Fuel prices: how to reduce engine consumption?
We are all seeing what is happening and only partly understanding the causes, but what is in plain sight is the price that automotive fuel, whether gasoline or diesel, has reached. Lately, we have seen prices well over 2 euros per liter for the two traditional fuels at gas stations. Even up to (and sometimes even over) 2.3 euros per liter for gasoline and diesel.
This, of course, is a problem for all of us. For some people, it is a massive inconvenience because they use the car almost exclusively for pleasure, while for others, it is a real problem that compromises family finances or it compromises their work. Think about what a real impact rising fuel costs have on those who are forced to drive hundreds or thousands of kilometers every week for work.
Now, we aren't going to talk about excise taxes, the war in Ukraine, and geopolitical topics. We will just talk about what we know well, the technical engine side. We will also talk about how we can reduce the fuel consumption of cars (and also vans and small commercial vehicles) while reducing the expenditure on diesel and gasoline! In fact, in some of our other posts, we have already touched upon how electronic tuning can positively impact the car's average mileage. The main reason is related to the higher torque available at low engine speeds that allows greater use of the high gears of the transmission. There are also other factors, but we can refer you to the other technical articles you can find in this same section for more details.
Today we want to get a little more practical and see how much you can reduce your car's fuel consumption with our chip tuning units, giving concrete examples and calculating a hypothetical saving in euros based on the type of car, average annual mileage, and based on the cost of fuel. As we write, the Italian government has already implemented measures on fuel excise taxes, and a small price reduction has been made. However, this is very minor, and the prices of diesel and gasoline, as we write, are still above 2 euros per liter!
How to reduce fuel costs with the CHIPBOX chip tuning unit
We won't dwell on too technical aspects as we have covered them before, and we will talk about them again. Today we want to give some practical examples of car models that are very popular and for which we have many testimonials, not only from our own tests but also (and especially so) from our customers. The maximum savings seem to concern cars with turbodiesel engines with displacements 1300cc - 1500cc - 1700cc - 2000cc. 3-liter turbodiesel engines may have benefits but to a lesser extent and may have more in manual transmission versions.
For what concerns gasoline engines (only turbo gasoline), the same argument applies more or less. Those that benefit most in terms of reduced gasoline consumption as a result of installing a chip tuning additional module are those with smaller displacements, e.g., the 1200TSI, 1500TSI, or the 2-liter Audi, BMW, and Mercedes (just to give a few examples).
The mighty Audi RS6s, high-powered Mercedes AMGs, and BMW's large-displacement M versions, just to give a few examples, have less margin from the point of view of fuel consumption, but they are also cars belonging to a type of clientele normally less sensitive to economic aspects.
Returning to turbodiesels, we can say that with the CHIPBOX chip tuning unit, you can achieve savings of up to 15 percent on diesel fuel consumption. Some typical cars where our customers have experienced noticeable reductions? Here are a few:
Fiat 1300mjet in general, on the various models.
Alfa Romeo 1600JTDm and 2000JTDm, especially the manual transmission version.
Audi 1.6TDI and 2.0TDI of various power ratings, especially for versions with manual transmission.
BMW 2000d (and also the lower displacement versions) especially manual transmission versions.
Mercedes 2000cc and 2200cc engines in general, especially the manual transmission version.
1700crdi Kia and Hyundai engines in general.
Ford engines(and generally PSA engines mounted in Peugeots, Volvos, Minis, etc.) 1.6tdci
VW and Seat 1.6TDI and 2.0TDI various power ratings, especially for versions with manual transmission
These are just a few examples of engines installed on popular cars. The concept is similar for all cars that mount turbodiesel engines with small or medium displacements. In fact, we have had reliable reports from customers assuring reduced diesel consumption even on commercial vehicles and motorhomes, e.g., Fiat Ducato, Renault vans, Opel, Peugeot, etc.
As far as gasoline engines are concerned, we can mention Audi's 1200 and 1500 turbo gasoline engines (also used by other cars in the VAG group) and BMW's 1600 and 2000 turbo gasoline engines. But now, let's cut to the chase, how much can you save on fuel costs with our chip tuners?
Let's look at some examples; imagine that we have two different diesel cars, one with an annual mileage of 20,000Km and one with an annual mileage of 40,000km. Then let's look at three different cars (of any make) that have an average mileage of 15km/l, 12km/l, and 10km/l, omitting large cars with mileage much lower than these. Here is an estimate of the savings that can be achieved considering a diesel cost of 2.2 euros per liter.
Car with a medium consumption of 15km/l
Distance of 20,000 km/year
Diesel cost of 2.20 euro/liter
Savings up to 440.00 euros per year
Car with a medium consumption of 15km/l
Distance of 40,000 km/ year
Diesel cost of 2.20 euro/liter
Savings up to 880.00 euros per year
Car with a medium consumption of 12km/l
Distance of 20,000 km/ year
Diesel cost of 2.20 euro/liter
Savings up to 550.00 euros per year
Car with a medium consumption of 12km/l
Distance of 40,000 km/year
Diesel cost of 2.20 euro/liter
Savings up to 1100.00 euros per year
Car with a medium consumption of 10km/l
Distance of 20.000 km/ year
Costo gasolio 2.20 euro/liter
Savings up to 660.00 euros per year
Car with a medium consumption of 10km/l
Distance of 40.000 km/ year
Diesel cost of 2.20 euro/liter
Savings up to 1320.00 euros per year
Regarding turbo-petrol engines, the concept is similar but with a somewhat lower consumption reduction, usually closer to 8% or 10% of that achievable on turbodiesel engines. Remember that proper engine maintenance contributes to fuel economy. The condition of the air filter on diesel engines, especially, is very important because of the large volumes of air drawn in even at low loads.
If you want to save on fuel costs, search for your car model in the catalog and check the availability of the CHIPBOX chip tuning module