The Tech Tidbit
3. How Your Car Thinks
So, why exactly is coasting less fuel-efficient in many modern cars? It all comes down to something called "fuel cut-off." This nifty feature is designed to conserve fuel when you're not actively accelerating. When you lift your foot off the gas pedal while in gear, the car's computer recognizes that you don't need fuel to propel the vehicle. Instead, the wheels are turning the engine, so the engine doesn't need fuel to keep turning. Pretty clever, huh?
However, when you coast in neutral, the engine is idling, and the car is injecting fuel to keep the engine running. Therefore, if you let the engine help slow down the car by keeping it in gear, your car will know and cut off the fuel. As a result, more efficient fuel cut-off occur. You're getting better fuel economy, and you're also helping to maintain control of your vehicle. It's a win-win!
It's like your car is saying, "Hey, I got this! You don't need to waste fuel. I'll take care of slowing us down." But if you put the car in neutral, the computer thinks, "Oh, they want me to keep the engine running. Better inject some fuel!" So, trusting your car's technology can be a powerful tool in your quest to stop coasting.
This fuel cut-off technology is incredibly effective, but it only works when you're in gear. That means using engine braking is actually more fuel-efficient than coasting. Learning how your car thinks and how its various systems operate will make you a better and more efficient driver.
