Improving Fuel Efficiency

[chattius 2,526]

My brother considers buying a Renault Twizy. It is a low weight electrical citx car, prized at around 7000 euro. You can order it from now on and delivery of the car for europe starts around may.

 

May be useful for a drive to work, but too short legged for me. Countryside and daily distances of around 200 kilometres to do. Renault removed the main problem of electricl cars, high battery costs, by reducing range and only leasing and not selling the battery. So a montly rent of 45 euro for the batters has to be added. My brother say with the reduced money he gets for the power from his solar roof, he could use the power to charge batteries. Snd saves a lot on fuel.

 

 

[chattius 2,526]

Nearly 3 years back that I got my company car. With the 4+month waiting for a new one and the 3years the company could right down it in taxes it is more or less time to consider a new one. So what happened in the last 3 years in car technology: more hybrids, more pure electro, ... More tax punishment for fuel eaters, ...

I won't buy a pure electro because of the long highspeed trips I have to do often. The car was and is planed to replace flying. So I need an average speed of 180km/h. To reach this I need 250km/h where it is possible. A 200km range of an electro car is cut down to 60km in winter. Less battery power, more electricity needed: lights, heating, ... So even an unaffordable Tesla is not a winter-car. It's 500km range at crusing speed is just 150km in a strong winter.

I want a headup display, curve lights, NightVision (infrared camera scanning the street before and directs a light beam towards animals or walkers in advance), 4wheel drive and some other things again in the next car.

The brand of the car is more or less dictated by the company. They use to spread the cars on different companies. They want it modern because selling hightech themself and all savety stuff which is on the extra list put in. It should be fuel efficient (thats why I put it in this thread) not mainly for cost reasons (the car price nearly ruins any calculations in saving fuel) but more to have a joker card in discussions with environment politicians, ...

So I write down my list for the car I need:

long range comfort, I am 192cm with very long arms

fast and good range without refueling, because it is planed to avoid flying

able to pull a 2 ton trailer

all wheel driven and no front spoilers because of country roads

...

[Timotheus 416]

Interesting topic here loco I too have been watching my milage (have to, because I own a petrol car and drive distances that would make a diesel far cheaper to run) and the weight of your foot definitely is the biggest gas-saver of all.

 

Just for thoughts: in the first few months I owned my car it used to run about 7.4l/100km My previous top-up of about 30 liters (roughly a full tank) showed I got it down to 6.4l/100km by controlling my right foot.

 

And that's proven difficult to me. I'm not much of a slow driver going to work, max speed is 120km/h and I used to drive at least 130km/h....

Edited February 3, 2014 by Timotheus

[gogoblender 3,070]

Guys if anything has made me love IPhones it's the fuel app... I mean, WOW... my uncle was telling me about this, and he loves it. He sets it for a range around his house, and everytime he goes out to buy gas, he pulses it, and it comes back with all gas prices in his selected range.

Splendid!

 

Added it for my mom for her set up in states, she's loves getting gas deals, and now follows the app religiously

They both use the free one

 

gogo

[Delta! 987]

Guys if anything has made me love IPhones it's the fuel app... I mean, WOW... my uncle was telling me about this, and he loves it. He sets it for a range around his house, and everytime he goes out to buy gas, he pulses it, and it comes back with all gas prices in his selected range.

Splendid!

 

Added it for my mom for her set up in states, she's loves getting gas deals, and now follows the app religiously

They both use the free one

 

gogo

which one gogo? I'm looking for one now, but there are too many

 

Delta!

[chattius 2,526]

These fuel apps, some countries already have or have laws in making that fuel stations are allowed to change their prices only once a day and that the prices have to be reported to a federal institute. Here it is in making and once done the price lists will be public.

But what will you do on countryside in a thin net of fuel stattions. Driving 20 kilometres to save 2cent/litre? If your fuel tank is 70litre and empty you would save 1.40 Euro but would burn 1 litre fuel if your car just needs 5 litre/100km. The current fuel price is higher than these 1.40 Euro.

Add that you need time, you rub away rubber from tyres, the engines ages by 20km, ...

 

So I have a breakeven point of 5 cent difference to consider driving to another fuel station. I prefer my local fuel station even if it is 1-2 cents more expensive. It is in village, I pass it every day without any extra way, I know the person and the people who buy there and it often are some nice talks.

[gogoblender 3,070]

Gas Buddy!

I remember doing a lot of research...there's one that's very highly rated, has a lot of bells and whistles, but gas buddy is free, and has 95 percent of what the other paid for apps offer.

Chatius, good that you can get the good convos if there aren't enuff to make this app worthwhile in the country

Any home made pie tasting thrown in too?

gogo