Drivers told they should accelerate HARDER to save fuel and travel further on a tank – here’s why….

THE cost of fuel has been slowly returning to normal following the recent spikes, but it remains a major cost for all motorists. Saving fuel and money is usually associated with driving slowly and smoothly, but some university research suggests otherwise. University research suggests that getting up to speed more quickly will save you fuelGetty Images When getting up to speed most people assume that accelerating gently over a longer period is the most fuel-efficient way. However, research by various universities and researchers all suggests accelerating harder is better. The research was analysed by Select Car Leasing and Graham Conway, the firm’s managing director said:  “When you look at the science behind fuel economy, it runs contrary to what the vast majority of people might expect.  “As a rough rule of thumb, taking longer to get up to speed does not use less fuel, because your engine is having to use fuel for a longer period of time than if you get up to speed with traffic more briskly.” Most read in Motors SPEED DEMON New £2.6m Hennessey Venom F5 hypercar aims to become ‘world’s fastest vehicle’ CLOSE PASS Watch truck ‘punishment-pass’ cyclist who ‘barged’ queue… whose side are you on? BEIGE BUS We bought an old bus for £2,000 and converted it into a luxury motorhome TAKE COVER The most common car insurance mistakes revealed – it could cost you £1,000s PARK OFF The hardest places in the UK to find a parking space have been revealed PARKING WARS Moment man stands guard over car parking space blocking van in furious row However, he pointed out: “Going hell for leather off the lights with your foot to the floor won’t help fuel economy. “Aiming for two-thirds of maximum throttle while getting up through the gears as quickly as you can is recommended by many.” All the research suggests that the end goal is cruising in the highest gear with the lowest revs to save the most on fuel when you’re at your desired speed.  But experts suggest that the sooner you get to that cruising speed, the better, keeping the revs as low as possible while doing so. Win a VW Transporter from just 89p SUN readers can win a stunning VW Transporter plus £2,000 in cash for just 89p with the Sun’s exclusive discount! We have teamed up with 7days Performance to offer you a special discounted chance to win the amazing car this week. Using the code SUN10, you will get 10p off the normal price of 99p. Enter the competition HERE Full terms and conditions can be found here Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org In 2015, experts from Cairo University looked at fuel consumption when a Kia hatchback with a 1.6-litre petrol engine was driven in three different ways – ‘aggressive’, ‘normal’ and ‘mild’. They found that ‘the fuel consumed decreased as the degree of aggressiveness increased due to the fact that the vehicle time spent during acceleration was less.’ Last year, experts from two Polish universities – Opole University of Technology and Wrocław University of Science and Technology – came to the same conclusions. The research looked at the ‘acceleration intensity on energy consumption and drive efficiency for a passenger vehicle,’ using a Toyota C-HR with a 1.2-litre petrol engine.  READ MORE ON DRIVING TIPS YOU’RE NO FUEL Fuel-saving techniques every driver should know FILL UP I’m a driving expert – here are simple tweaks you can do to cut your fuel bill The car was accelerated from 20mph to 75mph and, again, the academics found that going easy on the accelerator was not the best way to maximise fuel efficiency. Speaking in 2005, Mark Dougherty, a professor at Dalarna University, said: “It’s not commonly understood by people who drive. “They think that the way to get the best fuel economy is to accelerate very gently, but that proves not to be the case. “The best thing is to accelerate briskly and shift. “Don’t give it everything the car has, but push down when you’re going to shift, using maybe two-thirds of the available power, and change through the gears relatively quickly.” Read More on The Sun out of line Watch the moment Holly and Phil ‘jump the HUGE queue to see the Queen’s coffin’ FAMILY TIES William & Harry have a ‘forgotten’ stepsister & she was at the Queen’s funeral