Fuel economy

The first clue came with the sun visor. Why does the driver’s side visor have a make-up mirror, I wondered? I was starting to suspect my new car wasn’t particularly macho.

Then there was the name. A Toyota Starlet? Hmm. And speaking of hmmms, the sewing-machine whine the engine gave as I drove up even gentle hills was another pointer.

No. I don’t think I’m the target demographic for this particular make and model. But that’s alright – I didn’t buy my car for its macho cred. I bought it because it would be cheap for city driving. In fact, in some of the more specialised corners of the internet you can find communities of drivers with Starlets who have become obsessed with fuel economy. They tear out seats to reduce weight and tinker with engines, all for the kudos of getting the most miles to the gallon.

I know because in my own little fit of obsession I started researching ways to save petrol money. Exactly how long could I go on a single tank, I pondered? Quite a while, I discovered – though that was largely because I cheated. The best way to save petrol money, I found, is simply to borrow your wife’s car. That only works for so long, though, and I soon needed some more realistic tricks.

Luckily, I had just commissioned an article on the subject for the magazine – 20 ways to save on petrol, which is in this issue – and I was able to put some of its advice to use. For starters I hung my raincoat by the door, set my alarm half an hour earlier, and started walking to work a few times a week. At first this was a drag. Then it became okay. And soon it had become my morning treat, and I resented those days I slept in and had to drive to get to work on time. I had simply got out of the habit of using my wheels.

Still, you can’t avoid cars entirely, so to make my ride more efficient I also cut its weight by removing a bag of tools from the back plus some heavy speakers that had never worked anyway. Next I pumped up the tyres, and made a conscious effort to drive less like the Blondini gang in Goodbye Pork Pie and more like the proverbial One Careful Lady Owner.

The result was fairly startling. It took nine weeks before the glaring eye of the empty light convinced me to finally fill the tank, with the bill a relatively measly $67. Wowsers! The EECA told Green Ideas that the average Kiwi spends around $2700 each year on petrol, while my annual spend at that rate would be less than $400.

That’s an incredible saving of around $2300 per year – and something I’ll have to drop a few hints about to my wife. Bless her, she’s a wonderful woman – but you wouldn’t believe what she spends on petrol.

Greg Roughan
Editor, Green Ideas magazine

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