How to reduce fuel consumption – 9 tips and how much you really save

Every litre less per 100 km saves €2.35 per 100 km at today's average petrol price in Germany (€2.35/l), and €352 a year at 15,000 km. Going from 7.5 l to 6.5 l in a petrol car is realistic without changing cars – it just takes a few new habits.

What one litre less is worth

Based on German average prices from 28 September 2026. In Poland, where fuel is cheaper, one litre less per 100 km is worth €278 a year at 15,000 km.

9 ways to use less fuel

1. Slow down on the motorway. Air resistance grows with the square of speed, so 120 km/h instead of 140 km/h typically saves well over ten percent of fuel. On a long holiday drive that's anything from a few litres to well over ten, and the trip takes less extra time than you'd think.
2. Drive smoothly. Hard acceleration and braking turn fuel into brake heat. Look far ahead and lift off the accelerator early.
3. Use engine braking. When you coast in gear with your foot off the accelerator, a modern fuel-injected engine uses no fuel at all. In neutral it has to idle, which does use fuel.
4. Change up earlier. Lower revs in a higher gear use less fuel – as long as the engine isn't labouring.
5. Check your tyre pressure. Under-inflated tyres raise rolling resistance and fuel use, and wear out faster. Check them monthly and before a long trip, and when fully loaded use the full-load pressure shown on the door pillar or fuel flap.
6. Take the roof box off when you're not using it. A roof box or bars can raise consumption by well over ten percent at motorway speeds. The same luggage inside the car weighs the same but adds no drag.
7. Don't carry what you don't need. Extra weight costs fuel when pulling away and climbing hills, especially in town.
8. Use air conditioning sensibly. Air conditioning increases consumption, most of all in town. At motorway speeds open windows add drag too, so there the air conditioning is usually the better choice.
9. Avoid short trips on a cold engine. A cold engine uses the most fuel, and on a 2–3 km trip it never warms up. Combining errands into one trip uses less fuel than separate journeys.

Example: Wrocław – Munich

On the 723 km drive from Wrocław to Munich, a petrol car using 7.5 l/100 km burns €121 worth of fuel. At 6.5 l it drops to €105, one way.

Cheaper fuel is the other half of the saving

Using less fuel is one thing; the price per litre is another. On a trip through several countries, fuel prices can differ by tens of cents per litre, so it pays to know where to fill up near the border. Cost your own trip at your own consumption in the Tankful calculator.