DriveGain has analysed the 10,000 journeys uploaded to the DriveGain web portal over the last 9 months.
“We found that limiting your maximum speed to 60 MPH reduces your fuel consumption by
10%,” said Simon East, ceo of DriveGain, “but that this only adds 2 minutes to the average journey time”.
“We find drivers tend to over-estimate how much quicker they will arrive when driving faster”, he added. “Unless the roads are totally clear, other traffic on your route will tend to slow you down considerably. Drivers are wasting a lot of fuel for very little difference in their arrival time”.
When driving at higher speeds drivers tend to accelerate until they catch up with traffic ahead, at which point they brake to slow down, and this constant acceleration and braking
cycle uses much more fuel than travelling at a constant speed.
Even reducing the maximum journey speed to 70 MPH has real benefits: fuel consumption is reduced by 6% but journeys only take a minute longer on average.
The DriveGain application uses the iPhone’s GPS to calculate how efficiently the vehicle is being driven. Combining information about the rates of acceleration, driving smoothness, and overall speed with the exact specifications of your car, DriveGain gives the driver feedback on how they can reduce the amount of fuel they are using.
Login to comment
Comments
No comments have been made yet.