Thinking of taking on the Great Malaysian Road Trip, or a long drive anywhere else in the world? Here’s how you can do it efficiently and get the maximum fuel efficiency out of your car with Caltex!

SINGAPORE

Show us a Singaporean driving enthusiast who doesn’t enjoy trips across the border to Malaysia for some free-spirited driving or holiday and we’ll eat our words! With life returning back to some semblance of ‘normal’ a lá pre-pandemic, drivers have wasted no time in heading up the causeway to take on the Great Malaysian Road Trip. In fact, the start of June saw the highest number of entries into Malaysia since the borders reopened in April 2022.

As attractive as fuel prices may be North of our border, you’d still want to be conserving fuel because you never know what situation you might find yourself in on those long stretches of highway, or those winding back roads. Furthermore, Singapore-registered cars are required by law to have at least ¾ of their tanks full before entering Malaysia, so start your journey right by filling up with Caltex with Techron® in Singapore! 

With high-quality fuel from Caltex in both countries, you can make the most out of your car’s performance, allowing you to drive further between stops for refuelling.

“But how do I drive efficiently”, you ask? Here are five fuel-efficient tips for your upcoming Malaysian road trip.

Travel light

This might not occur to some drivers especially if you’re new to long distance driving, but a loaded trunk results in a heavier car, which in turn causes your car to consume more fuel to move. Packing light is the easiest remedy here, but we understand that it’s easier said than done. 

Lay out everything you intend to bring on your trip and Marie Kondo-style, assess them item-by-item to see if each one is necessary. All those extra clothes in case you somehow ruin each set? Unnecessary. The extra book you’re bringing in case you finish the one you’re currently reading? As much as we like to think we’ll get lots of reading done on vacation… that’s unlikely. 

There’s no need to pack that many snacks along in the car either, as the stores in Caltex Malaysia are all well stocked for a hungry traveller.

Let the air in

Switch the air-conditioning off and open the windows! This might upset some of you who simply cannot live without the cool air pumping from your car’s air conditioning unit, but we promise that the lower fuel consumption will be worth it. 

In a midsize sedan for example, the air-conditioning system can use up to 0.5-litres of petrol per hour. * Now it is possible to achieve a good fuel efficiency rating with the air-conditioning system on your car if you keep the temperature dial in the moderate 22 to 24 degree range, but the air-conditioning compressor is still imposing a load on the engine, giving it an extra accessory to drive.

So, if you’re up for a challenge, or simply have a twisted need to subject your passengers to your fuel efficiency challenge, turn the air-conditioning off and let the natural wind in. Plus, at speeds of more than 100km/h, you might not even notice the difference.

* Based on data accumulated from reviewing and road testing hundreds of new cars on carbuyer.com.sg

Pump up the jam your tyres

While filling your car using Caltex with Techron® already reduces friction and deposit build up, and results in less resistance in the engine internals, fuel efficiency can be further improved with the correct tyre pressures. 

You can’t control how aerodynamic your car is in terms of design, but you can control how smoothly it drives, and this boils down to how properly inflated your car’s tyres are.

Under-inflated tyres mean more rolling resistance between the road and the tyres. This causes your engine to work harder, thus consuming more fuel. However, you don’t want to get to the point of overinflation either as this can compromise traction. Most cars now come with onboard tyre pressure monitoring systems, so use that to keep track of your tyres and make sure they are inflated to the recommended pressure. If your car doesn’t have an integrated tyre pressure monitor, it doesn’t hurt to check the tyres manually at a Caltex service station before you set off.

Accelerate gently

This is fairly obvious — putting pedal to the metal will use up more fuel as the engine is working harder to get you up to speed quicker. Whereas letting your car gradually get up to speed will consume fuel less quickly, especially from a standstill. 

A light right foot

The most important key to efficient driving however, is knowing how, and when, to let your car cruise. 

Specifically, we mean easing up on the accelerator on those long stretches of roads and especially over crests and hills. Once you have enough power to take you over an incline, ease off the accelerator and the forward momentum will naturally take you downwards. Plus, if your car’s engine is particularly good at coasting along, the momentum built up can carry you on through the straight for a bit before having to step on the accelerator again. 

Furthermore, using this method of coasting to slow down and stop helps your car’s efficiency rating as well. When you can anticipate the traffic in front of you coming to a stop, take your foot off early to let the engine decelerate before braking. That way, you’re making use of the forward momentum and when time comes to accelerate again, the engine won’t have to work extra hard to get your car moving again.

Fuel efficient driving doesn’t always mean boring slow speeds — once you get the hang of it, it can prove quite the fun challenge to try and get that efficiency rating at its optimum. Plus, the habits acquired from anticipating road conditions ultimately go toward making you a more skilled and considerate driver.

Caltex has a lot to offer while you are on your Great Malaysian Road Trip. From high quality fuel to car accessories and even food options, we allow you to Enjoy the Journey!

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