i have a 60 plate ecomotive that ive had from new...now done 6000 miles but not getting any where near the fuel economy that they say it does..
anyone getting close to what it should be ???
anyone getting close to what it should be ???
60 plate ecomotive fuel economy
- Thread starter terminator2000
- Start date
thats about what i get..should be able to sue seat really for false advertising
is there anything that can be done to improve it
is there anything that can be done to improve it
Last edited:
Problem of the EU test and manufacturers setting th car to pass with the lowest mpg. Being a derv it will take 15-20K to really loosen up and mpg will improve.
I am sure Gainfulshrimp will be along soon who owns a ecomotive and gets impressive mpg.
I have generally found that the rate of acceleration and speed have the biggest impact on mpg.
I have the SE copa 1.2 TSI (61 plate) and am currently getting anything between 45-50MPG on my 20 minute journey to work. The book states 52.3MPG on a combined cycle so not far off. I also have the upgraded 17" Alloys which are wider then the standard 16" which will not help the MPG. Just over a 1,000 miles on the clock as well so i'm sure it will probably improve a bit more.
What sort of journeys do you do? low 50's sounds a bit low for the ecomotive version.
What sort of journeys do you do? low 50's sounds a bit low for the ecomotive version.
I can get 53mpg out of my old smoke machine....
I doubt you will get the best results until after about 10-15k at the earliest, just a question of waiting. If you really want to improve it you might be able to change your driving style?
Ease off when in sight of a red light or queue of traffic
Keep the speed at or below the limit
Change up sooner, keep the revs down.
Other than that, stick a couple of extra psi in your tyres....
I doubt you will get the best results until after about 10-15k at the earliest, just a question of waiting. If you really want to improve it you might be able to change your driving style?
Ease off when in sight of a red light or queue of traffic
Keep the speed at or below the limit
Change up sooner, keep the revs down.
Other than that, stick a couple of extra psi in your tyres....
I have a 10 plate Ecomotive 1.6CR and I'm currently getting around 59mpg long term average. I was getting low 60s but I've lost a few MPG since the weather turned - not sure if it's the colder temps (meaning longer spent driving before the engine's warmed up) or switching to winter tyres... probably a combination of both.
I have a long commute (about 45miles) - a mix of country lanes, dual/single A-roads and stop-start queuing for the last couple of miles... so no DPF issues and the engine's mostly warm.
If I'm hypermiling and conditions are right (little traffic, dry roads, not in any sort of rush), I can consistently get >63mpg average for a long journey. I've only beaten the quoted figure of 74.3mpg on a couple of very long journeys when I was really trying hard to maximise mpg though.
Coggie has some good tips above. Increasing tyre pressures by a few psi is perfectly safe and does help efficiency although the ride gets a bit bumpier, as you'd expect. Also, try not to keep junk in your boot/car - I used to keep lots of 'just in case' items in the car like car cleaning stuff, baby equipment, shopping bags, gym kit, etc, etc... all the extra weight affects mpg to some extent.
I find the sweet spot for efficiency is just over 1500rpm. When decelerating (e.g. approaching lights), make sure the car is kept in gear and change down as you get closer. It might seem counter-intuitive, but coasting with the clutch pedal down means you're burning fuel to keep the engine ticking over... keeping in gear means the ECU cuts fuel to the engine (i.e. 'engine braking').
Also, try 'driving with load': keep the input on the accelerator constant and allow the speed/revs to change as you go down hills and up the other side. By allowing the car to gain speed on the down run and lose speed on the up hill, while keeping the oomph constant, you are driving as efficiently as possible.
Note that this is the opposite of what Cruise Control does: it attempts to keep speed constant by coming off the gas on down-hills and then giving it the beans up the other side - that can really kill your mpg!
If you want some really expert tips on how to maximise mpg, have a look on cleanmpg.com - although a US site, there's plenty of good tips on there and the advice is friendly. Only trouble is their claimed mpg figures will make you cry when you realise that they're using US Gallons and *still* beating your figures!
I have a long commute (about 45miles) - a mix of country lanes, dual/single A-roads and stop-start queuing for the last couple of miles... so no DPF issues and the engine's mostly warm.
If I'm hypermiling and conditions are right (little traffic, dry roads, not in any sort of rush), I can consistently get >63mpg average for a long journey. I've only beaten the quoted figure of 74.3mpg on a couple of very long journeys when I was really trying hard to maximise mpg though.
Coggie has some good tips above. Increasing tyre pressures by a few psi is perfectly safe and does help efficiency although the ride gets a bit bumpier, as you'd expect. Also, try not to keep junk in your boot/car - I used to keep lots of 'just in case' items in the car like car cleaning stuff, baby equipment, shopping bags, gym kit, etc, etc... all the extra weight affects mpg to some extent.
I find the sweet spot for efficiency is just over 1500rpm. When decelerating (e.g. approaching lights), make sure the car is kept in gear and change down as you get closer. It might seem counter-intuitive, but coasting with the clutch pedal down means you're burning fuel to keep the engine ticking over... keeping in gear means the ECU cuts fuel to the engine (i.e. 'engine braking').
Also, try 'driving with load': keep the input on the accelerator constant and allow the speed/revs to change as you go down hills and up the other side. By allowing the car to gain speed on the down run and lose speed on the up hill, while keeping the oomph constant, you are driving as efficiently as possible.
Note that this is the opposite of what Cruise Control does: it attempts to keep speed constant by coming off the gas on down-hills and then giving it the beans up the other side - that can really kill your mpg!
If you want some really expert tips on how to maximise mpg, have a look on cleanmpg.com - although a US site, there's plenty of good tips on there and the advice is friendly. Only trouble is their claimed mpg figures will make you cry when you realise that they're using US Gallons and *still* beating your figures!
I have a 10 plate Ecomotive 1.6CR and I'm currently getting around 59mpg long term average. I was getting low 60s but I've lost a few MPG since the weather turned - not sure if it's the colder temps (meaning longer spent driving before the engine's warmed up) or switching to winter tyres... probably a combination of both.
I have a long commute (about 45miles) - a mix of country lanes, dual/single A-roads and stop-start queuing for the last couple of miles... so no DPF issues and the engine's mostly warm.
If I'm hypermiling and conditions are right (little traffic, dry roads, not in any sort of rush), I can consistently get >63mpg average for a long journey. I've only beaten the quoted figure of 74.3mpg on a couple of very long journeys when I was really trying hard to maximise mpg though.
Coggie has some good tips above. Increasing tyre pressures by a few psi is perfectly safe and does help efficiency although the ride gets a bit bumpier, as you'd expect. Also, try not to keep junk in your boot/car - I used to keep lots of 'just in case' items in the car like car cleaning stuff, baby equipment, shopping bags, gym kit, etc, etc... all the extra weight affects mpg to some extent.
I find the sweet spot for efficiency is just over 1500rpm. When decelerating (e.g. approaching lights), make sure the car is kept in gear and change down as you get closer. It might seem counter-intuitive, but coasting with the clutch pedal down means you're burning fuel to keep the engine ticking over... keeping in gear means the ECU cuts fuel to the engine (i.e. 'engine braking').
Also, try 'driving with load': keep the input on the accelerator constant and allow the speed/revs to change as you go down hills and up the other side. By allowing the car to gain speed on the down run and lose speed on the up hill, while keeping the oomph constant, you are driving as efficiently as possible.
Note that this is the opposite of what Cruise Control does: it attempts to keep speed constant by coming off the gas on down-hills and then giving it the beans up the other side - that can really kill your mpg!
If you want some really expert tips on how to maximise mpg, have a look on cleanmpg.com - although a US site, there's plenty of good tips on there and the advice is friendly. Only trouble is their claimed mpg figures will make you cry when you realise that they're using US Gallons and *still* beating your figures!
I like you. I've been telling people who moan about mpg about these things (especially driving with load) for years (even before I started driving. Its just common sense to me) and they called me either mad, stupid, or too young to understand (@ 22
) I feel somewhat vindicated now I never knew about driving with load, but tempted to try it now. Basically keep the speed constant whatever the hill/declines etc?
I keep a spreadsheet of all my fill ups and mileage - over 5400 miles I have averaged 39.3mpg which I'm a bit upset by now
I keep a spreadsheet of all my fill ups and mileage - over 5400 miles I have averaged 39.3mpg which I'm a bit upset by now
Nope.
Keeping the speed constant is what cruise control does and that's not good for economy (unless you're travelling on a flat, straight road). Driving with load means keeping the load on the engine constant by allowing the speed/revs to vary according to the incline of the road etc. So if you go downhill, keep the same amount of accelerator: the car gains speed. When you go uphill again, again keep the throttle constant and allow the speed to drop. You obviously need to vary throttle in some circumstances and you'll need to apply more throttle and/or drop down a gear if you're going up a big hill to avoid labouring the engine (which also kills economy) but the basic principle is as above.If you have an iPhone, check out the Road Trip app. It's dead easy to use and much simpler than a spreadsheet to keep track of your consumption, costs and other car expenses.I keep a spreadsheet of all my fill ups and mileage - over 5400 miles I have averaged 39.3mpg which I'm a bit upset by now
I never knew about driving with load, but tempted to try it now. Basically keep the speed constant whatever the hill/declines etc?
I keep a spreadsheet of all my fill ups and mileage - over 5400 miles I have averaged 39.3mpg which I'm a bit upset by now
No, not the speed, the throttle. Let the speed rise and fall with the hills. Obviously select a base speed below the maximum speed limit.
But it's just one of lots of things that you need to combine to get the best mpg:
- When at cruising pace, try to ensure you keep the revs around the sweet spot of 1,500-1,600rpm as far as possible.
- Use only moderate throttle for acceleration (not so little that it takes ages - in low gears - to get to your target speed though... a little boost is fine).
- Try to avoid braking altogether: anticipate traffic slowdowns and use engine braking (stay in gear when slowing down - don't coast with the clutch in). But don't crash lol!
- Keep your speed high enough to prevent labouring the engine but low enough not to let aero drag from spoiling the mpg party... something around 56-60mph is usually optimum.
- Don't carry any unnecessary junk in the car.
- Check your oil and use the best oil for the car (e.g. special low ash oil of the right rating is essential if your car has a DPF).
- Put an extra few PSI in the tyres all round. I run mine at 42/44psi.
It takes a little practice but you should see much better MPG figures if you try doing the above religiously for a tankful or three.
One other thing i'd throw in...
Tyres
Pirelli P6's (fitted from new) mid 44-46mpg
Goodyear Eagle NCT5 around 50mpg
Michelin Energy Saver 52-54mpg
I will own up and admit the car was still being run in on the Pirellis, but as the advert says, the right tyre can make all the difference.
Tyres
Pirelli P6's (fitted from new) mid 44-46mpg
Goodyear Eagle NCT5 around 50mpg
Michelin Energy Saver 52-54mpg
I will own up and admit the car was still being run in on the Pirellis, but as the advert says, the right tyre can make all the difference.
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