Using on-board data logging devices to study the longer-term impact of an eco-driving course (vol 14, pg 514, 2009)

This paper presents a re-analysis of the data used in a previously published paper 'Using on-board data logging devices to study the longer-term impact of an eco-driving course' by Beusen et al. In this paper the effect of an eco-driving course on fuel consumption was studied. The fuel consumption of 10 drivers was monitored during a year. After half a year they received an eco-driving course. The main conclusion of this paper was that fuel consumption was reduced with 5.8% after the course and that the effect for the group as a whole was permanent up to 6 months after the course. The data were analyzed again, including the effect of the ambient temperature on fuel consumption. A higher ambient temperature results in a lower fuel consumption. The main conclusion of our first paper still holds: an eco-driving course results in a significant decrease of the fuel consumption. However, this effect is gradually lost in the months after the course. In the first paper the effect seemed permanent because it was masked by the effect of increasing ambient temperature. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.