vehicle efficiency Page 342

In Australia, “vehicle efficiency” boils down to how little energy you burn to go a kilometre—think L/100 km for petrol/diesel and kWh/100 km for EVs; lower is better, obviously.

Aerodynamics and weight are the killjoys: roof racks, big tyres, and bricks-on-wheels styling all make the fuel bowser your pen pal.

Keep tyres properly inflated, service on schedule, and drive like you paid for the fuel (because you did)—smooth throttle, anticipate traffic, and stick near the speed limit.

Hybrids sip in the city, diesels cruise efficiently on highways, and EVs are miserly almost everywhere if you’re not tailgating the right pedal.

Short version: remove unnecessary junk, avoid idling, plan routes, and let cruise control do some adulting; your wallet will notice before your ego does.