Driving your vehicle
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5
Your vehicle's energy economy
depends mainly on your style of driv-
ing, where you drive and when you
drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many miles (kilometers) you can get
from a capacity (kWh) of battery. To
operate your vehicle as economical-
ly as possible, use the following driv-
ing suggestions to help save money
in both energy and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a
moderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary braking.
This also reduces brake wear. Drive at a moderate speed. The
faster you drive, the more energy
your vehicle uses. Driving at a
moderate speed, especially on the
highway, is one of the most effec-
tive ways to reduce energy con-
sumption.
Don't "ride" the brake or clutch pedal. This can increase energy
consumption and also increase
wear on these components. In
addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal may cause
the brakes to overheat, which
reduces their effectiveness and
may lead to more serious conse-
quences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month. Be sure that the wheels are
aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater energy consumption.
Keep your vehicle in good condi- tion. For better energy economy
and reduced maintenance costs,
maintain your vehicle in accor-
dance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. If you drive
your vehicle in severe conditions,
more frequent maintenance is
required (see section 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi- mum service, your vehicle should
be kept clean and free of corrosive
materials. It is especially important
that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be
allowed to accumulate on the
underside of the vehicle. This extra
weight can result in increased
energy consumption and also con-
tribute to corrosion.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
