Multivariate analysis of fuel consumption related to eco-driving: Interaction of driving patterns and external factors

Eco-driving, as individual car-use behavior, is a cost-effective way of improving fuel efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions and other air pollutants like NOx. This paper aims to expand the knowledge on the short-term impacts of eco-driving by developing an analytical model of the key factors that explain fuel consumption and eco-driving, and to examine their relations in greater depth. Additionally, this paper analyses the effects on drivers' stress levels after eco-driving.An eco-driving field trial is applied to collect real data of 1156 trips, using two vehicles and 24 drivers (42% Female; Age, M = 30.15; Years of driving experience, M = 10.30) in two Spanish cities with different road characteristics. A sequential method involving factor analysis, regression analysis and path analysis is used to analyze the sample.The results confirm that eco-driving is strongly affected by driving behavior like deceleration rate, RPM and speed, also showing that external factors as congestion and road slope have a direct influence on fuel consumption. The results also reveal that perceived stress levels vary among drivers, but there is not significant change when drivers eco driving.