How to save on fuel on a road trip

Tips to save fuel on a road trip

Pack less luggage

More weight in the car means higher fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle as light as possible by only packing the essentials, such as your car safety and emergency kit. Make sure to clear out your car before a road trip: those gym bags and golf clubs add up!

You can also leave add-ons like bike racks at home if you won’t use them on the trip. Roof racks and bull bars of any sort increase aerodynamic drag, which has a negative impact on fuel consumption.

Avoid traffic jams and peak hours

Idling is the bane of fuel consumption and emissions, which is why new cars often automatically shut off when you roll to a complete stop. Idling at traffic lights, in parking lots or at drive-throughs means that your car is consuming fuel at zero kilometres per litre. If you’ll be waiting a minute or more, try to shut off your engine and restart when you can drive again. Hitting the road before or after peak traffic hours can also help to minimise idling and stop-starts entirely.

Traffic jams are notorious for wasting fuel.

Use a fuel price app like arevo

Now that petrol prices are steadily climbing higher, checking where the cheapest fuel prices are in your local area is more important than ever. Keep an eye on your petrol tank and plan refuelling stops wisely.

RACV's mobility app arevo has a Fuel Finder feature with an interactive map that displays specific fuel prices at nearby petrol stations. Using a fuel tracker app like arevo can help you find the best-priced fuel in your area and help you save money. Prices are updated regularly by service stations so you can make informed decisions about where and when to fill up.  

While you’re on the arevo app, you can also check real-time parking availability and pricing so you can stop circling the block and wasting fuel in search of a parking spot.

RACV Members can also save more money on their weekly fuel bill with an exclusive offer. While Members save 5c per litre on fuel every day, eligible customers can save up to 13c per litre on fuel when they combine theirRACV Member 5 cent fuel offer with the Woolworths and EG Ampol deals. 

Maintain moderate and consistent driving speeds

Driving sensibly means avoiding high speeds, harsh braking, and quick acceleration. These things all increase your car’s fuel consumption, and can even put you in danger. Instead, observe the speed limit and avoid aggressive driving.

If your car has the feature, use cruise control on motorways to stay at a steady pace. Drivers need to slightly brake and accelerate to maintain speed. Cruise control allows the car to make these adjustments itself – and because it’s a machine, it can do so much more accurately, reducing the extra fuel consumption from all those little surges and brakes. Turn it off when you approach a hill, however, because you will want to accelerate a little before you reach the peak and ease off as you descend, to minimise fuel consumption.

Get your car serviced before you leave

If you’re nearing your next car service date before a road trip, it’s a good idea to get your service done and dusted before you go away at an RACV Accredited Auto Care Centre or authorised dealer. Replacing dirty air filters or tuning your engine may improve fuel consumption. A car service can also make sure that your car has a healthy level of oil.

You can check how close your service is by checking when your car’s service booklet was last stamped, looking at the sticker that most mechanics place on the inside of your windscreen, or seeing if your car’s service indicator light is on. Your car owner’s handbook can also tell you how long your car should go between services.

Take your car for a service before a long road trip.

Pump up your tyres

If you look at the tyre sticker on your vehicle, it should display a minimum and maximum PSI (pounds per square inch) pressure recommendation depending on the load. The sticker is often found on the inside of the driver’s door.

Pump up your tyres to the maximum recommended pressure (including your spare, in case you get a flat tyre) to reduce rolling resistance and fuel consumption. Many petrol stations have a free-to-use tyre air system that allows you to select which PSI you need. You can also pick up a handheld tire gauge from auto shops if you’d like to check your tyre pressure at home.

If you can, perform a tyre pressure check in colder temperatures, like at night or early in the morning. Tyre pressure is affected by temperature, as the tyres will expand slightly in heat. Driving also heats up the tyres, so try to pump them up at the start of your drive rather than in the middle of a trip.

Check out RACV's top tips for better tyre safety to stay safe and save money at the bowser.

Remember to pump up your tyres to the appropriate PSI.

Air conditioning on or windows down?

There has been a lot of back-and-forth about whether using your car’s air conditioning or simply rolling down the windows is better for fuel efficiency. Here is the short answer: in urban areas and other low-speed zones, use your windows to avoid the extra engine power used to power your AC. But on highways and high-speed zones, roll those windows up and put the AC on, because open windows create more aerodynamic drag.