Buying A Car?
- Fuel Economy Guide
Buy fuel-efficient car
Do you know that by choosing a fuel-efficient
car, you can enjoy significant savings on your fuel
cost?
Look out for the fuel economy label
when you shop for your new car.
Every 1 Litre/100km improvement in
fuel consumption will save you more
than $300 a year1. Fuel-efficient
cars help you to reduce your fuel
consumption.
Mandatory Fuel Economy Labelling
Scheme
From 1 April 2009, passenger cars and light goods
vehicles that are sold in Singapore must be affixed
with the Fuel Economy Label2.
With the fuel economy information, car buyers
are able to make better-informed decisions on fuel
efficiency when purchasing new cars.
How the fuel consumption figure is
derived
The fuel consumption figure is obtained from a
standardised test conducted in a laboratory3.
There are two parts to the test. Part one, the
urban cycle test, mimics start-stop driving in urban
conditions. The urban cycle consists of a series of
Based on fuel cost of $1.50 per litre and average annual mileage
according to LTA statistics.
1
From 1 April 2009, passenger cars and light goods vehicles that are
sold in Singapore must be affixed with the Fuel Economy Label under the
Environmental Protection and Management Act.
2
The motor vehicles are tested in accordance with UN ECE R101
(Revision 2) with amendment 1 or equivalent.
3
1
accelerations, steady speeds, decelerations and
idling yielding an average speed of about 19 km/
h. A maximum speed of 50km/h is attained and a
distance of 4km is covered during this test cycle.
Part two, the extra-urban cycle test, mimics
highway driving. This test cycle consists of roughly
half steady-speed driving and the remainder
accelerations, decelerations and some idling. A
maximum speed of 120km/h and an average speed
of 63km/h are attained during this test cycle, which
covers a distance of 7km.
From the two parts of the test, a combined figure
is derived. The combined driving cycle figure is a
distance weighted average of the urban and extraurban test cycles.
The combined driving cycle figure is displayed
on the Fuel Economy Label. Details of the fuel
consumption for the urban and extra-urban test
cycles can be obtained online at www.nea.gov.
sg/fels. As the fuel consumption figure on the
label is based on a standardised test, it allows a
fair comparison of the fuel efficiency of different
vehicle models.
Speed (km/h)
Part One
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Part Two
Elementary
urban cycle
195
195
195
195
400 Time(s)
1180
Operating cycle for the Type 1 test (consists of Part
One (urban) and Part Two (extra urban) driving cycles)
2
The labels provide a reliable comparison of the
fuel consumption of different vehicles. However,
no test can simulate and anticipate all possible
combinations of traffic conditions, climate, driving
habits and vehicle maintenance. Therefore,
the actual fuel consumption that you obtain
when you drive your vehicle may differ from that
on the label.
Things to consider when buying a car
The following tips are useful in selecting a fuelefficient vehicle.
• New or Used Vehicle
Newer models being introduced into the
market tend to be more fuel-efficient as
technology is advancing and the market is
responding to car buyers who are looking
for more efficient cars.
• Automatic or Manual Transmission
3
If a proper gear shifting technique is
employed, cars with manual transmission
will use less fuel compared to automatic
versions.
Combined fuel consumption (litre/100km)
Your fuel consumption may differ from
that on the label
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
• Engine Capacity
Combined fuel consumption (litre/100km)
Generally, a higher fuel consumption is
associated with a larger engine capacity.
This relationship can be seen from the
graph. Select the engine capacity that
meets your needs.
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Engine Capacity (litre)
Fuel consumption against engine capacity
• Two-wheel Drive or Four-wheel Drive
Four-wheel drive vehicles offer better traction
than two-wheel drive ones. This is useful when
moving on slippery surfaces or under off-road
conditions. However, the weight and friction
of the additional drive-train components lead
to higher fuel consumption.
4
How to re
Fuel Econom
Fuel type of
the motor
vehicle
You can view the full list of registered m
fuel consumption at www
5
o read the
onomy Label
Fuel Consumption:
The lower the fuel
consumption, the
lower your fuel cost
is likely to be
Engine
Capacity
gistered motor vehicle models and their
n at www.nea.gov.sg/fels.
6
Fuel-efficient driving habits
Buying a fuel-efficient car is only the first step
towards achieving good fuel economy. Your
driving habits can also make a difference to your
fuel consumption. Following these habits can help
improve your fuel efficiency.
• Plan ahead
Before heading out, tune in to the radio
or visit www.onemotoring.com.sg to check
the latest traffic conditions for the route
that you are taking. Plan and combine
your trips as taking multiple short trips
consumes more fuel.
• Drive sensibly
Aggressive driving behaviour such as
speeding, hard acceleration and sudden
braking, can lower your car’s fuel efficiency
by as much as 10%. Driving sensibly includes
maintaining a safe distance from other
cars and anticipating traffic conditions.
• Observe the speed limit
A car’s fuel efficiency decreases at speeds
above 90km/h. Always drive
within the speed limit for
improved fuel efficiency.
• Avoid excessive idling
Idling with the engine on consumes fuel
unnecessarily. Switch off your car engine if
you are likely to be stopping for more than
three minutes.
• Remove unnecessary loads
7
Avoid carrying unnecessary loads, especially
heavy ones, in your car, as any extra loads
will reduce the car’s fuel efficiency.
• Warm up your vehicle by driving at
moderate speed
Letting your car idle to warm up actually
uses more fuel. Drive the vehicle to warm it
up instead.
Maintaining your car
Service your car regularly
A poorly maintained vehicle can use up to 15%
more fuel. Regularly service your car to optimise
its fuel economy and ensure its reliability. Refer
to your owner’s manual and familiarise yourself
with the maintenance schedule and requirements
recommended by the manufacturer.
In between servicing, the following checks can
be carried out to ensure that your car is in good
operating condition as well as to identify and
fix problems that could help reduce your fuel
consumption.
• Check and replace air filters regularly
A clogged air filter can reduce fuel efficiency
by as much as 10%. A clogged air filter may
also damage your engine in the long run.
Regularly inspect your air filter and replace it
if necessary.
• Keep tyres properly inflated
Check your car’s tyres at least once a
month and ensure that they are inflated
to the recommended tyre pressure as
stated in your owner’s manual. Properly
inflated tyres can improve your fuel
economy.
8
• Use the recommended grade of fuel
oil
A car engine will give the optimum
performance when you use the fuel octane
specified by the manufacturer. To find out
the recommended grade of fuel, refer to your
owner’s manual.
• Check fluid levels at least once a
month
Check the engine oil, engine coolant,
transmission fluid and power steering
fluid. Repair leaks that are found during
the check.
Illustration of Savings
Estimating your annual fuel cost
In this example, 2 motor vehicle models, ABC
and XYZ, have similar capacity. Car model ABC
consumes 6.7 Litres/100km while car model XYZ
consumes 8.1 Litres/100km. This means that car
model ABC is more efficient. In fact, you can save
about $466 worth of fuel each year if you choose
car model ABC.
Annual fuel cost
=
9
fuel cost x annual mileage x fuel consumption
100
Model
ABC
XYZ
Engine Capacity (cc)
1,591
1,598
6.7
8.1
Fuel Cost ($/litre) [B]
1.587
1.587
Annual Mileage (km) [C]
21,000
21,000
Annual Fuel Cost ($)
2,233
2,699
22,330
26,990
Fuel Consumption
(litre/100km) [A]
D=
AxBxC
100
10-year Fuel Cost ($) [D x 10]
You can use the following table to compute
the annual fuel cost for the various models you
are interested in.
Model
Engine Capacity (cc)
Fuel Consumption
(litre/100km) [A]
Fuel Cost ($/litre) [B]
Annual Mileage (km) [C]
Annual Fuel Cost ($)
D=
AxBxC
100
10-year Fuel Cost ($) [D x 10]
10
For more information on the Mandatory Fuel Economy
Labelling Scheme, visit www.nea.gov.sg/fels or contact us at
[email protected].
10
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