How To Save Fuel Driving On The Motorway

The blog this week is about how you can save fuel whilst driving your Volvo or Toyota on the motorway. Everyone is trying to save money at the moment, interest rates are rising, fuel bills are rising, food costs are soaring, insurance costs are rising etc so when it comes to owning a car, we need all the help we can get to keep costs down. Read on to find out more:

Cut your Speed

The faster your speed, the more fuel you are burning. If you drive at 55 miles per hour, you will save considerably more fuel than if you are driving at 65 miles per hour or above. Although most car manufacturers tend to suggest that the optimum speed for fuel efficiency is between 50 and 60 miles per hour, in actual fact, it is often below 40 miles per hour. However, please don’t drive on the motorway at such low speeds - unless of course the weather permits it! Using your cruise control (if you have one) on the motorway can help to maintain a steady speed. This can also aid smooth driving, as you are less likely to need to apply pressure to the brakes to slow down if your speed increases too much. The main advantage though is the fact that it will maintain a steady speed without using too much fuel.

Drive Smoothly

Driving your Volvo or Toyota smoothly is an advisable way of driving, this is especially true if you are looking to save fuel. Smooth acceleration and braking saves wear and tear on your brakes, and changing gear as and when you need to, rather than continuing at a lower gear than you actually need to because you think that it will save fuel is the correct way to drive.

Check Tyre Pressures

Keeping a close eye on your car's tyre pressures whenever you fill up with fuel is a good idea - if you can’t manage to do this weekly at least do it monthly. If your tyres are just 2 psi below their correct pressure, your fuel consumption can increase by 1%. Although you might think that this won't necessarily make a huge difference to your yearly fuel costs, it will all soon start to add up when you are clocking up the miles on a motorway. Not to mention the added costs of having to replace your tyres much earlier than normal because of uneven wear and tear. If you are unsure as to what your correct tyre pressures should be consult your owner’s manual or pop into your local independent garage for advice. 

Remove Roof Rack & Clear Your Boot

Take the roof rack off your car when you don't need to use it. This will help to reduce drag, which affects fuel consumption on motorways in particular. Also remove excess items from the boot of your car - no point in driving around with a heavier car if it’s not required. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!

Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire