Tapping the Lexus ECO Button Can Reduce Your Carbon Emissions By Up to 26%
A one-week Lexus ECO button experiment with 2,000 vehicles traveling 483,000 miles saved over 5,000 gallons of gas!
Lexus and Toyota driving modes — with names like Normal, Sport, Custom, Eco, etc — adjust a variety of computer and drivetrain parameters. Things like throttle mapping (more or less aggressive acceleration based on pedal input), transmission shifting (again, more or less aggressive), and traction control settings (how much fun will the computer let you have). The Lexus ECO button or driving mode, as the name implies, is designed to be the most fuel-efficient. It “remaps throttle inputs for gentler acceleration and optimizes the HVAC to conserve energy.”
Similarly, certain Hybrid Lexus and Toyota vehicles also offer an EV mode button, which forces the vehicle to operate on battery-only as much as it can. EV mode is typically limited to about 20 mph and turns off if brisk acceleration is requested. But in certain places — bumper-to-bumper traffic, parking lots, and driveways — it temporarily turns a Hybrid into an all-electric vehicle.
As proof of how effective the ECO button or EV mode can truly be, Toyota Connected North America (TCNA) conducted a week-long experiment last month that demonstrated how these modes can drop carbon emissions dramatically and save you hard-earned cash at the pump.
The Experiment
Over a one-week period — April 19-25 — TCNA gathered real-time fuel economy data from 2,000-plus Lexus and Toyota company vehicles driving exclusively in ECO and/or EV mode. The test vehicles, owned primarily by Toyota employees and their families, traveled over 483,000 cumulative miles during the experiment. Afterward, TCNA’s analysts compared the test-week data to data captured outside the test week. The total data set covered 2.5 million miles.
Basically, TCNA wanted to see if and how ECO mode helped the environment, and, wow, the results are pretty darn impressive.
The Results
As the United States government pushes the domestic auto industry toward an all-electric future, it’s important to point out how well low-emission and near-zero-emission vehicles currently perform. Especially when features like ECO mode are engaged. TCNA describes its results as estimates, so naturally further studies (and ones not involving the parent company’s vehicles) should be conducted for more conclusive results. Still, here’s how much emissions were reduced:
- The equivalent of 748 trees sequestering carbon for 10 years
- 45,235,623 g of CO2 reduction of greenhouse gases compared to the baseline
- 5,091 gallons of gasoline saved
- $18,304 of fuel cost savings based on the national average
And remember, this is only 2,000 vehicles for one week.
Imagine doing this for a year with millions of cars and trucks.
Perhaps most interesting was how the results broke down by powertrain. If you own a Hybrid Lexus, for example, CO2 tailpipe emissions only dropped by 4% while using the ECO button. However, for gas-only Lexus models, tailpipe emissions dropped by up to 26%, which is truly impressive.
Overall, this is a reminder that the number one way to improve fuel economy on any vehicle is to get ahold of the venerable Right Foot Mod. Aka, be gentle with the accelerator. And the Eco button helps with that. So, again, these aren’t conclusive results. But if you’re looking to go a little greener. If you’re looking to save a few bucks at the pump. Try out Eco mode if your car’s equipped. Because you can actually make a real-world difference.
What do YOU think about ECO mode?
Let us know HERE in the forums!
Photos: Michael S. Palmer
