August 9, 2021 - Heels & Horsepower Magazine

4 Ways to Beat Rising Fuel Prices

vuyi on August 9, 2021

South Africans are facing one of their largest increases to fuel prices yet after petrol increased by 91c per litre and diesel by 55c per litre on Wednesday 4 August 2021.

It has already been a tough year for South Africans and motorists who now have to fork out much more for fuel than ever before. The fuel price increase come on the heels of a difficult economic situation due to lockdown and because of recent unrest.

The best way to reduce petrol consumption is to change your mindset which in turn will affect your driving attitude for the better. Here with a few tips to help you readjust your driving habits and save fuel.

1. Anticipate conditions

Adopt a defensive driving style so you can anticipate changing traffic conditions before they happen. You should drive looking 12 seconds ahead of you. This will allow you to see traffic slowing ahead of you or traffic light changes well before they happen; allowing you to timeously adjust your own speed to avoid coming to a complete or sudden stop.

2. Do not speed

Drive at speeds that suit the current conditions and avoid speeding. Reducing speed by 20kph in certain instances can reduce fuel consumption by 20%. Often speed is also accompanied by fast lane changes, sudden acceleration and harsh braking. Not only does this increase fuel consumption but it also costs you more in maintenance. Increasing your speed will only make minimal, if any, difference to trip times.

3. Plan ahead

Plan each journey to save fuel. It can help you avoid traffic jams; help you choose the most fuel-efficient routes and avoid leaving too little time. It will also help you avoid rushing which makes driving fuel efficiently almost impossible.

4. Drive nicely

As mentioned already, inconsiderate driving increases fuel consumption. This includes unnecessary lane changes, harsh acceleration and speeding. Instead, keep to the road rules and follow techniques such as keeping your engine revs between 2500 and 3000rpm. This can result in a saving of up to 20% in fuel consumption.

Use fuel-savings tips to reduce the impact of high fuel prices and get the most out of each full tank.

Source: MasterDrive

WATCH: Interview with Audi e-tron GT designers

vuyi on August 9, 2021

Marc Lichte, Head of Design AUDI AG and Parys Cybulski, Design Exterior, talk about the development of the Audi e-tron GT

Audi South Africa plans to introduce six Audi e-tron model derivatives planned in Q1 2022. The model
range includes the e-tron SUV, e-tron Sportback and e-tron GT

Audi South Africa will introduce a fully-fledged e-tron range in the local market and this will include:

Under the SUV category: The Audi e-tron 50 and e-tron 55
Under the CUV category: The Audi e-tron Sportback 55 and e-tron Sportback S
Under the high-performancecategory: The Audi e-tron GT and Audi RS e-tron GT

Product specification and pricing associated with the e-tron range will be announced closer to retail launch.

Car Tip of the Week: Handling Aggressive Drivers

vuyi on August 9, 2021

Road rage can be life threatening at the best of times and can end in serious injury at worst. When you notice a speeding driver behind you, don’t try to play traffic cop by stubbornly maintaining your speed and monopolizing the lane in an effort to slow the other driver down.

Attempting to play mind games with an aggressive driver is a dangerous thing to do. Remember that we live in a country were more and more people have guns tucked under the driver’s seat or in the glovebox so engaging in a cat and mouse game with someone like that could be to your detriment. Rather allow drivers who are in a hurry to pass and who knows, maybe your ‘reward’ could be in watching them drive straight into speed trap and a hefty!