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University of Tsukuba Eco-driving Class
(2010.02.28)
The University of Tsukuba eco-driving class was held in the Laboratory of Advanced Research Building A on February 28‚ 2010.
Tsukuba City compiled "Tsukuba Kankyo Style Kodo Keikaku [Action plan for Tsukuba environment]" in an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emission by 50% by 2030. To realize this‚ the city plans to hold eco-driving classes expecting a total number of 30‚000 citizens attend it. The University of Tsukuba took an initiative by organizing this eco-driving class before the full-fledged project begins.
Eight students and four staff members at the university participated in the class. After the address by Professor Tsutomu Suzuki (Doctoral Program in Risk Engineering‚ Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering)‚ participants drove their cars with normal speed on the university loop line (1.5 km) and measured the amount of fuel consumed. Then they took lectures on eco-driving and learned eco-driving techniques. The participants drove their cars on the same road to measure the amount of fuel consumed.
The participants exchanged opinions regarding the data collected from fuel consumption monitors attached to their cars. They found that on average eco-driving reduces fuel consumption by around 20%. One participant even managed to reduce it to as much as 34%. It showed that making small changes in driving can reduce fuel use and prove economically sound as well. Professor Suzuki expressed his hope that participants practice eco-driving on a daily basis and join the eco-driving movement.
Eco-City Promotion Group will continue to hold this class and work on the development of eco-driving curriculum that takes the Tsukuba's features into account‚ member training‚ dissemination of the project‚ and management of diffusion effects.
