REAL WORLD DRIVING TIPS TO SAVE GAS

FUEL economy runs serve the purpose of putting some science into saving gas. These include drafting behind buses or trucks, driving with no aircon, coasting the vehicle in neutral and so on.

But those antics are for fuel economy extremists.  

Any car can be fuel efficient if you keep it tuned and toned. Cars run their best and consume less fuel when they are well maintained. Do the simplest maintenance—such as regular oil changes, air-filter changes, and spark plug replacements—will lengthen the life of your vehicle as well as improve fuel economy and minimize emissions. Just follow the schedule in your owner’s manual. Here are the oft-repeated basics with some twists.

Watch your weight. Don’t carry around items you don’t need, and don’t carry unnecessary passengers just because.  If you travel to the grocery with the wife and kids, may be good for family bonding. But here is the engineering measure. For every 100 pounds of additional weight in your vehicle, fuel economy decreases by one to two percent. All the kids and the wife might total 200 pounds or 4 percent additional fuel consumption. So leave yourself at home and let the wife do the groceries. After all, if you do it yourself, you are likely to end up buying the wrong brand of shampoo.

Racks should roll. Roof racks have become such fashionable items. Even the most aerodynamic ones create drag empty and increases it several times if it is luggage or boxes even if covered with tarpaulin. A roof box may help reduce drag, but it is better to keep bulky items inside the vehicle or trunk instead. Bikes, skis, surfboards add to drag but since there is not way to transport it, a good idea according to engineers is to manage it by knowing wind conditions. This is not rocket science, just stick out your finger and do not go against the wind.

If you really want a roof rack find one that has a quick release mechanism.

(Note to off roaders, yes it does look really cool for your rig to have a massive roof rack but to use it to carry your kid's school bags?)

Drive moderately. Related to knowing exactly when to drive (time of day really matters, if permitted) it also pays to drive calmly and moderately. The green light does not mean launching from the street like a drag racer. Jack-rabbit starts increase both fuel use and emissions, high-speed driving does the same and adds the element of crash danger. Doing 80 kph on the highway instead of 100 can cut your fuel use up to 20 percent. Driving moderately includes making more gradual stops.

By the way, in an article that appeared in Malaya Business Insight, tense driving is a major cause of road rage. There might be a link between road rage and the devil, but there is no scientific proof of this. 

Idling is the devil’s workshop. The devil here is fuel usage. Idling uses a lot of fuel. Start-up may burn a little more fuel to get the engine moving, but idling can use in excess of 2 to 4 percent more fuel per additional minute. This is the logic behind start-stop engines like Mazda’s Skyactive. The “stop-start” technology automatically shuts off the engine and restarts it when you take your foot off the brake pedal.  It can save up to 5 percent fuel consumption, but is hell on the battery. Once found once only found on electric vehicles (to save battery) this features pioneered by Mazda on regular cars has found favor to the fuel conscious. 

By the way there is not scientific proof the devil indeed has a workshop. But it is known that fuel pipe emissions contribute to climate change. Every vehicle adds about 6 tons to greenhouse gases.

But that is nothing compared to the 11 tons of methane that comes from cow fart. And there are more cows than cars, mind you.

Watch your fuel economy. Most vehicles now have an econometer. With it you can consciously change your driving pattern or plan a route that can save more fuel. Conversely you can challenge yourself to continually drop in your vehicle's fuel usage. The visual expression in most econometers—a bar graph—shows how you have driven along a certain route. The next time you take that route cut down the fuel calories. 

Keep track of your fuel economy. Different from the advice above by noting the odometer reading and the number of liters purchased each time you fill up you can come up with a target figure to meet. With prices of fuel continually fluctuating it is a good idea to make a mental note of how much gas is used. To calculate your gas mileage, divide the number of kilometers traveled between fill-ups by the liters filled up. There are apps to log such information in to make it easier to keep track of your fuel economy in real-time, so you can see how your driving habits are impacting your fuel efficiency.

Park in the shade. There are many covered parking lots now that may cost say P20 for the first 3 hours. Parking in the shade minimizes evaporation of fuel. That is a good P20 to both keep your vehicle cooler and save up some fuel evaporation (which technically is recovered through the charcoal filters in gas tanks) but may still affect tank content if done long enough. Newly manufactured cars in the service lots of the car makers loose about 1 liter of fuel to evaporation every month when constantly under the sun in summer.

Check your tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated and aligned saves fuel by reducing the amount of drag and road rolling resistance. Consider low rolling resistance tires when replacing tires. These can improve overall fuel economy by one to two percent for most passenger vehicles. 

Kicking the tires does not equate to checking it. Only a proper tire gauge can tell you the condition of your tires.

Drive less. Use Waze to plan your trips. Plan your errands so you get the laundry, the groceries and deliver the books to your son’s dormitory in one go. Encourage carpooling. Leave the car home. Instead walk, bike, or take the bus (the LRT is still a deadly option at the moment). And do not buy a second car. It prevents you from driving when you are stuck with vehicle coding.

by Raymond G.B. Tribdino and Gregory Bautista

(A truncated version was published as part of Malaya Business Insight's  Motoring Supplement.)

Environmental sustainability and waste reduction have been among Shell’s advocacies in creating a cleaner and greener future. Shell strives to help reduce and reuse waste while empowering customers and communities to contribute to social causes through its thousands of retail stations worldwide.

The Philippines is the third largest contributor of ocean plastic in the world. Knowing this, Shell has been working closely with global organization The Plastic Bank to address the problem and change this alarming fact. To date, two local projects have been launched under the partnership: The Shell Select Eco Tumblers and the all-new Shell Saltwater Supercars.

Each purchase of the Shell Saltwater Supercars allows customers to join the movement, with Php 2.00 out of each transaction being donated to The Plastic Bank in the Philippines. The proceeds will enable The Plastic Bank PH to empower communities at the bottom of the plastic recycling pyramid transition from subsistence to enterprise, from the margins to the center, and from the grassroots to the platforms.

Gearing towards the use of more sustainable materials, the racetracks that can be bought along with the Shell Saltwater Supercars are made from Bagasse which contains no additives or chemicals. Bagasse is a 100% biodegradable organic material that remains after sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract its juice.

About The Plastic Bank

The Plastic Bank was founded in 2013 in Vancouver, Canada. With a mission to minimize ocean plastic and improve lives at the same time, the organization hopes to help alleviate poverty by turning waste into currency.

Founders David Katz and Shaun Frankson are globally renowned for incentivizing local waste collection by allowing collectors to trade gathered ocean-bound plastic for money, items, or services. This allows them to turn the tide on waste by supporting collectors and helping improve their lives.

“Plastic Bank aims to provide large-scale sustainable premiums in every recycling community around the world,” said Lindsay Christianson, Plastic Bank Business Development Coordinator. “This is how we stop ocean plastic.”

Once traded in, the plastic collected is taken to recycling centers and sold at a premium to corporate clients for manufacturing. The purchase and use of recycled plastic help contribute to The Plastic Bank’s programs which include educating waste recyclers on proper hygiene and handling of plastic.

Earlier this year, Shell also allowed their customers to pursue a greener and more sustainable lifestyle through the Shell Select Eco Tumblers. Crafted from recycled plastics, the Eco Tumbler helps in keeping as much as two kilograms of plastic waste from ending up in the ocean.

Plastic Bank founder David Katz believes that all of us can be the solution to the problem and not the contributor. The Shell Saltwater Supercars will not only delight customers of all ages but also support proper plastic waste management for a better tomorrow.

Join the race against poverty and pollution. Visit Shell today and collect the Shell Saltwater Supercars available in four sleek models: Shadow (Black), Lightning (White), Fireball (Red), and Sunchaser (Yellow) until December 31, 2018.

Munich. BMW works driver Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) returns to the cockpit of a race car: at the DTM races at Misano, Italy (25th/26th August), the 51-year-old will make a guest appearance in a BMW M4 DTM. The DTM umbrella organisation, the ITR, as well as the two other manufacturers involved in the DTM, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, have given the green-light for this guest start. The BMW M Motorsport engineers, who have worked with Zanardi in the past, are currently collaborating with him on the development of a system to modify the BMW M4 DTM to suit his needs. The DTM race appearance at Misano is another step on the way to Daytona (USA), where the Italian will contest the legendary 24-hour race in January 2019.

Zanardi’s preparation for his guest start gets underway this weekend (1st to 3rd June), when he will accompany the BMW DTM teams and drivers at the Hungaroring near Budapest (HUN), to familiarise himself with the details of procedures, structures and processes in the DTM. A roll-out and test drives are additional steps planned for the coming weeks. Dates and locations will be announced at a later date. In addition, with regard to the technical feasibility, BMW Motorsport is working closely with the DMSB, who supports the project.

“I am incredibly excited about racing the BMW M4 DTM at Misano because I always dreamt of adding the DTM experience into my ‘book of best moments’ in my motorsport career. DTM has for many years been one of the motorsport disciplines that are the pinnacles of racing regarding technology, the speed of the car and the level of the competition, which these days is higher than ever. The skills of the drivers competing in DTM and the preparation of the teams are, in my view, as good as in Formula One. They are top of the game and you can’t get any better than that. And on the other hand that is what concerns me and will make me to approach this challenge with a lot of respect, knowing that it will be one of toughest things I have ever done in my racing career. I am really grateful that BMW offered to start this project and to all the engineers in Munich who are already preparing the car. I will do my very best to represent them in such a competitive field," Zanardi said.

The BMW works driver and brand ambassador has already visited numerous DTM events and has also been behind the wheel of a BMW DTM race car many times. In recognition of winning two gold medals at the Paralympic Games in London (GBR), Zanardi completed a sensational test in a modified BMW M3 DTM at the Nürburgring (GER) in 2012. 

“Alex Zanardi as a guest starter in Misano – that will be a real sensation in an already spectacular DTM season. The fans can look forward to a fantastic race weekend in Misano: the DTM’s first guest appearance at this track, the first ever night race in the DTM and Alex Zanardi, who as the ‘local hero’ will play his part in making this event a special experience for everyone. Our thanks go to the ITR and our colleagues from Audi and Mercedes-Benz for giving the green-light for this guest start. Our engineers are currently using all their expertise and ideas to work on modifying the BMW M4 DTM to suit Alex’s requirements. We are looking forward to having Alex in our BMW DTM family," Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director said.

At the 2015 DTM season finale at Hockenheim (GER), he was at the wheel of the BMW M4 DTM race taxi. However, starting a DTM race is a first for Zanardi.

Zanardi has enjoyed success in BMW racing cars for many years. In 2003, just two years after his accident in the CART race at the Lausitzring (GER) in which he lost both legs, he contested the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) season finale at Monza (ITA) in a BMW 320i adapted to his needs to the delight of fans. 2004 saw Zanardi contest the entire ETCC season, and between 2005 and 2009, he competed in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (FIA WTCC) with BMW Team Italy-Spain – ROAL Motorsport. On 28th August 2005, Zanardi caused a sensation in Oschersleben (GER) when he became the first physically impaired driver to win a world championship race. He celebrated a total of four wins in the FIA WTCC. 

Since 2010, Zanardi has focussed on his second passion, para-cycling. He began a successful career in this discipline, in which he has won a total of four Paralympic gold medals and ten world championship titles to date.

2014 saw Zanardi return to the race cockpit and contest the entire season of the Blancpain GT Sprint Series in a modified BMW Z4 GT3. The next highlight came in 2015 when, with Timo Glock (GER) and Bruno Spengler (CAN), he participated in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) in a BMW Z4 GT3. The trio battled for a top five position down to the wire, but a technical defect forced them to retire in the final hour of racing. Zanardi’s last official race outing was on 16th October 2016 as a guest starter at the season finale of the Italian GT Championship at Mugello (ITA), where he made his debut in the BMW M6 GT3 – and celebrated a sensational win in the Sunday race.

“We are delighted to welcome such a well-known guest starter to the DTM for our debut at Misano. Alex Zanardi is very popular, not only in his home country of Italy. His extraordinarily impressive performances as an athlete, as well as his unwavering optimism and his humanity go way beyond sport and have already inspired an audience of millions around the world. Alex doesn't approach any task half-heartedly – quite the opposite is true. So, we know he will be preparing for his DTM guest appearance extremely professionally and full of ambition, so as to deliver a top performance in front of his home crowd. Welcome to the DTM dear Alex!," Gerhard Berger, ITR Chairman expressed.