Alberta Class 7 Practice

Improving fuel efficiency Most drivers can significantly reduce the amount of fuel used by applying the following basic driving practices. When buying a vehicle, consider fuel-efficient models. Generally, the smaller the engine, the less fuel it will use. When shopping for a new vehicle, look for its EnerGuide label. This identifies the vehicle fuel usage in terms of litres used for each 100 kilometres driven (litres/100 km), and estimated annual fuel cost. Travelling at higher speeds increases fuel use. Every 10 km/h above 90 km/h burns about 10 per cent more fuel. Avoid quick acceleration. It is safer and more fuel-efficient to gradually increase your speed. As much as possible, maintain a steady speed. Rapid acceleration and changes in speed can increase fuel consumption by as much as 40 per cent. Cruise control can help maintain a fuel-efficient steady speed on the highway. Idling wastes fuel. Ten seconds of idling can consume more fuel than turning off your engine and re-starting it. If you are parking for more than 10 seconds, turn off your engine. For every 10 minutes of idling, the average vehicle uses about one-third of a litre of fuel. A vehicle with a larger engine can use up to one-half of a litre. Idling your engine is not the best way to warm your vehicle in the winter. Idling warms the engine and possibly the interior of the vehicle, but it does not warm vehicle parts such as the tires, steering, and other moving parts. These parts of your vehicle are only warmed by driving. According to Natural Resources Canada, one minute of idling on a cold winter day is enough. Use a block heater in the winter to warm the engine oil and make cold starts easier on your engine. Use a timer to switch the block heater on two hours before you plan to drive. Proper use of a block heater can improve your vehicle’s overall fuel economy by as much as 10 per cent. Do not leave your block heater on overnight or your energy savings will disappear in higher electricity costs. Remote vehicle starters are handy on cold mornings, but do not start your vehicle too early. Have regular maintenance checks done by a qualified mechanic. A vehicle that is properly maintained will be more fuel-efficient and safe: • A poorly tuned engine can increase fuel consumption by up to 50 per cent. • A clogged air filter can reduce fuel efficiency by 10 per cent. • Under-inflated tires increase fuel consumption by about five per cent, as well as increase tire wear and reduce traction. To get maximum fuel economy on a vehicle with a manual transmission, shift through the lower gears smoothly and quickly. Build up speed in the higher gears. An automatic transmission shifts to a higher gear earlier if you reduce pressure on the gas pedal as you increase speed.

Text extracted from the PDF for reference and may contain layout artefacts. The official PDF is authoritative.

Source: Driver's Guide: cars and light trucks, Spring 2026. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Alberta.