To achieve energy saving and reduction in an exhaust gas amount when a vehicle decelerates in the vehicle which uses an engine as a single driving source such as a gasoline engine vehicle or a diesel engine vehicle.

When a vehicle decelerates with a specific target point, an energy saving travel control method minimizes loads of drive wheels by disconnecting drive power transmission between an engine and the drive wheels and thereby enabling the vehicle to decelerate by making maximum use of motion energy for coasting. The energy saving travel control method also performs engine control, independent from a drive wheel operating state, for normally driving an alternator and a compressor which are main engine loads during coasting.