You are driving a motor vehicle with a manual gearbox on a level carriageway. How should you change gears so as to drive in a particularly environmentally conscious and economical way?

Changing up gears as early as possible helps to keep the engine running at lower revolutions per minute (RPM), which reduces fuel consumption and emissions. Similarly, changing down as late as possible avoids unnecessary high engine speeds and helps maintain fuel efficiency. In contrast, driving until the upper engine speed range before shifting up leads to higher fuel use and increased emissions. Thus, to drive in an environmentally friendly and economical way, you should shift up early and shift down late to keep the engine operating smoothly at low to moderate RPMs.