A crisis ".
The government itself does not hide the extent of the gasoline shortage which has hit the country since the end of last week.
Throughout the weekend, and while Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher had initially promised a rapid improvement in the situation, supplies nevertheless continued to progress.
The situation is particularly tense in Hauts-de-France and Île-de-France, where 54.8% and 44.9% of stations are respectively affected by the crisis.
Read alsoOur guide to finding gas and an open service station near you
To deal with these tensions, France has decided to make more intensive use of its strategic stocks.
But the shortages of the last few days and the price increases that have occurred in recent months are now also prompting motorists to make sure to save fuel on their journeys.
A goal that can be achieved by respecting very simple rules and which, to top it off, will do a little good for the planet.
Reduce your speed
This is obviously the first reflex that comes to mind when it comes to defining eco-driving.
A practice to which all motorists do not seem to be frankly attached, at least if we are to believe the debates which enamelled the passage to 80 km/h at the time.
The gains to be made, however, are far from negligible.
According to figures from Ademe, a drop in speed of 10 km/h would save one liter of fuel over 100 km.
Or four liters for a Paris - Lyon, and therefore almost 7 euros for a liter of fuel at 1.70 euro.
Adapt your driving
Patience may be the mother of virtues when it comes to driving.
Sharp acceleration at a green light and too sudden braking at a red light generate useless overconsumption.
With this in mind, the use of the cruise control can make it possible to avoid too sudden accelerations or braking.
Another tip: drive at moderate speed at the beginning of the course.
Pollution is indeed the most important when the engine is cold, that is to say approximately before five kilometers of distance covered.
Fuel savings are also to be found when shifting.
In its guide, the Ademe thus advises to quickly move up a gear between 2,000 and 2,500 rpm for a gasoline engine and 2,000 rpm for a diesel engine.
Choosing the right tires and checking the pressure
Drivers too often overlook the impact of tire pressure on fuel consumption.
According to the results of a study conducted by Ademe for Michelin, an under-inflated tire at 1.5 bars instead of 2.5 bars would result in 6% fuel overconsumption.
To avoid such an inconvenience, motorists should therefore check tire pressure at least once a month.
More generally, it is essential to ensure the good condition of the vehicle, in particular the engine oil levels and the brake fluid.
Park in the shade
Who has never rushed to turn on the air conditioning as soon as possible because their vehicle has turned into a sauna after being parked a little too long in the sun?
Warming up the car also risks causing faster evaporation and therefore overconsumption.
Air conditioning, too, is expensive.
An additional liter of fuel is estimated on average every 100 km, according to Ademe.
Cut the engine
If the engines have now evolved a lot and support untimely stops much better.
Ademe invites motorists to cut the engine of their vehicle for stops of more than 30 seconds.
This would save between 0.5 and one liter per hour.
You can also use apps showing the most congested roads, to leave at the right time and avoid any chaotic journey, whether for the driver or for the planet.
Lighten the vehicle
100 kg of luggage and the like in the trunk leads to an overconsumption of 7% of the consumption.
To avoid this, it is strongly recommended to clear the passenger compartment of anything that would unnecessarily clutter the vehicle.
This is also the reason why it is not really recommended to refuel constantly, since this contributes to weighing down the car.
Last bit of advice: it is useless to go beyond the click when you fill up, at the risk of actually losing that essence that you thought you had added.
