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I wonder if anyone has actually done an independent scientific study of using fuels from different sources, not just the usual mpg comparison that most people do.
Personally I think its difficult to judge, as most people I know who buy supermarket fuel often use their cars on shorter trips (e.g. to the shops) than those who use theirs on longer runs (say for business purposes), which in itself has a large bearing on the reliability and life expectancy of engine components.
I suspect that if you can afford the more expensive non-supermarket fuels, then you're also be able to afford a more robust servicing regime (I know many people who scrimp on servicing which, to their amazement, means that their car suddnely expires after about 5 or 6 years of life and several weeks or belching out black smoke and leaking oil [what do they expect if they don't look after it?]).
I must admit I'm still surprised at the stupidity of some of HJ's readers at the questions they pose - you'd think based on years of experience they wouldn't be surprised over many things concerning motoring any more.
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Why , why, why does Honest John go on about Shell V Max being better than any other fuel. Since the mid 80's me and the wifey have used Supermaket fule 99.9% of the time and never had a problem. It meets the BS standards required by all manufacturers and all these magic potions added to Shell and other are never disclosed. In our town there would be broken down cars littering the roads if the fuel sold by Tesco, Morrison, Asda, Sainsburys was not up to standard.
Why, why, why does Honest John go on about deisels being a bad buy if you do less than about 20,000 miles a year. We do about 10,000 miles a year in each car, both diesels and never had a problem. Both have dpf's, one a dmf. At £1.38 we save about £540 a year on each car plus the diesel cars are less on RFL, service is the same. We have had the BMW 5 years thus have saved over £3000 on that car alone. The car cost £300 more than the petrol equivalent, worth about £300 more now. The £3000 would pay for some repairs if needed, if not its money in the bank.
Theoretically I agree with Honest John on the matter of Cruise Control increasing fuel consumption but that is on perfect roads with a driver with the sensitivity of god. In the real world no one I have ever driven with can maintain a perfect speed on any road, normally if you watch the speedo at best it varies between say 65 and 75 on the motorway. All this speeding up wastes more fuel than cruise control. Bottom line is I use cruise control, I get to my destination feeling refreshed and that is more important than a few pence in fuel.
Rant over.
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I'm an imperfect driver - cruise is more economical for me - and the option is always there for the perfect driver to not use cruise!
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If you watch most drivers on motorways, they speed up and slow down on clear roads. No wonder cruise control saves fuel.
As for HJ's 20 questions, etc.. remeber about 50% of the DT readers are car illiterates and 40% don't care.. so he knows his audience.
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If you watch most drivers on motorways, they speed up and slow down on clear roads. No wonder cruise control saves fuel.
As for HJ's 20 questions, etc.. remeber about 50% of the DT readers are car illiterates and 40% don't care.. so he knows his audience.
Does cruise control actually apply the breaks on downhill stretches of road rather than first try and back off on the throttle? You would've thought it would, and so would be better at doing it smoothly than most people could.
Personally I don't like the "foot planters" who slow down by 5-10 mph (at least) going uphill, then speed up (often to over the speed limit, necessitating braking [wasteful]) because they don't know how to use the accelerator peddle properly to maintain a constant speed. This is especially annoying on dual carriageways and motorways, and even could be considered dangerous, especially if you're following in an HGV and then have to choose suddenly whether to brake heavily and lose momentum going up the hill (causing further problems behind) or risk a sudden overtake to avoid the idiot slowing down in front.
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Personally I don't like the "foot planters" who slow down by 5-10 mph (at least) going uphill, then speed up
Neither do I. Any fuel saving arises because the average speed has been reduced. Keeping an average speed of 50mph up and down the hill uses less fuel than driving up at 40 and coming down at 60 mph for the same average speed.
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Neither do I. Any fuel saving arises because the average speed has been reduced. Keeping an average speed of 50mph up and down the hill uses less fuel than driving up at 40 and coming down at 60 mph for the same average speed.
I would've thought the opposite. That was the method I used when doing economy runs (many years ago - 90 odd MPG from a Maxi).
I was surprised I couldn't match the figures obtained with cruise control on compared with it off with a recent car. I wondered if it had a better brain than me that knew its engine mapping and could optimise acceleration and throttle opening.
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In our family we have many different diesels with DPF from 3 to 6 years old and varying mileages as some are used for work vehicles and others purely as shopping cars not one has had a new DPF or any work done in that quarter they have had no clutch work done they may have been lucky but I think not .There is a lot of urban myths and garages are playing on this replacing flywheels when none is needed replacing DPFs when all they need is cleaning.
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I suspect many people's problems with such things are just as much about the WAY they drive and WHAT as much as what type of driving (short or long runs) - I remember (DMFs) someone saying that they didn't react well to being constantly held on the clutch on hills, rather than engaging the handbrake and putting it into neutral. Maybe with some DPFs the long service intervals of some diesels is helping exacerbate the problems by not catching them soon enough. Who knows (just a guess) - I'm not an expert on diesels.
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"'Personally I don't like the "foot planters" who slow down by 5-10 mph (at least) going uphill, then speed up.'
Neither do I. Any fuel saving arises because the average speed has been reduced. Keeping an average speed of 50mph up and down the hill uses less fuel than driving up at 40 and coming down at 60 mph for the same average speed."
Make your mind up. Either you believe fuel is saved by slowing uphill (" because the average speed has been reduced") OR "Keeping an average speed of 50mph up and down the hill uses less fuel".
You can't have it both ways.
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"'Personally I don't like the "foot planters" who slow down by 5-10 mph (at least) going uphill, then speed up.'
Neither do I. Any fuel saving arises because the average speed has been reduced. Keeping an average speed of 50mph up and down the hill uses less fuel than driving up at 40 and coming down at 60 mph for the same average speed."
Make your mind up. Either you believe fuel is saved by slowing uphill (" because the average speed has been reduced") OR "Keeping an average speed of 50mph up and down the hill uses less fuel".
You can't have it both ways.
Err: it's more about keeping the engine running at its most efficient uphill commensurate withe speed etc...Acceleration uphill is the best way to use fuel. The more fuel efficient way is to slowly bleed off speed with a light foot on throttle so that at the top of the hill you are still travelling at a reasonable speed.
( I have an instant read out of mpg so I can see the impact)
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Make your mind up. Either you believe fuel is saved by slowing uphill (" because the average speed has been reduced") OR "Keeping an average speed of 50mph up and down the hill uses less fuel".
The two are not synonymous. If you bleed speed going up up the hill, in order to maintain the average, you must travel faster downhill. Going at 40 up the hill, requires you to travel at 60 going down the hill. This uses more fuel than maintaing 50 up and down.
If you slow down to 40 up the hill and do 50 down the other side, your average is only 45mph. Trivial result.
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>>If you slow down to 40 up the hill and do 50 down the other side, your average is only 45mph. Trivial result.
Err, no! Assuming the distances up and down are the same, the average is then 44.4MPH. Do the maths.
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Yes Tom, it is, but the linear approximation is close enough, no?!
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Oh get a room you lot.
This subject is incredibly dull, even for unthrottled.
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Yes Tom, it is, but the linear approximation is close enough, no?!
Agreed, but it's a common misconception (Miss conception - never realised she was pregnant?)
Pedant mode off, for now.
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>>"Going at 40 up the hill, requires you to travel at 60 going down the hill. This uses more fuel than maintaing 50 up and down."
Why does it?
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"Make your mind up. Either you believe fuel is saved by slowing uphill (" because the average speed has been reduced") OR "Keeping an average speed of 50mph up and down the hill uses less fuel".
The two are not synonymous."
What on earth do you mean - "not synonymous"? We're talking about something simple here. EITHER you use less fuel by keeping a constant speed up and down hill - OR you use less fuel by keeping your foot in the same position and letting your speed change.
Which is it? I really want to know.
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footplanting should use less fuel, but your journey time will be longer.
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Can we just conclude that if you want to move your car from one place to another then it's going to use some petrol?
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Any fool knows that acclerating down a hill is easier and uses less fule than a constant speed up a hill.
So bleed speed up, accelerate down..
I average 25mpg accelerating up a hill. Down a hill I can average 80mpg..and accelerate from 30 to 60 - slowly admittedly ...
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Indubitably a male thread, methinks!
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It is better to use Shell on the way up hill, and supermarket fuel going down, but unfortunately you would need two tanks ....
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>> It is better to use Shell on the way up hill, and supermarket fuel going down,
>>but unfortunately you would need two tanks ....
Hybrids...
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Ah, you mean LPG converted vehicles?
I think a tongue was being pressed firmly into a cheek regarding one brand of fuel for going up and another for coming down!
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Mine was tongue in cheek...not to be taken seriously...
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Your here or maybe your there.
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unthrottled, you are not on your game today. :)
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No really, Trilogy, no!
I have a feeling that madf is just being silly on purpose...
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No really, Trilogy, no!
I have a feeling that madf is just being silly on purpose...
Moi? Silly?
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20mpg going up the hill, and 80mpg coming down?!
You're gaining potential energy going up the hill and losing it coming down. Of course, the instantaneous consumption figures will vary wildly.
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Today I approached a hill, drove over it and down the other side without incident.
Just thought I'd share that with the group.
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Excuse me; clearly only those of us blessed with a higher degree in Physics may sensibly traverse hills. Engineers overthink it.
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Excuse me; clearly only those of us blessed with a higher degree in Physics may sensibly traverse hills. Engineers overthink it.
+1
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Speak for yourself - to be honest (as an engineer myself), I wish I'd never brought up the issue with these "foot-planters" - I was meerly stating that I wish some drivers would keep their speed constant unless they needed to slow for a tight bend, for a junction, etc.
I did away with (bothering to) calculate an average speed after completing my Maths GCSE 20+ years ago...a good driver should maintain or adapt their speed tosuit the road conditions, unlike the "foot-planters (the same people who don't use their mirrors and also drive at 60mph in the middle lane of the motorway blissfully unaware of the holdups and annoyance they cause) who appear to do this because they don't know any better, not for "improving mpg" (much better, safer and less annoying ways to do that).
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I have run various car while in business and ran them on the cheapest fuel I could find and this usually was supermarkey diesel never had any problems
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Well every garage technical person I've spoken with only recommend main stream branded fuels.
The reasons they give are they get a disproportate amount of issues with vehicles that have been run on supermarket fuels.
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Disproportionate?
The vast majority of cars run on supermarket fuel, therefore the vast majority of cars with fuel system problems will most likely have run on supermarket fuel.
Do they not cover statistical analysis and mathematics at mechanic school?
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The vast majority of cars run on supermarket fuel, therefore the vast majority of cars with fuel system problems will most likely have run on supermarket fuel.
"vast majority of cars" - Can you substantiate your claims with actual figures please.
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The only actual figures will be those released by the fuel companies - do they publish it?
Anecdotally - about half of "petrolheads" happily use supermarket own label and the other half swear by branded fuel - but amongt the general public, who vastly outnumber petrolheads, the proportion using supermarkets is much higher.
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Supermarkets sell nearly half the fuel in the UK.
tinyurl.com/7pkevfa
FACT.
My view of the inane debate on fuel types is that for the vast majority of car owners it matters not as long as they buy the correct fuel for the car.
For those with extreme usage: mainly cold runs, - it matters not one whit...in most cases if the car design will cope.
If the car design is rubbish then fuel choice may be critical...
Apologies @: can't remove bold type.
Edited by madf on 14/01/2013 at 13:18
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Spermarkets in the UK supply approx one third of the fuel market.If you want to read all the following blurb all will be clear as mud.
Brochure
More information from www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/1239764/
Supermarket Fuel Retail in Europe: Market Size, Retailer Strategies
and Competitive Success
Description: The penetration of supermarkets into the European fuel retailing market varies widely between
individual countries and is influenced by specific individual market dynamics and characteristics.
This report assesses the impact supermarkets have had in breaking into the fuel retailing market in
selected European countries and how this has been achieved.
Scope:
- Analysis into the sites and volumes fuel retailing market shares held by supermarkets and nonsupermarkets
in various European markets.
- Insight into progress made by supermarkets in fuel retail and the main strategies adopted in
specific markets to win market share from oil companies.
- An overview of how market conditions influence the penetration of supermarkets into fuel retailing
and how oil companies are seeking to counter this.
- Profiles of key supermarket retailers active in the fuel retailing sector including coverage of their
fuel, non-fuel and card offerings.
Highlights:
Consumers are increasingly being driven to supermarket service stations because they typically
offer cheaper fuel prices and enticing promotional campaigns. As shown by Datamonitor research,
13% of motorists in Europe are increasingly refilling at supermarket service stations.
While driving customer footfall at their hypermarkets and supermarkets remains the biggest driver
for supermarket fuel retailers, several players in the more mature markets are expanding their fuel
offerings in line with changing environmental regulations and consumer demands.
With the entry of discounters, the landscape of the European service station retail industry may
change significantly, as they will serve to increase pressure on prices in an already low-margin
business. Consequently, traditional fuel retailers will need to balance their prices with their product
and service offerings in order to stay competitive.
Reasons to Purchase:
- Formulate market share objectives for your company and assess performance against your peers
in the supermarket fuel retail sector.
- Develop superior strategies to those of your competitors by understanding the key components of
a successful supermarket fuel retail business.
- Make informed investment decisions by uncovering the size of the supermarket fuel retail market
and the nature of the competition within it.
Contents: Overview
Summary
Executive Summary
Cheaper pricing and promotions is the mainstay of supermarket fuel retailing strategy
Supermarkets’ fuel quality has become a less of an issue for consumers
Supermarkets in mature markets are expanding their fuel offerings
Most supermarkets are not focused on the convenience aspect of service station retailing
France, the UK and Switzerland lead in terms of supermarket service station penetration
Germany, Italy and Belgium are the challenging markets for supermarket service stations
Strategic Issues
Supermarket service stations primarily focus on cheaper fuel prices and promotional offers
Consumer perceptions about supermarket fuel quality will likely improve in the near term
Supermarket fuel retailers are expanding their fuel offer in line with government regulations
Few supermarket retailers have standalone service stations
Most supermarket service stations do not have a forecourt shop
The world’s biggest discounter, Aldi, is now opening service stations at its hypermarkets
European Overview
In France, the UK, and Switzerland, supermarkets hold a double-digit fuel volume share
Supermarkets have a lower network share than fuel volume share
Supermarket Service Station Market in France
In France, supermarkets have a fuel volume share of over 56%
French supermarket retailers have standalone service stations
Supermarkets are at the forefront of the French government’s biofuels initiatives
TOTAL and Shell are planning to reduce the number of fuel outlets in the next two years
Intermarché is the second biggest fuel retailer in France
Carrefour has the second largest supermarket service station network in France
Système U has the largest number of car wash facilities among supermarket retailers
Leclerc’s entire service station network is unmanned
Supermarket Service Station Market in the UK
Supermarkets account for one-third of total fuel sales in the UK
Tesco is the market leader among all the supermarket players in the UK
Consumers are increasingly being attracted by supermarkets’ aggressive pricing strategies
In the UK, most supermarket service stations have separate forecourt shops
Supermarkets do not have standalone service stations in the UK
The UK service station network has contracted by 13% since 2005
Tesco has the largest supermarket service station network in the UK
Morrisons offers a fuel card to business customers
Sainsbury has the third largest number of supermarket service stations in the UK
Asda grabs public attention by initiating price cuts
Supermarket Service Station Market in Switzerland
Switzerland has a concentrated service station retail market
Supermarkets have standalone service stations in Switzerland
Migrol has partnered with Shell to expand its fuel offering
Coop is the second largest fuel retailer in Switzerland
Migrol service stations sell Shell branded fuels
Supermarket Service Station Market in Spain
The penetration of supermarkets in the Spanish service station retail market is quite low
Supermarket service stations are set to grow as the government reduces restrictions
Supermarket service stations are gaining in popularity in Spain
Most Spanish supermarket service stations do not feature a forecourt shop
Carrefour has the largest service station network among Spanish supermarket players
Eroski fuel outlets were ranked highest in the 2009 ISSCE Consumer Satisfaction Index
Alcampo, a subsidiary of Auchan, also has supermarket service stations in Spain
Supermarket Service Station Market in the Czech Republic
Supermarkets have a high single-digit fuel volume share in Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has a high density of service stations
Czech motorists have been switching to supermarkets for their fuel
Ahold is the largest supermarket fuel retailer in the Czech Republic
Globus offers a pre-paid card for car washes in the Czech Republic
Tesco has service stations in the Czech Republic as well as Slovakia, and Hungary
Supermarket Service Station Market in Poland
The number of supermarket service stations in Poland has grown rapidly since 2005
The Polish service station retail market is fragmented
Supermarket retailers are likely to expand their service station networks in the near term
In Poland, Carrefour has the largest network of supermarket service stations
Tesco has the second largest number of supermarket service stations in Poland
Supermarket Service Station Market in Belgium
Supermarket penetration in the Belgian service station retail market is low
Belgium’s service station network is highly concentrated
Colruyt owns the largest supermarket service station network in Belgium
Other countries
Other countries have low rates of supermarket service station penetration
Very few supermarket players in Germany have their own branded service stations
Italy has very few supermarket branded service stations
Auchan-owned Jumbo, opened the first supermarket fuel outlet in Portugal
In Ireland, Tesco has service stations alongside its stores
APPENDIX
Definitions
Methodology
Further reading
Ask the analyst
Datamonitor consulting
Disclaimer
TABLE OF FIGURES:
Figure 1: 13% of motorists are using supermarkets more
Figure 2: Supermarkets have received a great deal of media attention for their expansion into the
service station channel
Figure 3: Supermarket penetration in Europe by fuel volume share
Figure 4: Supermarket penetration in Europe by number of service stations
Figure 5: Number of service stations by company in France
Figure 6: Market share by company in France
Figure 7: Growth of service stations in France (2005–2010e)
Figure 8: A Mousquetaires service station in France
Figure 9: Intermarché’s sub-brand Roady offers vehicle repairs, equipment and breakdown services
Figure 10: Intermarché’s Mousquetaires credit card
Figure 11: A Carrefour service station in France
Figure 12: Carrefour’s fuel vouchers for business customers
Figure 13: A Système U service station in France
Figure 14: Système U’s Visa card
Figure 15: A Leclerc service station in France
Figure 16: Leclerc’s Energeo fuel card
Figure 17: Number of service stations by company in the UK
Figure 18: Market share by company in the UK
Figure 19: Growth of service stations in the UK (2005–2010E)
Figure 20: A Tesco service station in the UK
Figure 21: Tesco’s Clubcard, Clubcard credit card and promotional offer on fuel
Figure 22: A Morrisons service station in the UK
Figure 23: Morrisons Miles card and fuelGenie card
Figure 24: A Sainsbury service station in the UK
Figure 25: Sainsbury bundles shop products and fuel in promotional offers
Figure 26: An Asda service station in the UK
Figure 27: Number of service stations by company in Switzerland
Figure 28: Market share by company in Switzerland
Figure 29: Growth of service stations in Switzerland (2005–2010E)
Figure 30: A Coop service station in Switzerland
Figure 31: Coop service stations are located alongside Coop Pronto convenience shops
Figure 32: Coop’s Super card functions as a credit card as well as a loyalty card
Figure 33: Migrol’s new format Migrolino shop
Figure 34: Migrol’s fuel cards for private and business customers
Figure 35: Number of service stations by company in Spain
Figure 36: Market share by company in Spain
Figure 37: Growth of service stations in Spain (2005–2010E)
Figure 38: A Carrefour service station in Spain
Figure 39: Carrefour’s El Club card
Figure 40: An Eroski service station in Spain
Figure 41: Eroski Red Visa card and Cajastur credit cards
Figure 42: An Alcampo service station in Spain
Figure 43: Alcampo's payment card offers discounts on fuel
Figure 44: Number of service stations by company in Czech Republic
Figure 45: Market share by company in Czech Republic
Figure 46: Growth of service stations in Czech Republic (2005–2010E)
Figure 47: An Albert service station in the Czech Republic
Figure 48: The Pecet Kvality stamp denotes fuel quality
Figure 49: A Globus service station in the Czech Republic
Figure 50: Globus’ pre-paid car wash card
Figure 51: Number of service stations by company in Poland
Figure 52: Growth of service stations in Poland (2005–2010e)
Figure 53: Market share by company in Poland
Figure 54: A Carrefour service station in Poland
Figure 55: Carrefour’s Visa Card in Poland
Figure 56: A Tesco service station in Poland
Figure 57: Tesco’s MasterCard and promotional offer in Poland
Figure 58: Number of service stations by company in Belgium
Figure 59: Market share by company in Belgium
Figure 60: A DATS 24 service station in Belgium
Figure 61: DATS 24 fuel card
Figure 62: A Jumbo service station in Portugal
Figure 63: A Tesco service station in Ireland
TABLE OF TABLES:
Table 1: Carrefour offers discount coupons on fuel purchases
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"vast majority of cars" - Can you substantiate your claims with actual figures please.
I'm working on a simple guesstimation. We keep being told independent petrol station are dying off, most petrol stations out there are supermarket ones with Shell and BP making up most of the rest. Supermarkets are generally the cheapest so it stands to reason they'd be most popular.
Even if only half of the fuel sold is sold via supermarkets that doesn't mean either of those halves is distributed evenly to the cars in Britain. I want to know how many cars regularly run on supermarket fuel, not how much fuel is sold via them.
Half of that non supermarket fuel might be to 10% of cars for all we know.
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I want to know how many cars regularly run on supermarket fuel, not how much fuel is sold via them.
Can you let us know when you've done the research - I doubt that anyone else has!
Many people, possibly most, can't remember where they refuel their cars!
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Exactly.
Most people refuel wherever is cheapest/wherever they run out.
Most of the cheapest petrol stations are supermarkets.
Most of the most conveniently placed petrol stations are supermarkets.
Most people don't have fuel system problems.
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There is only one car that fills up at supermarkets but they do a high mileage ,I think a third of UK sales will give you a fair cross section of drivers and number of vehicles.
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Thank you to those who have provided actual factual information.
Those who speculate along the lines of "Most..." "Many..." you're wasting your time; you won't convince anyone with stuff like that unless you can support it with a giant survey of factual data. You need to provide factual information, if not then please rephrase and consider what you actually want to convey to the readers.
Providing factual & truthful information is the best way to help others make informed decisions.
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Nobody has collated the info I want to read, so what do you expect me to do?
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Unthrottled - I'm still keen to understand your statement: "Going at 40 up the hill, requires you to travel at 60 going down the hill. This uses more fuel than maintaing 50 up and down."
I think I grasp it, but I've not convinced myself.
My car is going at 50mph on the flat. It then encounters a hill 0.5 miles long which has a constant slope SUCH THAT if I keep the throttle position exactly the same, by the time my car reaches the top, its speed has slowed to 40 mph. The downward side of the hill has the same angle of slope and is equally 0.5 miles long, before reverting to flat, at which point I expect to resume 50mph.
That defines the geography. So there are then 3 scenarios:
A) I adjust the throttle opening to maintain 50mph all the way up and all the way down.
B) I keep the throttle opening constant on the upward side, going over the peak of the hill at 40mph, and then do whatever is necessary with the throttle on the downward side to ensure I have maintained a 50mph average over the 1 mile of the hill, before ending up back at 50mph when the car is back on the flat.
C) At the start of the hill I somehow contrive to switch immediately from 50 mph to 40mph, maintain a constant 40mph all the way UP the hill, then, at the top, I somehow contrive to switch immediately from 40mph to speed 'X', X being the speed at which my average speed up and down the hill is 50mph, and I maintain speed X constantly all the way down the hill until I immediately switch to 50mph again at the bottom of the hill.
So in all 3 scenarios 50mph is averaged throughout. My journey takes exactly the same time.
Which, if any, scenario uses least fuel, and why?
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Must be the best thread ever.
Started off as the Top 20 Daftest Questions.
Now I am totally lost with the meaningless nonsense relating to going up and down hills.
For pity's sake please, please, please, if you are going to test out this nonsense please post where and when its happening. Don't want to be in a queue doing between 20 mph and 80 mph on a motorway between here and London.
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I'd still like to hear Unthrottled's explanation to this *hypothetical* scenario.
Despite the hypotheticalness,
"in a queue doing between 20 mph and 80 mph on a motorway between here and London" - sounds like ANY real-life day on a motorway to me...
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"in a queue doing between 20 mph and 80 mph on a motorway between here and London" - sounds like ANY real-life day on a motorway to me...
Not thought about that but that is very true.
Based on that I know for a fact that in traffic of that type I get less mpg than driving at a steady 70 mph.
So its now proven.
Lets move on.
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I like question 10 - "Can I be fined for moving out of the way for an emergency vehicle?"
I've seen cars almost climbing up traffic lights to get out of the way, others vehicles drive onto pavements, people seem to quickly panic.
What would/do you do in such a situation ?
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I like question 10 - "Can I be fined for moving out of the way for an emergency vehicle?"
I've seen cars almost climbing up traffic lights to get out of the way, others vehicles drive onto pavements, people seem to quickly panic.
What would/do you do in such a situation ?
As soon as I hear, or see, an emergency vehicle I try to plan very quickly where I can let them past with best benefit for them - on a very narrow road I have put my foot down as it would obviously be a slow pass if they came through in the narrow section.
More than once I've selected a place to pull over, only for the car behind me to overtake and then see the emergency vehicle very late, causing it to slow down !!
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My car is going at 50mph on the flat. It then encounters a hill 0.5 miles long which has a constant slope SUCH THAT if I keep the throttle position exactly the same, by the time my car reaches the top, its speed has slowed to 40 mph. The downward side of the hill has the same angle of slope and is equally 0.5 miles long, before reverting to flat, at which point I expect to resume 50mph.
I see your confusion. The hill is a red herring! What you appear to "lose" by going up the hill is actually being turned into potential energy-which is given back to when you go down the other side ie it is reversible.
What isn't reversible is air resistance. This is because air resistance scales with velocity cubed (but your journey time scales with 1/speed so the affect of air resistance on fuel consumption is Speed cubed/speed=speed squared.
If we set the air resistence at 50mph to 1 then the air resistance at 40mph=0.64.
But the air resistence at 60mph is 1.44. The average of 0.64+144 is 1.04 which is greater than 1.
Not a big difference, but still there! This is why I'm not so keen on driving with a fuel confuser. Just because you get an instantaneous reading of 20mpg, doesn't mean your overall consumption will be poor.
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Ah, but as you go up the hill, the air density reduces which reduces the aerodynamic drag .......... go faster over hills and not waste fuel!
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