Filipino drivers lead Asia’s fuel savers

Filipino drivers lead among Asian counterparts in observing fuel-saving techniques, according to an important study commissioned by power, energy and gas technology leader Shell.

The Shell FuelSave Index conducted early last year looked into the driving habits of motorists in European and Asian countries in order to understand how to help and inspire vehicle owners to save fuel and money more often.

The research revealed interesting findings about Filipino motorists as leading proponents of fuel-efficient driving in the region. The country ranked first in three out of Top 5 fuel-saving tips identified by experts, particularly: avoiding over-revving (79 percent), reducing speed (56 percent) and driving smoothly (53 percent). The Philippines ranked second in Asia in avoiding excessive idling (25 percent) and third in using the top gear (30 percent).

Awareness of fuel-reduction methods has effectively increased in the past couple of years. In 2010, 41 percent of Filipinos said they did not know how to save fuel. Today, this figure is down to only 12 percent.

Better fuel economy

As much as 87 percent of respondents are willing to change driving behaviors to save on fuel, while 85 percent have already changed the way they drive to reduce the amount of fuel they consume.

Most importantly, the study affirms that even more Filipinos are looking for more information on fuel economy, indicating that 52 percent of respondents would be more active in saving fuel if there were more information made available about it.

“Target One Million” is Shell’s response to such findings in the latest Shell FuelSave Index. It represents Shell’s latest step in innovative methods to promote sustainable mobility and smarter energy-use among motorists.

Shell made sure that learning techniques on saving fuel would not only be useful and highly informative, but exciting and truly engaging as well.

Target One Million is an online campaign that involves the use of a series of interactive minigames that are fun, quick and easy to complete, to equip drivers with the skills they need to be smarter on the road.

Filipino motorists can sign up and be part of the Target One Million website at www.shell.com.ph/targetonemillion.

The global Target One Million campaign is the most recent milestone in Shell’s journey for smarter mobility and fuel economy.

Setting the record

In 2006, Shell set the Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the globe using as little fuel as possible, when John and Helen Taylor drove around the world using only 24 tanks of fuel.

In 2007 and 2008, Shell ran the FuelSave Challenge driver education and road safety campaign that helped 2,000 motorists learn to save fuel for life. Fuel savings of up to 24 percent on average were recorded among the most successful participants.

In 2011, Shell launched Shell FuelSave Gasoline and Shell FuelSave Diesel, its most advanced fuel economy products to date. These fuels are especially designed to help motorists in saving fuel and money with their instantaneous fuel economy formulas—designed to improve fuel efficiency from the very first tank, so a customer would not need to refuel as often.

In the same year, Shell successfully set another Guinness World Record for the largest fuel-efficiency lesson. Dubbed as Global Shell FuelSave Day, more than 3,000 people from 10 cities across Europe and Asia participated in simultaneous fuel efficiency training sessions. In the Philippines, Manila and Iloilo City participated in the landmark event.

Indeed, with the help of the actual people behind the wheel every day, everywhere, Shell is well on its way to achieving its goal of enabling smarter mobility and creating smarter cities for everyone—one refueling and one driver at a time.