Toyota Solves the World's Fuel Crisis

[Joey D]

So how does the world save fuel? Drive less. Yes you read it right, Toyota says drive less. Can you honestly believe that someone had to say it? I thought it was common sense that the less you drove your automobile the less gas it used...or is that giving people of the world to much credit?

Here is the original article from Open Road Blog

So as the price of gas hovers above $4 per gallon, we’re all wondering what we can do to save a little money when we buy fuel.

We’ve previously outlined, here on Open Road, the driving strategy known as hypermiling, so if you haven’t read that post and are interested in taking some simple steps that can help save a bit of gas money, that’s a good place to start.

So as the price of gas hovers above $4 per gallon, we’re all wondering what we can do to save a little money when we buy fuel.

We’ve previously outlined, here on Open Road, the driving strategy known as hypermiling, so if you haven’t read that post and are interested in taking some simple steps that can help save a bit of gas money, that’s a good place to start.

But here’s the other part of the prescription: Drive less. I know, you figure we’re out of our minds to suggest such a thing. But consider this. It doesn’t matter whether you’re driving a Corolla or a Tundra: When you don’t crank up your car for a trip, or when you consolidate several trips into one, that amounts to fuel you haven’t burned. And unburned fuel is unspent money.

Unspent money and cleaner air both sound good to me, so I’m making an attempt to overcome my own carefully cultivated laziness by burning human energy instead of gas. My strategy? I’ve gotten my mountain bike back into useable condition, and I ride that for short trips – when I need something from a nearby market, for instance.

No bike? No worries. There are other strategies you can pursue. An important one is to avoid drive-through services. Unless you’re driving one of our hybrids, which shut down their gas engines to run on electric power at low speeds, hitting a drive-through, whether it’s for a burger or to pick up your clean clothes, causes your car to idle. Idling is bad. There’s your engine turning over, burning gas as it does so, but not taking you any appreciable distance. Better, probably, to park, step inside for that burger – yes, and make that a large order of fries, please.

Here’s another one, though we recognize this can be a bit problematic. As noted, allowing your engine to idle costs you expensive fuel. So don’t do it. When you hit a stop light that you know from experience will be a lengthy one, consider switching off. You can restart when you get a green light.

Savings? Small, for sure. But savings are savings. And each droplet of gas not burned is also a droplet of gas that doesn’t release pollutants into the atmosphere. So you’re saving on two fronts. Sort of seems worth trying, doesn’t it?

Ok I hate Toyota, and not because they some how manage to build vehicles that out sell GM, Ford and Chrysler and end up destroying the area I live in, but due to this crap right here. I mean do we honestly need a major corporation to come out and say "If you drive less you'll burn less fuel"? I mean honestly what sort of "no 🤬" statement are they going to come up with next?

Discuss, please.

 

[livemusic]

Doesn't switching the engine off and on again after a couple of minutes actually spends more gas then leaving it on idle? I've read that somewhere a long while ago...

 

[Jim Prower]

Yeah, PR crap by a company who's trying to continue appeasing Liberals. not much else to say, here.

 

[Duke]

I spend about $3000 a year on fuel for all my vehicles combined. If I drove 10% less that would save me a whopping $300. A fraction of a percent of our household income.

Big hairy deal.

I already combine trips in order to be time efficient, not to be fuel/money efficient. If I got a vehicle that DOUBLES the current economy of my car, the payoff in savings would take a decade.

 

[Joey D]

If I got a vehicle that DOUBLES the current economy of my car, the payoff in savings would take a decade.

Even more so if you chose to buy a new hybrid vehicle as I've shown in my hybrid thread.

It's stuff like this that makes me hate a brand like Toyota. Yes they make decent cars but I wouldn't buy one.

 

[the Interceptor]

Doesn't switching the engine off and on again after a couple of minutes actually spends more gas then leaving it on idle? I've read that somewhere a long while ago...

I thought so, too, and in the past, I think this was fact. Nowadays however, with engines and their management systems ever improving, it seems that this actually saves energy. Look at the upcoming start-stop-automatics included in many new eco models of cars, such as the BMW diesels and the Merc BlueTec range. They wouldn't do that if it would actully use more energy.

 

[superberkut]

I was disappointed; a Western world addicted to motoring can't be wrong. I thought that was common sense...

I doubt our kind can even stick to this kind of advice collectively (the last word being key).

 

[skynyrd]

Well now. Drive less. Imagine that. Except for one problem...

I live 10 miles from work and almost 25 from a decent sized city. No public transportation. I wish sometimes that the people who say things like this would stop to think about how ridiculous this type of advice is if you're not living in a good sized city.

"Oh, all your problems will be solved if you don't drive as much!" Freaking morons.

 

[Azuremen]

The funny part is, honestly, most people can't put that crap together. A lot of people drive when there is a transit system in place (just look at metro areas) where you have several hundred thousand people making nearly the same commute but they all take their own cars. And they won't even ask their neighbor that works at the same place they do about car pooling most of the time.

I think you guys give the public too much credit sometimes...

 

[Bram Turismo]

Never heard about busses? Trains? Carpooling?

What about LPG? Seriously, we are just laughing with the gas and diesel prices because we don't drive on it.

Currently the prices for diesel and gas here are around 2,78 USD per liter, per liter. LPG prices for 1 liter here are 1,16 USD. Now just say you fill your tank for 50 litres, that's 139 USD for gas, while only 58 USD for LPG. You do the math what you drive each month, and how much you save...

I really think LPG is at the current time a better solution to gas and diesel if you want to save money, a cheap solution without any emission just does not exist... and if it exists, it'll cost you a hell lot of money...

 

[Jim Prower]

They don't like the unclean, uncomfortable Public transport, no matter how clean or comfortable it is, and they don't like their co-workers, I'll bet is part of it.

A car's somewhat of a status symbol: if you don't drive to work, if you ride the bus or train with all the lower-class people who can't afford a car, (no matter how much of a truth that may or may not be,) you might be looked down upon.

of course, I may be wrong, but something tells me I'm right.

 

[Joey D]

They don't like the unclean, uncomfortable Public transport, no matter how clean or comfortable it is, and they don't like their co-workers, I'll bet is part of it.

A car's somewhat of a status symbol: if you don't drive to work, if you ride the bus or train with all the lower-class people who can't afford a car, (no matter how much of a truth that may or may not be,) you might be looked down upon.

of course, I may be wrong, but something tells me I'm right.

Pretty much spot on for how it is around here, only the poor ride public transportation and those weird new age hippies.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Pretty much spot on for how it is around here, only the poor ride public transportation and those weird new age hippies.

I think this is the case everywhere, but just like I've been telling my friend from my class who keep whining about their cars and driving to school; I really can't be bothered to drive my own car every morning, to pay for the gas myself when I can take a free ride with the bus

Ok, I know, the bus isn't always free, but seeing the gas prices these days, no wait, I do not rely on those


Seriously, wanna save money on driving from gas? Check out LPG!

 

[SagarisGTB]

Well, yeah, Toyota is sort of right. I see people all the time driving to places like stores, banks that are close by. If something is within three km, you should have no problem walking or riding your bicycle. Not only would it save them money, but then maybe they wouldnt all be so damn fat! Its quite ironic that the fattest country is now complaining about gas prices (I know im generalizing).

Public transport should also be an alternative though I really cant vouch for that as I dont use it.

 

[Sniffs]

Prower answered your question, Bram. americans can't stand public transportation, and only use it if they have too (do you keep exact change on you for the Public Transportation?)

there's no infrastructure for refueling LPG. besides, there's guys out there right now buying up every right to any form of gas they can get their hands on because it's worth so much.

 

[Sureboss]

Never heard about busses? Trains? Carpooling?

What about LPG? Seriously, we are just laughing with the gas and diesel prices because we don't drive on it.

Currently the prices for diesel and gas here are around 2,78 USD per liter, per liter. LPG prices for 1 liter here are 1,16 USD. Now just say you fill your tank for 50 litres, that's 139 USD for gas, while only 58 USD for LPG. You do the math what you drive each month, and how much you save...

I really think LPG is at the current time a better solution to gas and diesel if you want to save money, a cheap solution without any emission just does not exist... and if it exists, it'll cost you a hell lot of money...

Don't brag about it, only reason it's cheap is because very few use it and it's not on all forecourts. I can think of 2 near me, one is 10 miles west, other is 25 miles east. Granted I haven't been to every forecourt, know a lot of them though.

 

[Pupik]

Actually, it's a bit more transparent:

Drive less, so you put less mileage on your leased automobile. Then we'll sell your low-mileage lease return for a tidy sum as a Certified Pre-Owned car, so we can lower production costs at the factory and save on distribution.

Brilliant.

Of course, I'm missing the part of the article that has Toyota's name anywhere in it, and there's no link.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Ok I hate Toyota, and not because they some how manage to build vehicles that out sell GM, Ford and Chrysler and end up destroying the area I live in, but due to this crap right here. I mean do we honestly need a major corporation to come out and say "If you drive less you'll burn less fuel"? I mean honestly what sort of "no 🤬" statement are they going to come up with next?

Discuss, please.

I heard on the news that they haven't outsold GM, but just made more cars than them.

The funny part is, honestly, most people can't put that crap together. A lot of people drive when there is a transit system in place (just look at metro areas) where you have several hundred thousand people making nearly the same commute but they all take their own cars. And they won't even ask their neighbor that works at the same place they do about car pooling most of the time.

I think you guys give the public too much credit sometimes...

Did you ever use public transportation during the morning rush?

 

[Joey D]

Of course, I'm missing the part of the article that has Toyota's name anywhere in it, and there's no link.

It's from Toyota's Blog called Open Road Blog.
http://blog.toyota.com/2008/07/how-to-save-fue.html#more

I heard on the news that they haven't outsold GM, but just made more cars than them.

People are still turning to their average cars over Detroit's average cars which is destroying the local economy. I know more people who have been laid off or are being threatened to be laid off then who aren't concerned about their job future.

 

[Sage]

Well, yeah, Toyota is sort of right. I see people all the time driving to places like stores, banks that are close by. If something is within three km, you should have no problem walking or riding your bicycle.

Have you ever tried carrying even half a load of groceries three kilometers? Even one kilometer?

 

[Bram Turismo]

Don't brag about it, only reason it's cheap is because very few use it and it's not on all forecourts. I can think of 2 near me, one is 10 miles west, other is 25 miles east. Granted I haven't been to every forecourt, know a lot of them though.

And there's where goldmines are hidden, but no one wants to see them. The nearest station here's 150 km away . My dad started one in our town this year, and the thing's running like mint, I'm really not joking. Apparently, people come from Oslo (250 km away), just to get our installations, while dealers are to find in Oslo as well.

That leads me to another problem. LPG really is underrated, mainly due to the lousy jobs garage people sometimes do on the tanks and the installation. Just a few days ago, my father had to send a customer back home because he wouldn't touch the installation, why not? The damn thing was not properly installed, and the honest person my father is, he replied: "I'm not touching that, that thing's a driving timebomb!"

Seriously, too few stations are there, and even for those few stations, too many times lazy jobs are done on the installations.

But once the stations are there, people will come. And don't start bashing LPG because mpg's are worse, because they aren't. This is half true though; lighter engines will use more LPG, while heavier engines will use less, ironic, isn't it? My father has had customers ranging from your usual Corolla, Primera's, Audi A6 bi-turbos, to Hummer H2's, and Ford Excursions. These people actually gratulated my father because their mile-to-the-gallon rose with 10-20%! Needless to say that LPG will harm performance by only 5-10%, it's sad to see so few people are interested in it...

Have you ever tried carrying even half a load of groceries three kilometers? Even one kilometer?

16 kilometres, with a mountainbike full of fancy springs, and flat tires Welcome to Norway

 

[Wolfe]

I've started walking more myself, but because I'm looking to lose some weight, not because I'm saving gas. My car and bike can get up to 30 and 80mpg respectively, so they're not hard to feed. I also drive more efficiently than nearly anyone else I see on the road, skip the drive-through if there's a line, and make the most of trips by coming up with multiple things I can get done in a single outing.

I've barely had to change anything or inconvenience myself to do this. My mileage-saving tricks aren't what most non-enthusiasts would think of doing -- accelerating "briskly" to spend less time on the throttle, cornering quickly to maintain momentum, speeding a bit to get closer to the ideal 40-50mph range and make green lights down the road, coasting slowly up to red lights so that I can roll through them when they turn green...it annoys me when I'm forced to sloth through a corner at 15mph or stop at a light unnecessarily because of traffic ahead of me, especially when I consider that most of the drivers of those cars probably complain about our "high" gas prices.

At any rate, this blog entry seems well-intentioned but I agree with those who say it falls under the "no duh" category and doesn't apply as well to american society as some might think. Beyond the fact that public transportation is looked down upon in this country, it's also unreliable and slow. My sister and one of my coworkers, both bus riders, can barely get anywhere with any amount of certainty or punctuality. My coworker has to bum around the store for an hour before open just so that she can be there on time to open. There's also the fact that many residential areas are too far away from anything to walk.

If we want to get serious about the idea of driving less, we've got to improve our public transportation. Having visited Germany for nearly a month, I know how useful it can be; if I lived there, I'd barely drive at all. Unfortunately, the costs involved in such a project are quite prohibitive.

Another idea would be for more people to buy motorcycles. They wouldn't replace cars as grocery-getters and it's difficult to make a return on investment based on fuel economy alone, but the fact is we'd be burning much less fuel.

 

[Kent]

I'm guessing it was an official Toyota rep posting that on the "open road" blog?
Other than the mention of a Corolla and a Tundra there is nothing to relate Toyota to the article.
Whatever the case, I believe you are indeed giving people too much credit if you thought everyone in the motoring community consciously thinks about how often they drive and how they manage their trips.
As someone else said above, this could very well be lip service for libs and fuel efficiency nuts.

None the less, I don't see much of a reason to go off on a tangent about hating Toyota for this sort of thing.

 

[harrytuttle]

The real problem, of course, is that there's just too many people. Until the world faces that fact and actually *does* something about it, driving like a blue-rinser means f-all.

 

[Robin]

You know these engine on off vehicles are a load of rubbish...

You use far more petrol to start your engine than you would leaving it idle for a couple of mins and if its going to do this everytime you slow down for traffic or stop at a light its going to ruin your MPG consumption, its just a PR ploy.

Even hybrids are just for PR, the Prius is no less polluting than other cars and at speed its less efficient because your have to lug all the battery technology around with it!

We need zero emission synthetically manufactured pertrol subistitute... only that would easily solve the world oil crisis.

Robin

 

[the Interceptor]

You know these engine on off vehicles are a load of rubbish...

You use far more petrol to start your engine than you would leaving it idle for a couple of mins and if its going to do this everytime you slow down for traffic or stop at a light its going to ruin your MPG consumption, its just a PR ploy.

Like I said earlier, this was only true in the past. Let me rephrase: it still is true, but under certain conditions, it's not. Mercedes replaces the alternator and the starter though a starter generator, which can act as both and has less losses. Then, the start-stop-system only kicks in under certain conditions, like when it's not too cold (battery has to work harder) or too warm (aircon will be on) outside, and when the engine has warmed up adequately. So under the right conditions, you can actually save fuel with this system.

Even hybrids are just for PR, the Prius is no less polluting than other cars and at speed its less efficient because your have to lug all the battery technology around with it!

With the Prius, it also depends. It can save quite an amount of fuel compared to a similar car of the same size in the right situation and when driven the right way. On the other hand, it has to be questioned whether all the technology involved (especially the batteries) won't have a bigger impact on the environment if you include the production of the vehicle - something the greenies tend to forget. Still, in terms of fuel consumption, the Prius can work.

 

[Sniffs]

let's remind the europeans yet again of the distances between places in the US. 16 KM is actually a CLOSE store. i HAVE biked that far, but you can't haul a load on a bicycle, believe me.

also, the guys on the road WILL run you over if your on a bicycle...your in their road, and in a US rural area...there's places with NO verges...just water ditches, cliffs, etc...

public transportation will NOT run more than 10 miles/16 KM, and you have to pay them extra.

our busses, like anything else not a private vehicle, runs on deisel...for the TORQUE...thus our 15 liter transport engines, and deisel's rep.

 

[skynyrd]

Like I said earlier, this was only true in the past. Let me rephrase: it still is true, but under certain conditions, it's not.

You say that like everyone drives new cars. I wouldn't hesitate to say that the majority of people still drive 'old' cars without this on/off technology, or whatever it's called.

And a big +1 on the distance comment. I've spoken to many Europeans through the internet, and the majority of them who've never traveled through the US just don't seem to have a grasp of the amount of space over here. Maybe it's only the people I've spoken with, I don't know. The nearest gas station is about two miles away from where I am, and the nearest real grocery store is ten.

Many common European ideas on public transportation just cannot be copy/pasted over here and without big changes to account for the space it simply won't work. If someone set up a regular bus line in a rural area (a huge percentage of the land here, btw), chances are they'd see maybe three or four customers within the first couple weeks, maybe a couple dozen if they advertised well. Who is going to want to walk to a bus stop that's five miles away?

 

[exigeracer]

So how does the world save fuel? Drive less. Yes you read it right, Toyota says drive less. Can you honestly believe that someone had to say it? I thought it was common sense that the less you drove your automobile the less gas it used...or is that giving people of the world to much credit?

Ok I hate Toyota, and not because they some how manage to build vehicles that out sell GM, Ford and Chrysler and end up destroying the area I live in, but due to this crap right here. I mean do we honestly need a major corporation to come out and say "If you drive less you'll burn less fuel"? I mean honestly what sort of "no 🤬" statement are they going to come up with next?

Discuss, please.

I'd be more offended that your elected president and his party's nominated successor said all of this several years ago (and I don't recall a thread with you complaining about it then) to the whole nation but now both insist that to solve rising prices is to just plainly drill for more. Don't scapegoat a car company you don't like when the people in charge are lying to you about it in a far more important way.

 

[Keef]

Have you ever tried carrying even half a load of groceries three kilometers? Even one kilometer?

It's tough to carry that stuff a quarter mile, but that's what makes the poor folks in the apartments at the end of my neighborhood better people than me.

Seems like all the sensible people in this country gather in little communities like ours, but there's not enough of us left to make any sort of difference. American's as a whole are babies who need to be told, taught, and cared for every hour of the day.