective effort. Usually it boils down to the chosen vehicle, an individual’s driving style, the road conditions, and picking the right fuel. Having said that, we decided to conduct a simple experiment, and test our boundaries of fuel efficiency using the same vehicles, the same fuel, and traveling the same route at the same time of day. Clearly, the only major variable here would be the drivers. And so we took it to another level and struck a challenge between the two of us—to find out who could register the best fuel-efficiency result!
We used two Suzuki Ciaz units, both with automatic transmissions, and started topping up our fuel tanks at Caltex Binan Laguna (along the SLEX), choosing Caltex’s new Platinum Fuel which now contains Clean & Glide friction modifiers, and 50 percent more Techron than its regular variant.
Applying all our fuel- saving techniques such as maintaining manufacturer- recommended tire pressures, stepping feather- light on the accelerator, unloading all necessary weight, keeping all our windows closed (but with the a/c still on at the number 1 setting), and planning our route ahead, we arrived at Caltex Valenzuela along the NLEX with nothing short of amazing fuel consumption results!
Uly registered 19.8 km/L while I happily registered an even more fuelextending 27.93 km/L fuel rating!
At the end of the day, we had proven that with the right attitude, a fuel-efficient vehicle, proper driving techniques and by choosing the right kind of fuel, any person may maximize his fuel efficiency rating to figures you may originally not have expected! Let us thus all participate in responsible, eco-friendly driving, and make a conscious effort in making the best decisions in helping to maximize our personal fuel efficiency! We can certainly all make a difference.