How to combat rising fuel prices.
7 March, 2024
At the beginning of March South Africans were forced to absorb yet another fuel price hike with both grades of petrol increasing by 121 cents per litre and diesel by between 105 and 118 cents depending on the sulphur content, pushing prices to near record highs once again. Kia offers a range of vehicles that combine performance and frugality, meaning that they are inherently light on fuel, but factors such as how a vehicle is taken care of and driven can have a massive influence on its fuel consumption. The following tips will help you get the most out of each tank.
Tone down your driving : The way you drive a vehicle has a massive effect on its fuel consumption. Factors such as speeding or accelerating aggressively will increase consumption. Simple strategies such as sticking to the speed limit or below and accelerating gradually through the gears in both an automatic or a manual vehicle, will significantly contribute to fuel savings. Adopting a driving style where you try predict what other road users are going to do is a valuable skill that is not only safe but will also assist in saving fuel as it will prevent you from having to brake and accelerate unnecessarily.
Avoid rush hour and loadshedding If possible, plan your travelling to avoid congestion caused by rush hour or other factors such as loadshedding. Even though the distance might be the same, the longer a journey takes in terms of time, the more fuel your vehicle will use. Smartphone apps
like Google Maps or Waze can be projected onto the car’s infotainment via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and are a great tool for determining the fastest route between two or multiple points
Check tyre pressures : Two bar all round is no longer good enough. Incorrectly inflated tyres will have a massive effect on your vehicles fuel consumption. Tyres can lose pressure over time and lower than recommended tyre pressures will result in increased rolling resistance, which will negatively affect fuel consumption. Be sure to check your vehicles tyre pressures regularly. It is important to do so when the tyres are cold and to inflate the tyres to the manufacturers recommended pressure for the load you are carrying.
Remove unnecessary accessories Accessories such as bicycle racks, roof bars, rooftop tents and associated accessories will adversely affect your vehicles aerodynamic properties resulting in increased fuel consumption. If possible, remove these items when not in use, because while they might look cool, you are paying extra for every kilometre you drive with these items strapped to the exterior of your vehicle. Carrying additional weight in your vehicle will also push up the consumption, by as much as 1% per 25kg, so leave unnecessary items such as camping equipment and fridges at home when not in use.
Service your vehicle Ensuring that your vehicle is serviced in line with manufacturer recommend guidelines will have an impact on its ability to perform fuel efficiently. Factors such as a dirty filter or worn bearings could negatively affect fuel consumption. Service technicians will thoroughly inspect a vehicle when it is booked in for a service and check for any items that need attention and which could make your vehicle heavier on fuel than it should be. All new Kia vehicles are sold with a service plan, so owners have no excuse not to have their vehicles properly maintained.
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