New air-con system saves fuel

A new design of in-car air conditioning claims to deliver fuel savings of nine per cent.

The Enhanced Air Conditioning (EAC) system is designed to maximise the efficiency of hybrid vehicles by minimising the time that the petrol or diesel engine has to run solely to drive the air conditioning.

According to the Ricardo Company, the engineering firm responsible for the EAC system, the project is evidence of a new generation technologies which could cause less damage to the environment.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Air conditioning can dramatically increase fuel consumption; it is one of a number of options that not only add weight to the car but require lots of energy to run.”

Green driving techniques to save money

A few simple techniques can encourage safer, more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly motoring.

Eco driving	… at a glance
Take it smooth	Avoiding harsh acceleration and braking saves fuel and reduces wear and tear – it leaves you feeling more relaxed, too
Anticipate	By looking as far as possible up the road it’s possible to reduce stop/start driving, thereby reducing fuel consumption and making you a safer driver into the bargain
Shed weight	Remove unnecessary clutter from your car and you will use less fuel
Improve your aerodynamics	If you don’t regularly use your roof rack or top box, remove it as it’s reducing the efficiency of your car