Cruise control - the 'secret' to help Vietnamese drivers save gas

Using cruise control properly can help drivers save a significant amount of fuel wasted on acceleration.

Cruise Control technology was created to help drivers drive more leisurely on the highway at a steady speed, without having to keep their foot on the gas to adjust. The idea that cruise control is only used on the highway can make drivers miss out on a major benefit of this system, which is fuel economy.

The basic working principle of cruise control is that the car will automatically accelerate even when the driver does not press the accelerator. When activating this function, the driver only needs to focus on steering and keep his foot on the brake pedal. When encountering an obstacle, the driver presses the brake and the car automatically disables cruise control, returning to normal driving state.

(Cruise Control on Honda Civic)

To maintain a constant speed, the car will pump fuel into the combustion chamber, helping the engine reach the appropriate rpm, then stop pumping fuel. If the speed is slower than the number set by the driver, the car will pump fuel again. Simply put, the way to maintain speed with cruise control is to pump-release-pump-release.

Making good use of this technology can even save fuel at low speeds. In the Fuel Challenge with the Honda Civic 1.5 Turbo CVT automatic transmission, the lowest result was 4.07 liters/100 km of mixed road, while the manufacturer's announced figure was 5.8 liters/100 km. Small engines with turbochargers are the trend of car manufacturers to meet emission and fuel consumption standards while still providing enough power.

The driver of the car with the lowest consumption said that he uses cruise control at all times because the car will activate this technology at a minimum speed of 42 km/h. Even when driving in the city if the road is clear, he can use cruise control.

Another advantage of cruise control combined with CVT gearbox is that when stable on flat roads, the engine speed is always maintained low. For example, when driving steadily in the city, set at 42 km/h, the engine speed is about 1,200-1,300 rpm. On the highway, push up to 60 km/h, when stable, the engine speed does not exceed 1,300 rpm. The driver can regulate the speed to avoid slowing down the journey but still not worry about wasting more gas.

There were times when the Civic's fuel consumption dropped to 3.9 liters/100 km.

In addition to the help of cruise control, drivers also need to know some other driving skills to limit fuel consumption. The most important thing to note is not to accelerate or brake suddenly. To limit braking, drivers need to read traffic situations well, release the accelerator as soon as they see the possibility of slowing down ahead, so that the car rolls to its destination without braking.

In addition, when going downhill, you should not brake. If the road is clear, you can use a little gas to take advantage of the downhill momentum to overcome the next uphill. In particular, you should not return to N to save fuel according to the old concept. Because if you leave the gear lever in D, the foot is not on the gas, the car will automatically turn off the fuel pump; but if you return to N, the engine will still pump fuel to maintain the engine speed, leading to more fuel consumption.

The company's driving expert said that drivers can use cruise control, limit braking, and avoid accelerating... to save gas, but the most important thing is safety, so they should not lose control of the steering wheel.

According to VNE