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Many automotive engineers do not associate drive-by-wire control with any improvement whatsoever in fuel economy. Nevertheless, computer simulations have now been based on stationary engine dynamometer testing of a recalibrated production engine, and these simulations of actual driving strongly suggest that fuel economy improvements in the area of 10% will result from utilizing a drive-by-wire approach which employs several novel features. Notable among these features are a dual wide-open-throttle engine calibration originated for use with continuously variable transmissions and a transmission shift control strategy which relies on electronically stored engine performance data in lieu of any form of transmission shift map.

Maximum fuel economy and Low exhaust emissions can exist together if a predominantly wide-open-throttle engine operating schedule is used to complement a continuously variable transmission. Moreover, the concurrently required engine re-calibration often entails less effort than the more usual fuel consumption and emission mapping procedure.