[2022 Fuel Efficiency King] "No '3rd gear', maximize coasting"... The secret to exceeding official fuel economy

Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition Overall Winner Mr. Lee Jaewook

On the 12th, Lee Jae-wook, who won the overall championship at the '2022 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition' held at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi Province, is posing. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] "I paid attention to knowing the vehicle's shift timing and coasting. Maintaining a steady speed while keeping my foot off the pedal as much as possible proved effective."

This is what Mr. Lee Jae-wook, the overall winner of the '2022 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition' held on the 12th near Seohanam IC in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi Province at the Korea Expressway Corporation's Seoul Metropolitan Headquarters, said. Mr. Lee achieved a 420% improvement rate compared to the official fuel efficiency, ranking first on the day. This means he performed more than five times better than the official fuel efficiency.

Mr. Lee participated in the imported gasoline car category with a Maserati Quattroporte S Q4. It is not a vehicle known for good fuel efficiency due to its large engine displacement. He said, "Although I usually drive other cars, I considered this vehicle to have the best improvement rate compared to the official fuel efficiency," adding, "I conducted two preliminary reconnaissance trips before the competition to familiarize myself with the route."

On the 12th, award winners from each category are posing for a commemorative photo at the '2022 Asia Economy Fuel Efficiency King Competition' held at the Korea Expressway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Mr. Lee said he usually pays attention to avoiding the so-called three aggressive driving behaviors: sudden starts, rapid acceleration, and sudden deceleration, to improve fuel efficiency. In addition, he learned the optimal driving method to enhance the vehicle's efficiency.

He said, "For this vehicle, the shift occurs at 2000 rpm, but I shifted at about 1200 rpm myself to save fuel," adding, "I also emptied the trunk to reduce weight."

Mr. Lee, who runs a private business in Asan, Chungnam, participated with his colleagues on this day. He learned about the competition through an acquaintance three years ago and this was his third participation. Since the winning teams in each category had improvement rates in the high 200% range, Mr. Lee's fuel efficiency improvement rate became a hot topic among participants and judges on the day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.