Most economical way to drive a car?

[ANGELFIRE1]

now this is something that has always puzzled me, i cant quite work it out, the engine is running and generating electric, so it is producing electric anyway

 

Driving the alternator to charge your battery when your heater is on and other electrical items makes your engine work a little harder. I believe having the aircon on also makes the engine work a bit harder.

 

Angel1.

[DT Ralge]

Driving the alternator to charge your battery when your heater is on and other electrical items makes your engine work a little harder. I believe having the aircon on also makes the engine work a bit harder.

 

Angel1.

 

That's true. I once hired a car on Crete (Fiat Punto) and was advised that if we were thinking of driving into the hills (4 adults aboard), on some of the hills/bends we'd need first gear with aircon on or second gear with aircon off.

This turned out to be very true, much to my surprise.

[Puggie]

That's true. I once hired a car on Crete (Fiat Punto) and was advised that if we were thinking of driving into the hills (4 adults aboard), on some of the hills/bends we'd need first gear with aircon on or second gear with aircon off.

This turned out to be very true, much to my surprise.

 

Same is true in the world of aviation. Having the air conditioning ON zaps energy away from the turbine engines so the AC systems are turned OFF prior to take off, and then re-engaged after take off is complete.

[Jim Hardie]

How is it attained "quicker than normal", my cruise accelerates back up to speed more slowly than me putting my foot down myself.

 

I'm surprised to hear that. I've only ever had two cars with cruise control and both have accelerated rapidly back up to the set speed. I took that to be the norm.

[Cyclone]

My current car won't change out of gear to get back up to speed on cruise, if I drop the hammer it will drop 3 gears and basically go mental.

[L00b]

Yes and no. When you have to apply the brakes, the cruise control is paused. When you switch it back on again the selected cruise speed is attained much quicker than normal and a glance at the mpg at this point can be a bit scary.

Not with the cruise control in any of the cars I've ever driven. Here or on the Continent or in the US, and regardless of whether it's an auto or a manual-with-cruise.

 

Resuming the set speed has always been done with what I would call "conventional" (steady, normal, not hard) acceleration, mostly slower than if I was doing it myself. The biggest difference I've found is if the car has a turbo or supercharger (which seems perfectly logical).

 

Your mpg may peak if your car resumes the set speed, from "too low" a speed for the gear ratio it's in at the time (e.g. from 40 mph back to 60 mph in 5th, when it'd be far more fuel efficient to downshift a gear or two and accelerate steadily through the gears - whether your car will do that or not 'on its own' (when you resume the cc-set speed) depends on the gearbox type (auto or manual-with-cruise), gear presets, electronics, etc: throughout the above, of course your mileage may vary according to the degree of sophistication of your car ('s engine, gears, cruise control <etc.>).

 

Doesn't change the point of my earlier post however: making liberal use of the cruise control is the most economical way to power a car (the most economical way to 'drive' a car will include extras, mostly driving style, awareness and 'planning', all intended to minimise instances of braking).

Edited July 20, 2017 by L00b