KEY POINTS:
V8 Supercar driver Greg Murphy's focus has shifted from the speedometer to the fuel gauge as he competes in the AA EnergyWise Rally this week.
Murphy was behind the wheel of a Holden Astra yesterday, one of more than 50 cars to start the four-day rally in Auckland.
The drivers will traverse the North Island in a bid to identify the most fuel-efficient vehicles and the most effective fuel-saving driving techniques.
The organisers' fuel-saving tips included avoiding short trips, limiting the use of air conditioning and driving smoothly. They said travelling at 100km/h instead of 110km/h on the open road could cut fuel bills about 13 per cent. Two hybrid vehicles entered the rally and one powered by LPG. Most run on diesel or petrol.
AA Technical Services general manager Stella Stocks said the winner would be determined by a combination of factors, such as fuel and car type and the driver's attitude.
She said despite the focus being on efficiency, not speed, the big-name racers, including Murphy and fellow V8 Supercar driver Jason Richards, were eager to claim the title.
"The competitive nature still comes through regardless," she said. The rally, held every two years, is due to finish in Auckland on Thursday.
