Crunch Time

Last Thursday, this same newspaper published a story in the Business section with the headline "RP has 1 of the lowest pump prices in East Asia". According to the Department of Energy, a liter of unleaded gasoline costs P32.93 here while our neighbors in Thailand have to shell out P36.25. In Hong Kong, it’s nearly triple the cost: P93.81. Our diesel costs P30.95 a liter against P31.95 in Thailand and P58.31 in Hong Kong.

Furthermore, price increases for unleaded gasoline and diesel "rose by only 18 percent and 33, percent, respectively, from their December 2004 levels compared to the 61 percent and 42 percent increase in their prices in the international market for the same period". In other words, if this is the only picture we need to see, the fuel tank is half-full.

So why don’t I, and doubtless many, many other motorists, feel better? Because with the way things are going, prices will only increase over the next few months while the country stays as poor as ever. According to the World Bank Atlas method, the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita was a mere $1,050 in 2003. Last year, it was $1,170 compared to $2,540 for Thailand and $26,810 for Hong Kong.

Comparing countries using the Purchasing Power Parity method, which takes into account the purchasing powers of different currencies and eliminates price level differences between countries, Philippine PPP is $4,890, Thailand is $8,020, and Hong Kong is $31,510. So while Thailand and Hong Kong are paying more at the pump, they’re also in a much better financial position than we are to do so. With few exceptions, wages are barely keeping up with inflation — if increasing at all — and jobs are as scarce as ever for the unemployed and those thinking of moving on to a different employer.

The ongoing saga of fuel price increases isn’t just told at the gas pump. You can see it with "sales" at almost every retailer any day of the week, paylite/low down/flexi-term financing schemes for items that are now so common people aren’t biting right away because they know the "limited offer" will come back as soon as a particular promo period ends, and of course, with the increasing popularity of economy cars like the Kia Picanto, Hyundai Getz, and Honda Jazz.

Just the other week, I saw a full size Dodge van — probably less than 6 years old — parked at a curb with a fire sale price of just P350,000. A couple of months ago, I saw a Chevrolet Silverado — less than 2 years old - with an asking price of around P600,000; half of what the seller paid for the truck when it was brand new. Talk about a radical depreciation! And as far as I can tell, both the van and the truck are still looking for buyers.

The good times are well and truly over. Gone are the days when a red-blooded driver could gun the engine every once in a while to feel alive after a week of trolling through EDSA traffic. Gone are the days when an SUV owner could shrug off a pathetic 5-kilometer per liter performance as the price of all-wheel drive security and a ‘rugged image’. I know of more than a few friends who are now regretting their purchase of an SUV a few years ago.

In a few more weeks, as further price increases happen and the EVAT probably takes effect, we will see a more than 100-percent increase in unleaded and diesel prices compared to just 2 years ago. Don’t expect gas to cost less than P20 a liter like it used to in 2003. That’s a doubling of any motorists’ monthly budget for fuel, and the effect will spill over into reduced spending for other goods and services like clothes, food, and purchases that can be postponed for later like electronics and luxury items.

Actually, I heard fellow Philippine STAR contributor James Deakin talk about fuel issues a couple of weeks ago on his Counterflow talk show at 103.5 K-LITE, and I almost got a heart attack on the road when he seriously said it could reach as high as P50 a liter. To quote from a fuel company’s ongoing radio commercial, "Oh, my gas!!!" You can’t do anything to stop the price increases, but you can do something about getting more mileage out of a full tank. You don’t need to be like local motorsports legend Pocholo Ramirez to get a thousand kilometers out of one full tank, but you can emulate some proven techniques that work in racing as it does for miserly driving.

First, re-assess your driving style. Generally speaking, the smoother you accelerate, brake, and cruise, the less fuel you’ll consume. Lead-foot drivers get the worst fuel economy because they’re always surging on the road, opening and closing the throttle, wasting energy accelerating and decelerating when it’s far more efficient (and less stressful) to cruise between points.

Second, find your engine’s sweet spot. Lately, the government has been putting up signs to maintain 80kph on the highways because that’s the most economical speed, but I think that’s a questionable statement. The ‘sweet spot’, by my definition, is 1) the cruising speed at the highway where you are not infuriating motorists behind you with a snail’s pace, 2) the drivetrain is in the highest gear (usually 5th or, for luxury cars, 6th gear), and 3) the engine is turning over at a relaxed rpm without bogging down and there is still sufficient torque to overtake if need be without having to downshift unless you’re really in a hurry. With my 2-liter car, that’s around 2,000 to 2,500 rpm in 5th gear. I get to where I need to go almost as quickly as the guy revving his engine like there’s no tomorrow, except I can go farther with less stress, to boot.

Third, minimize rolling and wind resistance. It’s simple: fatter tires and blockier aerodynamics = more gas to pull a car around. Honestly, I have this urge to get a nice set of 17-inch wheels and low-profile tires for purely cosmetic purposes, but the penalty in fuel economy keeps holding me back. It’s also bereft of air dams, spoilers, and roof or trunk racks, and anything else that would mess up its 0.29 drag coefficient.

So, I have a very plain-looking Mitsubishi Galant, but it does give me an average of 9 kilometers to a liter in city driving. That’s about as much as a 1.6-liter car, and maybe 1 or 2kpl better than most 2-liter owners, all because I regularly practice fuel-saving techniques. Actually, at its best in the city, I got 9.8kpl. How?

Through a mixture of slipstreaming and timeliness. Racers do it all the time, so I figured why not do it on the road? It’s not like the textbook "1 car length for every 10kph of road speed" is actually applicable, so I draft behind other vehicles whenever possible; 2 or 3 car lengths is safe enough for me to brake in case the car in front suddenly stops. It’s estimated that you can save as much as 30% of your vehicle energy by slipstreaming alone.

Finally, and I realize this may not be realistic to people that have regular working hours, avoid driving at known peak hours. EDSA is an absolute hellhole going south in the mornings and between 2 and 4 pm, so I never drive there unless I really have to. My fuel consumption goes up whenever I’m stuck there, not to mention my kropek and fish cracker consumption. And you know you’re really stuck when you actually resort to eating on the road to pass the time.

Here are just a few of the things that you Backseat Drivers had to say from last week…

Mr. Dizon, last night, I updated my cellphone directory and deleted 117. After reading your column today, I was more convinced that I actually did the right thing. — 09175381233

Is there a rule against using sirens? Many private vehicles are using it even though they are not authorized to use it. — 09226589279 (Oh there’s a rule, alright. And the authorities are implementing it only now. Even high-profile local officials are finally being caught and reprimanded.)

Why can’t our metro roads be like the NLEX? We pay road user’s tax, don’t we? — 09165847432

Speak out, be heard and keep those text messages coming in. To say your piece and become a "Backseat Driver", text PHILSTAR<space>FB<space>MOTORING<space>YOUR MESSAGE and send to 2333 if you’re a Globe or Touch Mobile subscriber or 334 if you’re a Smart or Talk ’n Text subscriber or 2840 if you’re a Sun Cellular subscriber. Please keep your messages down to a manageable 160 characters. You may send a series of comments using the same parameters.