Smart Driving Could Save $100 a Month at the Pump

U.S. OnStar data shows mileage of drivers in identical cars can vary by 75 percent
Oshawa, Ontario (May 18, 2012) - With this weekend being the official start to the summer long weekend season, Chevrolet is reminding consumers of some easy ways to maintain their vehicles and drive smarter to help improve fuel efficiency and save money at the pump.

To demonstrate 10 common mistakes drivers make that hurt their fuel efficiency, General Motors fuel economy engineers Ann Wenzlick and Beth Nunning drove identical Chevrolet Cruze LTs with a Natural Resources Canada rating of 7.8L/100km city and 5.2L/100km highway, on a typical workday commute. For the route, they drove both cars for 20 minutes, including city and highway driving as well as stopping for coffee.

The results show that sweating the small stuff could save drivers as much as $100 a month in fuel costs. Wenzlick averaged 6.4 L/100km (37 miles per US gallon) using efficient driving habits in a properly maintained Cruze. Driving inefficiently and ignoring common maintenance, Nunning managed only 11.2 L/100km (21 miles per US gallon). The difference means Nunning would get almost 400 fewer kilometres per tank of gas, while Wenzlick would save $100 a month - or $1,200 a year - assuming 20,000 kilometres and $1.29 per litre for gas:

 For more and the stats/figures, click HERE