August 5, 2008

Research published by Citroen has revealed that Britain’s commuters are stationary for up to half of their morning rush hour journey – an increase of 10.9% in the past two years.  The company carried out the research using their C1 model, as an illustration of the savings that their C2 and C3 models, fitted with stop start technology, can offer.

The Company commissioned the study to highlight the environmental and financial benefits of its “Stop & Start” technology. Currently available on the Citroën C2 and C3 superminis, the intelligent system maximises economy and minimises CO2 emissions by turning off the car’s engine when stationary.  Research published by the AA earlier this year identified that an average car uses 0.72 litres per hour while stationary and running. 

If we consider the Cardiff commute (from the table below), which sees drivers stood still for half of their one hour journey, then 0.36 litres litres of fuel is being wasted per journey, and don’t forget that is one way, so it’s fair to assume that the same is wasted on the way home.  This one hour stood idle is costly but offers a great chance to save money. 

These numbers show that in a car with average consumption figures and an average commute, three litres of fuel is wasted sitting in traffic each week.  If this is extrapolated over a 46 week annual working year, over 138 litres of fuel wasted. With petrol prices at 117p per litre the average cost of sitting in traffic is over £161 annually.

That is the fiscal waste, but if we look at the environmental impact as well, the figures are startling.  A litre of petrol produces 2.36kg of CO2.  With the figures quoted earlier in this piece the average commuter driving into Cardiff is generating nearly 390 kg of unnecessary CO2 per year while sitting in traffic.  Cardiff has the longest wait but if we look at the average figures then we're still looking at more than 325 kg of CO2 per car per year. 

If we multiply this by the thousands of people that are sat in the traffic then the figures are something of a choker. 

These numbers make any car that is fitted with start stop, or similar technology (hybrid cars that run on electricity at crawling speeds), very appealing. Independent testing has shown a Stop & Start vehicle can return a 27% fuel saving in urban driving conditions. Currently the only manufacturers that offer start stop technology are Citroen and BMW, but with the sort of fuel saving and environmental benefits available there’s every chance that others will follow suit.  Until then it’s well worth looking at your own journey and seeing where you will be able to run your own start stop system.

If you make the journey every day then you’ll know the spots that you have to sit at for long periods of time, why not look to turn your engine off there?  If you have to queue on a down hill slope for a set of traffic lights then why not shut your engine off and leave the car in second gear?  You can coast your way to the lights and if they look good to stay green then lift your foot off the clutch, bump start and go.  It’s important that you don’t make the traffic even worse by holding up the people behind you so don’t try this if you think your car won’t start, although if your car is that unreliable it’s probably time to get it serviced anyway. 

The best approach is to keep your mind on the drive while on your commute, making a mental note of the places that you’re stuck for any length of time, especially if it’s somewhere that you rarely get away quickly from.  These spots could prove ideal as your economising will have no effect on the traffic.  This whole process is likely to draw your attention to the way in which you drive and make you more conscious of being less wasteful when behind the wheel.  Practice the driving techniques when you can, in situations of no traffic, and then once you've got them perfected make them work for you on your commute.

This doesn't only apply when you're commuting to work, so rather than waiting outside a shop with your engine running as you wait for your partner to buy a pint of milk, turn your engine off - you'd be surprised how much you can save!

Leave a comment

Type into the box below