We tested eco-driving: our advice for consuming less fuel and saving money

Behind the term "eco-driving" , we must read two meanings. "It is both ecological driving but at the same time very economical " , explains Frédérique, a trainer at the Parisian driving school of Faidherbe. Adopting eco-driving allows you to limit your CO2 emissions of course, but above all, on an individual scale, to save up to 20% of fuel, according to figures from the Ecological Transition Agency.

So to be sure, we returned to the driving school, with a challenge in mind (proposed by the French driving school of Faidherbe): to compare on the same route, our usual driving with driving guided by good ecological and/or economical actions.

At exactly ten o'clock on Thursday, February 20, we set off on a 6 km route in eastern Paris. The daily routine of an urban driver, we regularly stop at red lights, behind a cyclist, have to enter complex intersections, and make sure to respect the speed limits. "You're doing pretty well for someone who's not used to driving in the city. Come on, I'll give you your license," says Frédérique, our trainer for the day, kindly.

The dashboard of the Renault Clio we were driving does not, however, display a dazzling ecological score: "77/100" , with 8 liters of fuel consumed per 100 km. Our anticipation and gear changes are not satisfactory from an eco-driving point of view, indicates the dashboard.

"You see, your driving is not bad, but there is still room for improvement. Last week, I achieved an eco-driving score of 96 out of 100," illustrates Frédérique. But achieving such a score does not happen by itself, several essential reflexes must be put in place, even before taking to the road.

First, it is crucial to carefully plan your route in advance, "traffic jams necessarily mean more fuel consumption. As far as possible, you should avoid them," advises Frédérique. Checking that the tires are properly inflated is essential, as is the essential vehicle check-up (oil, coolant, brake fluid, cleaning of filters). A poorly maintained car can lead to up to 25% excess fuel consumption, indicates road safety.

The weight of the vehicle is also a determining factor. Remove any unnecessary load, including roof boxes when not in use. Overloading the vehicle results in excess fuel consumption of 10 to 15%, according to Road Safety.

The last step before getting back on the road is to put (if the car is equipped with it) the "eco mode". In concrete terms, this promotes more economical driving by adjusting the transmission parameters and limiting the engine power.

Advice adopted, we are ready to set off again, guided by Frédérique's "eco-driving advice". This time, the aim of the game is to let go of the accelerator as much as possible, to anticipate so as not to stop and to change gears as much as possible. This is the fundamental triptych of eco-driving.

To start, Frédérique advises us to accelerate "a good blow" , with the aim of changing gears fairly quickly. At 30 km/h, we had already gone into 3rd, at 40 into 4th and at 50 into 5th. Mechanically speaking, this is possible, even if going into 5th in town is difficult, as you have to change down quickly.

From an anticipation point of view, the task proved more difficult. "Ah, you see, there, you just wasted fuel," explains Frédérique as we accelerated just before stopping at the red light. "To avoid getting caught, I have a very simple method to give you," adds the trainer.

Just watch the neighboring lights: "if the pedestrian lights on the street at the intersection turn red, it means that your car light will also turn red ." Another tip, the cycle of the lights being very regular, "if yours has been green for about thirty seconds, it will very quickly turn red." Although this constant attention was not easy, the fact of letting go of the accelerator often encouraged, at the same time, a more zen driving.

"Eco-driving is a bit like a meditation session," we point out to Frédérique. "It's also what helps promote better road safety," replies the trainer. Because ultimately, eco-driving promotes increased vigilance on the road, reduced stress, increased safety distances, and better speed management. Which reduces the risk of accidents by 10 to 15%, says Bison futé .

After having covered about 7 km, a little more than the first trip, we are back at the Faidherbe driving school. A little disappointed, we did not beat Frédérique's eco-driving scores, despite an honourable statistic of 94 out of 100. But a source of satisfaction, the dashboard now congratulates us on our anticipation and the gear changes.

On the second route, we only used 6.4 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, or 12% fuel savings. A striking statistic: out of the seven kilometres covered the second time, six kilometres were covered without even pressing the accelerator, compared to only two kilometres the first time. And this, with an identical average speed on both routes. "This shows that eco-driving doesn't waste time" , concludes the ECF trainer from Faidherbe.