Reducing fuel consumption not only helps reduce the harmful emissions your tailpipe is spewing out, but it also helps to improve your mpg and reduce fuel spend; in some cases it can make a real, tangible difference, especially with the sustained rise in fuel prices. When car pools, catching the bus, or cycling aren’t options then there are some driving techniques that are considered green and will also prove frugal.
1 - Carefully Plan Your Trip
This may sound a little excessive if you’re just nipping to the local store for some groceries, but avoiding lengthy delays, steep hills, and a stop-start journey is the most efficient method of getting from A to B and consuming less gas in the process.
2 - Drive Sensibly
Quick acceleration and last minute braking can provide up to as much as five times the emission level as considerate driving. It will also only save you a negligible amount of time but cost you considerably more in gasoline consumption. Saving energy means driving less aggressively.
3 - Minimize Air Conditioning
Using the air conditioning can increase your fuel consumption by as much as 10%. Use a window or the car’s ventilation fans to get a cool breeze and limit the amount of time you use the air conditioning to times that are critical.
4 - Look After Your Car
Tyre pressure, oil level, and engine condition can all have a detrimental effect on gas consumption. By regularly ensuring that your car is serviced, your tyres pumped, and that you keep your vehicle in generally good condition, you will be helping protect the environment and reducing the money you spend every month on fuel.
5 - Buy Green
When shopping for your next car look for hybrid models or consider downsizing your engine. Smaller cars use less gas than larger cars, and hybrids use even less still. A greater number of hybrids are becoming available on the marketplace and the technology is constantly improving.
6 - Use It Less
Of course, the best way to stop producing emissions and consuming petrol is to stop driving, but the car has become a major part of life; more a necessity than a luxury. We drive to work, drop the kids off at school, drive home from work, drive to the store to get groceries, and even go for a family drive at weekends.
Find out about cars that run on water, and discover how a water powered car can help you reduce vehicle emissions and save fuel and money in the process.
