The smarter driving challenge

Throughout July and August 2008 Ford and the Energy Saving Trust teamed up to present the Ford Focus ECOnetic Smart Driving Challenge at six locations around the UK.

In total 494 drivers took part in the challenge, receiving free smarter driving tuition from the Energy Saving Trust plus the chance to win thousands of pounds worth of Energy Saving Recommended electrical equipment.

Each participant drove a set circuit three times: once in their normal driving style to establish a baseline; once under instruction; and then again without instruction but employing the new efficient driving techniques. The competition was based solely on the miles per gallon (MPG) achieved during the final lap, not on the percentage improvement.

After tuition the participants in the Challenge achieved an average 33.4% increase in MPG. And this was after less than half an hour of instruction!

These results provide the clearest evidence to date of the dramatic difference that driving style has on fuel consumption and also of the effectiveness of short-duration smarter driving lessons.

For the average UK car and mileage, the increased MPG achieved after tuition would equate to annual savings of approximately £325 and 650kg carbon dioxide (CO ₂). Or to put it another way, if all car drivers achieved the same percentage savings, this would equate to a huge saving of 15.6 million tonnes CO ₂ per year!

Mr Balko's incredible result of 78.5mpg equates to just 95g CO ₂ per km and secured him £5,000 worth of Energy Saving Recommended equipment. The winner of each of the five regional events also won runner-up prizes of £1,000 worth of Energy Saving Recommended equipment.

So what are the smarter driving techniques?

The key smarter driving techniques are:

· Change up to a higher gear early - between 2,000 and 2,500 rpm.

· Anticipate as far ahead as possible to avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.

· Step off the accelerator (but remain in gear) as early as possible when slowing down or driving downhill. Under these conditions a modern engine uses no fuel.

· Avoid excessive speed: at 85 miles per hour (mph) a car uses approximately 25% more fuel than at 70mph.

Click here to view other smarter driving tips