While you can’t control the cost of fuel, you can control the way you drive to make filling up the tank easier on your pocket. Luckily, cars come packed with technologies that can make your drive easier and more efficient, especially during the upcoming festive season.
In a recent survey of Malaysian drivers commissioned by Ford Motor Company, 55 percent of respondents said that they spent more time in gridlocks compared to a year ago. The volume of traffic on the road during the upcoming holiday season is expected to be high along major highways including the North-South Expressway, meaning travellers could experience delays.
If you’re planning to drive back to your hometown or favourite holiday destination, here are a few easy tips which will allow you to go easy on your wallet while on the road.
Plan Your Travel in Advance
Sitting idle in traffic consumes fuel, so planning travel time effectively is important. One way to do this is to refer to the seasonal travel time advisory, which is normally issued a few weeks before the start of the holidays, and can help to avoid congestion. You will be able to know which routes to avoid by getting live traffic updates via social media or apps like Waze.
Go Easy on the Accelerator
No doubt people make it a priority to reach their destinations as quickly as possible, but speeding not only wastes fuel, but endangers the lives of your passengers and others on the road. Monitor the speed you are travelling at and remember that the main goal is to reach your destination safely.
Make Your Stops at the Most Convenient Rest Areas
Fortunately, the rest areas and petrol stations along many major highways in Malaysia offer facilities such as cafes, ATMs, washrooms and prayer rooms. Instead of dropping by different places for different purposes, simply choose one that offers the most convenience for you and your family. There are 24 rest and service areas along the PLUS Expressways.
Now that you know some of the important fuel-saving tips that will allow you to get the most out of your journey, here are four technologies in Ford vehicles that can also help you on your trip.
#1: Adaptive Cruise Control
You might think that cruise control was introduced to appease our lazier side, but this smart feature can actually help to save fuel in two ways. When driving on highways, it keeps you from needlessly driving at faster and less-efficient speeds. It also helps you maintain a constant speed, which means you don’t waste fuel by unnecessarily braking and accelerating.
Ford’s Adaptive Cruise Control takes these advantages a step further. When engaged, a radar sensor detects the speed of other vehicles ahead and automatically adjusts your speed to cruise at a safe distance. This means you won’t be caught off-guard and forced to aggressively brake and then accelerate again – a major cause of wasted fuel on the highways.
#2: Active Park Assist
How many hours of your life have you spent searching for perfect parking spots? It’s probably not something you want to think about too much – but we have all wasted time and fuel looking for an easy and convenient spot. Fortunately, Ford’s Active Park Assist can help to avoid aimless driving around and burning through your fuel tank.
The convenient driver’s aid can assess if a parking spot is the right size; if it’s a fit, Active Park Assist steers your vehicle into the spot while you control only the accelerator and brakes. It takes all the guesswork out of parking – you’ll never have to second-guess a small parking space again.
#3: MyKey
Have you ever loaned your car to a friend or family member, only for them to return it with an empty tank? While Ford’s MyKey won’t improve your friends’ manners, it may at least encourage them to drive more efficiently. A pre-programed key allows you to place limits on some in-car features, set your vehicle’s maximum speed and keep track of how far it is driven.
Speeding wastes fuel, and fuel economy decreases rapidly at speeds above 80 km/h. By setting the vehicle’s speed limit, your guest driver won’t be able to override the set speed by fully depressing the accelerator pedal or by using cruise control.
#4: EcoBoost
EcoBoost is Ford’s range of powerful yet fuel-economical turbocharged engines designed to deliver horsepower and torque without compromising fuel efficiency. In Malaysia, six Ford nameplates are equipped with EcoBoost engines, including the Fiesta, new Focus, all-new S-MAX, Mondeo, Kuga and of course the all-new Mustang.
