I DIDN'T know this, but apparently if all the drivers in the world today drove in such a way that reduced their fuel consumption by 10 per cent, the world will save 100 billion litres of fuel in a year.

This is a number not to be scoffed at, given that easy oil supplies are running out and the climate change threat looms large. 

Ever since I started covering the environment beat, my car has been a constant source of guilt, but given that I live in a transport blackhole where going to work takes me one and a half hours by bus, and there's no MRT line where I live, I've guiltily held on to my mobility, which is so important for my job.

But to do my part, I have been putting into practice some fuel efficient driving techniques such as not accelerating too quickly, not braking hard, turning off the air conditioning, and driving smoothly, in the hope that my fuel consumption would drop, so would my emissions.

And last weekend, my driving skills were truly put to the test by Shell's recently launched "Get the Most Out of Every Drop" campaign, which aims to get drivers to put in practice certain driving habits and techniques which will help them save fuel, and in turn, save money.

I was in Lausitz, eastern Germany to cover the 25th Shell Eco-marathon Europe, where 202 teams from universities across the world entered vehicles to race against each other to see who can go the longest distance with the least amount of fuel and emissions.

The National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and ITE College West each sent a team to compete - a record number for Singapore at this event, and all three teams did really well in their categories. It was great to see the youth getting involved in such projects, especially with renewable, emerging technologies such as solar and hydrogen fuel cells, which powered the NTU and NUS teams' vehicles respectively.

On the sidelines of the eco-marathon, the international journalists invited to the event was put to the "Fuel Save One Litre Challenge" where we "raced" on this track to see who can achieve the best mileage with one litre of fuel.

I was pretty nervous initially, because in Germany, the driver is on the left hand side, while in Singapore we drive on the right. To top it off, it was a manual drive VolksWagen car, which put to test my clutch-and-motor skills (one that has not been tested for awhile in automatic Singapore!), but in the end, I didn't have to worry. I got used to it after one round around the track, and I had an expert "Fuel Save" driver, Helen Taylor, to guide me through the obstacle course.

Jessica tries to get the maximum distance out of one
litre of fuel with guidance from record-holder for
fuel economy Helen Taylor from Australia.
ST Photo: Jessica Cheam

Together with her husband John Taylor, Helen had set a Guinness World Record for fuel economy who travelled  28,970 kilometres (18, 000 miles), around the world, using only 24 tanks of fuel.

They were partly sponsored by Shell, who provided its Fuel Economy fuel for their journey. This fuel, which is available only in Europe at the moment, claims to help drivers achieve better mileage.

The message to drivers is simple: You can drive more using less. And why not, when it goes easy on your pocket, saves fuel and is better for the environment?

After going four rounds around the track, where I had to simulate a "normal journey" for a driver where I picked up luggages, stopped the car, dropped it off, and even cleaned the car's windscreen, I came in second place! Achieving a mileage of 21 km per litre of 4.7 litres per 100 km. The winner was a magazine journalist from Hong Kong, who achieved 22 km per litre or 4.3 litres per 100 km. 

To achieve this, I had turned off my engine whenever possible, changed my gear upwards as soon as possibly, and avoided braking hard or going too fast and it paid off. The end result was a 38 per cent savings from the normal fuel consumption of the vehicle I was driving, I was told! 

Now, the challenge is to translate this savings to my driving in Singapore. If I succeeded, I could shave off $57 each month of my $150 fuel bill, and save $684 annually. The problem is, I don't think automatic cars can be as fuel efficient as manual-type cars.

Also, driving in Singapore is a harrowing event, as many of you might know. It's the only country where if you indicate your intention to filter into another lane, the car behind speeds up NOT to let you in.

The result: You have to accelerate to quickly change lanes, or brake hard, when you realise that someone is not letting you in. If every driver drove in a fuel efficient manner, I think the roads in Singapore would be much safer and a far more pleasant, courteous place to drive in.

Still, I was determined to put in practice what I had learnt in my "Fuel Save" challenge and I did not let any other cars rush me while I drove to work. By applying the same principles as in the challenge, I'm sure I can reduce at least 10 per cent of my fuel consumption.

Never mind that my partner taunts me about "driving like a girl" every time I take to the wheel. If I can achieve 10 per cent, surely everyone else can. And if everyone else can, it would save us 100 billion litres of fuel a year, according to Shell, not to mention a hefty sum of money.

Usually, I'm pretty skeptical about what oil giants spew about fuel efficiency, but Shell is on to something here. It's not stupid, it knows that if drivers save fuel, it means less revenue for them.

But their strategy is a different one, where they are encouraging the right kind of driving, and winning over drivers, in order to get a bigger market share. From a wider perspective, the careful use of transport fuels can only be a good thing for everyone since our global supplies of fuel is declining just as the vehicle population is about to explode from demand from China and India.

Electric vehicles are a potential mode of transport that could significantly reduce our emissions, but until we get to the point of mass commercialisation, it makes sense to put our existing resources to efficient use.

In that spirit, I have included some fuel saving driving tips here for you to try the Fuel Save challenge out for yourself. Happy Driving!

20 tips for you and your car 

1 Service your engine 

Did you know a poorly maintained engine can increase your fuel consumption by up to 50 per cent? Just replacing dirty spark plugs can improve your fuel consumption by up to 5 per cent.

2 Keep your tyres at the right pressure 

If your tyres are under inflated by just 1psi, your fuel efficiency can be reduced by up to 3 per cent. So pump up those tyres up once a week or whenever you fill up.

3 Avoid carrying excess weight 

For every extra 100 lbs (45 kg) you carry, your fuel efficiency can drop by 1 to 2 per cent. So clear your car of unnecessary items that just add weight to your vehicle when you can.

4 Take the roof rack off 

If you’re not using your roof rack or your roof box, remove it. A roof rack can affect the aerodynamic efficiency of your vehicle, creating drag which can result in your car using up to 5 per cent more fuel.

5 Check the air filters 

Air filters keep impurities from damaging your engine. Replacing a clogged air filter can help improve your fuel economy by as much as 10 per cent and can help protect your engine.

6 Use the correct oil 

Using the manufacturer’s recommended lubricant can help improve fuel efficiency by 1 to 2 per cent. Higher quality motor oils can also help your engine operate more efficiently.

7 Check the seal on your fuel cap  

Fuel evaporates every time you open the fuel cap. Make sure your cap is properly screwed on every time after every fill up.

8 Plan your trips  

Cutting down on the time spent in the car is the easiest way to conserve fuel. To reduce driving time, combine all your short trips and errands into a single journey or call ahead to avoid wasted journeys.

9 Keep hydrated 

Don’t forget to drink water. When you’re well hydrated, you concentrate better. Keep a bottle to hand as you drive and make sure you drink your recommended eight glasses a day.

10 Keep calm 

That way you’ll be able to drive smoothly and anticipate what’s going on ahead of you. When you keep calm, you also drive with plenty of distance between your car and others.

11 Drive smoothly 

If you drive aggressively, you can burn up to a third more fuel than if you drive smoothly. Avoid accelerating or braking too hard and try to keep your steering as even as possible.

12 Use higher gears 

When you drive in higher gear, you’ll use less fuel, so change up a gear whenever you can.

13 Keep the windows closed 

Wind blowing through an open window can slow you down. And, to compensate, you’re likely to speed up. Instead of opening windows why not use your car’s internal ventilation system, just so long as this doesn’t make you feel drowsy.

14 Use cruise control 

Using cruise control on major roads can help you maintain a constant speed and helps you make all those drops count.

15 Avoid excess idling 

Stuck in a jam? Idling gets you nowhere, but still use up fuel. Turn the engine off when you’re in a queue until you need it. As a rule, if you’ve stopped for over 10 seconds, switch off your engine.

16 Avoid over-revving 

Change gear in good time when you pull away or when you’re accelerating. Never ‘redline’ the rev counter.

17 Avoid high speeds 

The faster you go, the more wind resistance you’ll encounter and the more fuel your vehicle will consume just to maintain speed. Remember that according to the UK Department of Transport figures, at 70mph you could be using up to 30 per cent more fuel than at 50mph. So keep it slow.

18 Use air-conditioning sparingly 

Sometimes it’s hard to avoid using your air-conditioning, but remember that it does put added strain on your engine on hot or cold days. And, it can increase your fuel consumption by up to 8 per cent. On temperate days, you can always use your car’s internal ventilation system instead.

19 Avoid rush hour 

If you can travel outside of peak times, you’ll spend less time stuck in traffic and use less fuel as a result. 

20 Keep a constant speed 

Instead of coasting when you reach a downward slope, maintain steady engine revs. This will help you to maintain a constant speed rather than picking up speed and is likely to have a positive effect on your fuel consumption.

Tips from: www.shell.com.sg/everydrop.