Since some drivers shift gear much earlier than others, gear shifting behavior is a good indicator for eco-driving behaviour. Drivers that shift gear at low velocities and moderate accelerations enter third gear around 30 km/h, whereas others only reach third gear at 45 km/h in the same type of vehicle.
In terms of fuel consumption, the lower the engine speed the better, and the eco-driver advice is to change gear between 2000 and 2500 RPM. The average gear shifting RPM for different drivers however ranges from 1400 to 3000 RPM, depending on the vehicle type and the gear, but mostly on the driver behaviour. This large bandwidth means there is quite some room for improvement by better eco-driving behaviour. The estimated difference in fuel consumption due to different engine speeds can be up to 20-25%.
Supporting documents
D45.1 Potential of eco-driving
The deliverable offers the analysis of possibilities of the naturalistic driving data to provide more insight in different (normal) driving styles and eco-driving. Unique to UDRIVE is the augmentation of the velocity data with driving circumstances, like road type, speed limits, headway, and in-vehicle information. This allows placing the driver behaviour in context and distinguishing personal driving styles from behaviour forced by traffic conditions. To assess the fuel consumption and CO2 emission reduction potential associated with adopting an eco-driving style, it is crucial to separate personal driving style from infrastructure and from congestion while driving.
The post Different driving styles can be identified by different patterns in gear shifting and braking behaviour. The difference in fuel consumption and emissions due to driving behaviour can be up to 25% in urban areas. Anticipating traffic when driving, correlated with safe driving, results in less braking and therefore better eco-driving behaviour appeared first on UDrive Results.
