Quebec City to Montreal in ecodriving mode

October 15, 2008 -- Filed under My impact by Normand Miron

In response to this post of mine on TDI Curious, my friend Mike challenged me to try out ecodriving by cruising on the highway at a speed of 90 km/h. Despite my reservations, I took advantage of a business meeting in Quebec City to test it out – a journey of 268 km! In order to compare normal driving with ecodriving, I did the trip there in “normal” mode and the return trip in “ecodriving” mode. I will share with you here my impressions of this experience.

Getting there: in the left lane
7:29 AM. At the wheel of my 2005 Mazda 3 with a box and bike-carrier on the roof (I know it’s not ecodrivingly correct, but at the same time, it allows me to do outdoor activities occasionally), I set the counter to zero. Equipped with a bottle of water and some CDs, I am ready for the adventure. And then I’m off!

Traffic jam… It’s bumper to bumper. I finally get off the Champlain Bridge at 8:00 on the dot. 14.9 km on the counter, which gives me an average of 29 km/h. At this rate, I could have gone by bike.

But just as every ordeal must come to an end, once I’m off the Champlain Bridge, my journey transforms into a pleasant Quebec City road trip. Fluid circulation: it’s going quite fast (115-120 km/h, at my guess), and not an ecodriver in sight. Along the way, I see some Jetta TDIs including a Sport Edition, but no Jetta TDI Clean Diesels.

10:10 AM: Quebec City! I stop at a service-station on Laurier Boulevard in Sainte-Foy. The counter reads 268.2 km. Highway average: 116.77 km/h (note: if you’re wondering if it’s possible to get a ticket after admitting on a blog to driving over the speed limit, keep reading Parlons TDI – I’ll be able to tell you a couple of weeks from now).

The “normal driving” test results:
Distance: 268.2 km
Duration: 2 hours, 41 minutes
Average speed: 99.87 km/h
Litres of gas consumed: 20.280 L
L/100 km: 7.56 L/100km
(according to the owner’s manual, my car should get 6.2 L/100 km on the highway, but don’t forget the box and bicycle-carrier on the roof, the speed and the city portion.)

The return trip: in the right lane
1:29 PM. Meeting over. I fill up again at a service-station quite close to the first one. I thus avoid taking a detour to get on the right track. Ecodriving, here I come!

Once on the highway, I set the cruise control to 90 km/h. Then I civic-mindedly place myself in the right lane and settle comfortably into my seat. With some good old Pink Floyd in the CD player, I’m ready to let the good times roll.

First thing I notice? I spy two police cars on the centre divider strip. I’m sure they’re going to give me a ticket for obstructing the highway!

I’m gradually getting the impression that everybody passing me looks at me strangely. Worse still, it’s basically everybody who passes me! I feel to-tal-ly ridiculous. I feel like giving up, so much for Mike’s challenge.

Then, kilometre by kilometre, I get used to it. Time seems to pass slowly, yet I also feel more relaxed. No need to get stressed manoeuvring past other cars, as everybody is driving faster than me. The tractor-trailers, however, have the annoying habit of riding my tail for a long stretch before condescending to pass me…

A little short-cut to get around the traffic once I arrive on the island of Montreal. 4:55 PM: I arrive at last at the service-station. 267.1 km. Highway average: 88.42 km/h. City average for the last 15 kilometres: 25.71 km/h.

The “ecodriving” test results:
Distance: 267.1 km
Duration: 3 hours, 26 minutes
Average speed: 77.76 km/h
Litres of gas consumed: 16.281 L
L/100 km: 6.1 L/100 km
(which gets me the rate given in my owner’s manual)

Main observations

• Honestly, I expected a much greater difference than 45 minutes. 45 minutes is a long time though. Even if this is only 10 seconds more per kilometre, I now know by heart all the songs of Pink Floyd.
• I’m not sure that sports car lovers are going to stick to it. I don’t consider myself as such, yet I admit to getting bored with the driving. I remember telling myself that at this rate, I might as well take the bus and read.
• You must have a strong personality to drive practically against the flow in this way.
• A difference of 4 litres of gas between the trip there and the return trip represents a difference in fuel consumption of 25%! Not huge savings for just one trip, but clearly a significant difference in the long run.

My conclusions
In my case, I think that for quite long distances of this kind, I would first choose a more efficient car before taking on this 90km/h driving habit. However, as it’s only a question of fifteen minutes’ difference for a road trip of 100 km, I’ll most likely take the right lane from time to time.

Thank you Mike.

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