Saving fuel is not just about cutting costs — it’s also about reducing our environmental footprint and conserving resources. These simple fuel-saving tips can help you save thousands of euros over a car’s lifetime and contribute to a greener planet. Learn how to save fuel by getting the most out of every litre.

1. Maintain your vehicle to improve fuel economy.

It’s easy to view regular car maintenance as a financial burden and a time-consuming hassle, but it’s crucial for fuel economy and an investment in your vehicle’s longevity. Here’s what to focus on:

Tune the engine regularly

A well-tuned engine can use up to 4% less fuel. Follow your car’s maintenance schedule and address any issues promptly.

Use the correct oil

Use the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil and replace it regularly for optimal engine performance. A clean, correct type of oil reduces engine friction, prolongs the vehicle’s lifespan, and improves fuel efficiency by up to 2%.

Generally, getting an oil change every 10 to 15 thousand kilometres or every 6 – 12 months is recommended, but always refer to your owner’s manual for the most accurate information.

Check tyre pressure

Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance and prevent you from saving fuel while driving. Check your car’s tyre pressure monthly against the recommended levels in your vehicle’s manual.

Keeping tyres inflated to the recommended level can reduce fuel consumption by up to 3%!

Proper tyre pressure can also reduce wear, ensure optimal traction and lower the risk of a blow-out.

Change air filters

Contrary to popular belief, a dirty air filter doesn’t necessarily make your car use more fuel.

This is true for older cars with carburettors but not modern electronically controlled fuel-injection motors.

A clean air filter may still improve the car’s performance and protect the engine. Replace it as recommended.

Clean spark plugs

Cleaning your spark plugs can reduce emissions and fuel costs by making your engine run more efficiently.

Regular check-ups save fuel, extend your car’s lifespan, and prevent costly repairs.

2. Drive efficiently to conserve fuel

Practising fuel-efficient driving techniques helps you save money, stay safe and reduce your car’s environmental impact.

Using cruise control to maintain a steady speed or adapting to road conditions to avoid stop-and-go driving can significantly minimise unnecessary fuel consumption.

Practise smooth acceleration and braking

Avoiding rapid starts and stops is the most fuel-efficient way to drive. Gradual acceleration and gentle braking can improve fuel economy by up to 15%–30% on the highway and 10%–40% in the city.

Press the accelerator pedal gently and take 5 seconds to reach 20 km/h from a stop to conserve fuel while driving. Keep a comfortable distance between your car and the one in front.

Keep a steady average speed

Use cruise control on flat highways to maintain a constant speed. Avoiding speed fluctuations helps save fuel by an average of 7-14% and thus reduce your environmental impact.

Avoid idling

Turn off the engine if you expect to be stopped for more than a minute to prevent unnecessary emissions and reduce fuel usage by roughly 1-2% per 10 minutes.

In fact, studies suggest idling for more than 10 seconds consumes more fuel and produces more emissions than restarting the engine!

For example, if you idled for 5 minutes daily, you could waste up to 5.7 litres of fuel per month.

Stick to the speed limit

Many cars are most fuel-efficient when driving between 50 and 80 km/h, with fuel consumption increasing rapidly at higher speeds. So, staying within the speed limit and reducing your speed when possible can help you save on fuel and cut emissions.

For instance, each 8 km/h you drive over 97 km/h can spend 7% more fuel, and moving at 120km/h instead of 100km/h uses about 20% more fuel!

Be mindful of your driving

Record your car’s kilometres coveredand fuel purchases to track fuel consumption and adjust your driving habits accordingly. Challenge yourself to refill the tank as seldom as possible.

how to save fuel while driving

Maintaining a comfortable distance between your car and the one in front enhances safety and improves fuel efficiency.

3. Reduce load and drag to save fuel while driving

Extra weight and aerodynamic drag can make your car use more fuel. Do some ‘spring cleaning’ to reduce the load on those springs, and give your air conditioning a breather when possible.

Remove excess weight

Clear out unnecessary items from your car’s trunk and interior. Every extra 25 kg wastes about 1% more fuel, which can add up to several litres over a month.

Limit roof box use

Roof boxes, roof racks, and even small accessories increase wind resistance and make your car use more fuel. A basic roof box carrier increases fuel consumption by about 8% in the city and up to 25% at speeds over 100km/h.

A loaded cargo container adds weight to your car, further boosting fuel expenditure. Remove the roof box or roof bars when they’re not in use.

Close windows on highways

Open windows increase drag and make your car use extra fuel. Use air conditioning instead when driving at higher speeds. However, be mindful that using AC at full power can boost your fuel consumption by 5 – 25%.

how to save fuel while driving

A roof box can increase fuel consumption by 25% on the highway.

4. Plan and combine trips for fuel savings

Smart trip planning is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to save fuel and positively impact the environment while driving. This approach helps your wallet and cuts down on time spent on the road.

Consider carpooling or ride-hailing to reduce car-related expenses further and help alleviate traffic congestion and pollution.

Combine errands

Plan to combine errands into one trip. Multiple short trips from a cold start can use twice as much fuel than a longer multi-stop trip covering the same distance!

Avoid traffic

Use navigation apps to find the fastest routes and avoid congestion, as sitting in traffic wastes fuel. Additionally, monitoring the road ahead while driving helps you anticipate traffic and road conditions, allowing you to maintain a steady speed, use less fuel, and improve road safety.

Try carpooling or ride-hailing

Sharing rides with others reduces the number of vehicles on the road, decreasing congestion and related air and noise pollution. Alternatively, preferring ride-hailing to owning a personal car can save you hundreds of euros each month on fuel, parking fees, insurance, and other hidden costs.

Ride-hailing can help you save fuel

Ride-hailing saves money by eliminating car ownership costs, fuel, maintenance, and other fees, so you only pay for the rides you use.

5. Choose fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce fuel consumption

If you’re in the market for a new car, choose one that’s kind to your wallet and the planet by prioritising fuel economy. And with ever-rising petrol and diesel prices and growing environmental issues, consider going electric.

Consider a hybrid or electric vehicle

Electric vehicles offer significant fuel savings and reduced emissions. If you’re not ready to go fully electric, hybrid cars can be a great middle ground.

Gentle braking is especially useful for electric vehicles, as it allows the car to recapture energy through regenerative braking and convert it back into electricity.

Maintaining a full charge for plug-in hybrids allows your car to rely more on electricity and less on petrol, saving you money.

Remember to use all the relevant tips mentioned above, such as fuel-efficient driving techniques, regular maintenance, and limiting roof rack use to maximise your savings.

Prefer fuel-efficient models

Look for vehicles with low litres per 100-kilometre (L/100km) ratings. Smaller, lighter vehicles typically use less fuel.

Cars that use 6 litres or less of fuel per 100 kilometres are generally considered fuel-efficient.

Take advantage of technology

Modern cars often have fuel-saving technologies like start-stop systems. These features automatically turn off the engine when the vehicle is stationary and restart it when needed, making the car up to 5% more economical.

Some cars provide feedback on driving habits or fuel consumption. Studies show features like these help consume up to 10% less fuel.

Another common feature is ‘economy mode’, which adjusts engine performance and other systems to minimise fuel consumption.

Look for these when buying a car and master these tools.

How to calculate fuel consumption

If your car doesn’t display fuel consumption, you can calculate it yourself:

Fill up your car’s fuel tank completely;
Reset your car’s trip odometer or write down the current number on the odometer;
Drive normally until the tank is nearly empty;
Refuel your car completely again;
Note the amount of fuel (in litres) filled or check your car’s fuel tank size in the owner’s manual;
Check the distance travelled (in kilometres) from the trip odometer.

THE FORMULA:

L/100km = (Litres of fuel used / Distance travelled in kilometres) * 100

Consider an electric vehicle to save on fuel costs

Electric cars usually cost around 60% less to fuel than petrol-powered vehicles.

6. Use the right fuel to save fuel

Using the correct fuel for your vehicle to achieve the best fuel efficiency ensures optimal engine performance and health and maximises your driving range. Sticking to the recommended fuel type prevents unnecessary wear and tear, prolonging the vehicle’s lifespan.

Check for octane level

Use the octane level recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer. Higher octane fuel doesn’t necessarily improve performance or efficiency unless the engine is designed for it.

Try fuel additives

While some additives claim to provide fuel economy improvements, it’s best to stick with reputable products and follow your car manufacturer’s recommendations.

By incorporating the fuel-saving tips you learned here into your driving habits, you can save money and contribute to a healthier environment.

Small changes can lead to significant savings over time, making it worth the effort to drive economically and maintain your vehicle properly.

Fuel efficiency FAQs

How to save fuel while driving?

Practise fuel-efficient driving: maintain a steady speed, avoid rapid acceleration and braking and use cruise control on highways.

What techniques can I use to save fuel?

Combine errands into one trip to avoid multiple cold starts, which use extra fuel. Use navigation apps to find the fastest routes, avoid congestion and stop-and-go driving. Track your car’s fuel consumption and aim to reduce it. Use carpooling or ride-sharing.

How to reduce fuel usage in a car?

Use air conditioning sparingly, as it can increase fuel consumption by 5 – 25%. At lower speeds, open windows instead, but on highways, keep windows closed to reduce drag.

In manual cars, shift to a higher gear as soon as possible. In automatic cars, avoid overusing the sport mode or low gears.

How Bolt helps drivers save money on fuel

If you love driving and saving money, consider becoming a driver on the Bolt platform!

We’re dedicated to offering drivers the best earning opportunities by charging lower commissions than our competitors and providing various discounts and incentives, which you can see below.

Co-financing electric vehicles

Since electric cars typically cost about 60% less to fuel compared to petrol-powered cars and with our goal of becoming a carbon net-zero company, we’re partnering with fleets across Europe to co-finance new premium electric cars and offer our passengers more low-emission mobility options.

Improved route planning

We started working with TomTom, the globally renowned location technology company, to optimise our route planning for ride-hailing and delivery.

Faster routes, less time sitting in traffic and reduced waiting at pickups lead to lower fuel costs and more time for earning opportunities. Plus, with a more accurate service, customers are more likely to rely on it more often, boosting drivers’ income.

Discounts at Shell locations

We joined forces with Shell, the global energy and petrochemical company, to help ride-hailing drivers manage fuel and electric vehicle (EV) charging costs.

Shell is the world’s largest mobility retailer by number of sites, with more than 47,000 retail stations and 54,000 EV charging points globally.

Drivers on the Bolt platform can apply for Shell discount cards, which offer an average of 5% off fuel and 15-20% off EV charging.

Bolt Rewards discounts and perks

Bolt Rewards is a reward programme that helps drivers save money and increase earnings while making driving more enjoyable with special perks.

Drivers can earn points for finished rides and unlock tiers with increasing benefits, such as exclusive deals, dedicated support, and up to 15% discount on fuel and insurance!

Electric vehicle charging points and discounts

We worked with Eleport, the leading electric vehicle charging network developer in the Baltics and Poland, to install 800 charging points in the region and offer exclusive charging discounts to drivers and fleets operating electric vehicles.

The discount is automatically applied to the Eleport accounts of drivers operating in the Electric ride type, and drivers and fleets can access the offer via the Eleport charging card or app.

The discounts apply to all 800 Eleport chargers in Baltic countries and Poland. The company is actively exploring opportunities to enter new markets in Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, and Czechia.

Become a driver for the most flexible way to boost your income.

Fuel your savings, drive your earnings

The fuel-saving techniques you learned today can save you hundreds every month and thousands over a vehicle’s lifetime.

However, financial experts emphasise that you can only save up to 100% of your money, but you can increase your earnings infinitely.

Driving with Bolt is a flexible, risk-free way to boost your income. There are no minimum hours or hidden fees; you make your own schedule and only pay commission on finished rides.

Beyond the potential to earn around the clock with over 200 million global customers, you can maximise your income with the various discounts and incentives mentioned above.

So, if you haven’t already, sign up in 2 minutes to start making money in days.

How to save fuel: tips for more efficient driving

Earn money driving

Recent posts

Bolt and Stellantis to scale autonomous vehicles in Europe