Let’s face it, life in a megacity like Metro Manila means regularly getting caught in traffic jams—sometimes short waits in intersections, which could occasionally stretch into a grueling all-night affair of waiting to move inch by single inch. Like the majority of Filipinos, you’re probably worried about sitting there in the middle unmoving traffic which burns your gasoline needlessly.
And to save fuel and cut down on your fuel expenses, do you turn off your engine, or do you choose to keep it running worried that constantly having to turn your engine on and off actually increases your fuel usage?
Studies show that over half (54%) of drivers in the Philippines believe that keeping their engine running to avoid frequent restarts will improve fuel efficiency. This was one of the findings in the Shell FuelSave Fact or Fiction Report, a nationwide study from Shell polling 1,000 Filipino drivers aged 18-40 on their fuel efficiency beliefs and behaviors.
What is even worse, around 9 out of 10 Filipinos actually keep their engine running as a habit. Unfortunately, this practice, which is a form of idling, is a myth. Idling gets you nowhere but burns fuel. It is more fuel efficient to turn off your engine when you are not moving and restart it when needed.
Contrary to misperception, the power initially required to start an engine comes from the battery. This means that turning on the engine does not use up a lot of fuel. In other words, you should turn off the engine if you know you will be stationary for more than 10 seconds, which is often the case in the Metro. That means when you’re going to pick up something from a store, or waiting for your kid to step out of school, you should turn off the engine if you want to lower your fuel consumption.
It is worth knowing that modern vehicles are often fitted with intelligent battery recharging mechanisms, such as the use of regenerative braking—that which automatically convert the vehicle’s kinetic energy into electrical energy during braking to recharge the battery. Modern engines will consume less fuel when turning off and restarting than idling for extended periods. In fact, some modern cars now have an incorporated technology called “auto stop-start”, which automatically shuts off the engine when the car comes to a stop.
