CITROËN’S ECOMEDIANS LEARN HOW TO DRIVE ECONOMICALLY

Running out of fuel is no laughing matter for Citroën ‘Ecomedians’ Dan Adams and Christian Ancliff.

Over 500 miles of motorways, city-centre roads and rush hour congestion stand between them and their debut at the Fringe Festival. The comedy duo are aiming to drive all the way from London to Edinburgh on a single tank of fuel, performing warm-up gigs each night along the way.

In a bid to ensure they reach their destination, and to maximise their Citroën DS3 99g’s fuel economy during the tour, IAM Drive & Survive provided an ‘Ecolution’ driver-training course for the pair.

Designed to lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the Ecolution eco-driving course also offered some hints and tips on smoother and safer driving methods. The result: over the course of the day Dan and Christian improved their DS3’s fuel economy (mpg) by 37.5%. Below are just some of a great tips and tricks the pair learnt from IAM.

• Check your revs – Change up before, 2500rpm (petrol) and 2,000rpm (diesel)
• Track the trip – Set on-board tracking computers to ‘actual’ mode to track miles/kilometre per hour and miles per gallon/ kilometre per litre expenditure
• Anticipate road conditions and drive smoothly – Avoid sharp acceleration and heavy braking. This saves fuel and reduces accident rates
• Get some air – Use air-conditioning sparingly as it increases fuel consumption
• Reverse park to drive off straight away – Driving when the engine is cold uses around 20 to 25 times more petrol than it does when warm. This adds up over the year and also causes increased wear on the car’s engine.
• Shed the load – Remove unneeded excess load from the boot or roof rack
• Stick to the speed limit – Driving at 50mph (80km/h) rather than 70mph (110km/h) could see up to 30 per cent less fuel used
• Know where to go – Plan your route carefully before setting off to avoid congestion, prevent getting lost and using up valuable fuel
• Service vehicles regularly – Inefficient, under-serviced engines can reduce fuel economy by 10 per cent or more and underinflated tyres are dangerous and can increase fuel consumption by up to three per cent.

Dan Adams commented; “The Ecolution driving course has definitely given me more confidence that we can make it from London to Edinburgh on just the one tank of fuel, but at the same time it means there is no turning back. The anticipation is building.”

The pair will put in a performance each night over the five night tour, playing in London, Oxford,
Stratford-upon-Avon, Manchester and Glasgow, before reaching Edinburgh in time for the start of their Fringe run. The DS3 Ecomedy Tour runs from 1st to 6th August and is supporting Oxford-based hospice, Helen & Douglas House.

For more information on each performance or to follow the tour activity, visit www.ecomedytour.com.

Tour updates will also be published on Citroën’s official Twitter and Facebook pages: www.twitter.com/citroenuk & www.facebook.com/CitroenUK

Hear more interviews about eco-friendly driving on PASSION for the PLANET