Tips to Have a Greener Vehicle
Try to drive less. Think about whether you always need to use your car. Cutting out some of those short journeys could really help in reducing emissions.
Watch your fuel consumption. Check your fuel consumption, and make sure your car is running as efficiently as possible. If in doubt, get it serviced. Drive more slowly! It can save lives, but will also save you money. For example, you use 30% more fuel driving at 70mph than 50mph.
Drive more smoothly! Think ahead - and avoid sharp braking and rapid acceleration. It saves fuel.
Switch off - don't idle! If you've stopped, switch off! If you're idling, while waiting or in a traffic am, you're getting zero miles to the gallon. So, switch off if you can - and that applies to the air conditioning too!
Use your gears as efficiently as possible Drive in as high a gear as possible. You'll use a quarter less fuel doing 40mph in fifth than in third!
Plan your journey! There's no surer way to waste fuel than to get lost! Be certain that you have planned the best way to your destination, and think about the time you travel - don't travel in the rush hour, if you can avoid it.
Share your trips If you can share your car, you'll save emissions and share the cost.
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Wondering which cars are the most environmentally friendly? Check out Greener Cars in this survey from Yahoo! View the Top 100 Cars by their Greener Rating.
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Here are a few easy-to-follow steps to increase your fuel economy. When you've mastered these, grasshopper, you'll be ready for the master's course in hyper-mileage.
1. Don’t speed.
Driving 65 mph instead of 75 mph will increase your fuel economy by about 10 percent. Pride yourself on being a slowpoke.
2. Avoid "jack rabbit" starts.
Flooring the gas pedal wastes gas and leads to drastically higher pollution rates.
3. Anticipate stops.
Think ahead to anticipate stops so your vehicle can coast down. Accelerating hard and braking hard wastes gas, increases pollution, and wears out your brakes.
4. Keep your tires properly inflated.
For every 3 pounds below recommended pressure, fuel economy goes down by about 1 percent.
5. Avoid rush hour, if possible.
Stop-and-go driving burns gas and increases emissions of smog-forming pollutants. For hybrids that can stay in electric mode at low speeds, the effects of stop-and-go driving are greatly reduced.
6. Travel light.
An extra 100 pounds in your trunk reduces fuel economy by about 1percent.
7. Combine trips.
Warmed-up engines run more efficiently and generate less air pollution.
8. Leave off the air conditioning, if possible.
AC increases fuel consumption, increases smog-forming NOx emissions in some vehicles, and can involve environmentally damaging fluids. At high speeds, open windows increase drag; use vents if possible.
9. Check your own fuel economy every few weeks.
If you notice the numbers slipping, then think about how your driving might have changed, and consider getting a tune-up or an oil change.
10. Drive less.
Give your car a rest by taking public transportation, riding a bike, or walking. The exercise will do you good.
More at HybridCars.com
The Gas Station and Parking
Careful Fill-Ups
Americans too often take gasoline for granted, forgetting that it is quite a hazardous substance. Gasoline fumes are toxic and carcinogenic; they cause smog; and spilled gasoline can pollute the water and poison wildlife. And it's very flammable, too. Use regular gasoline unless your owner's manual says otherwise. Unless your car requires premium, high-octane fuels improve neither fuel economy nor performance and will just waste your money. Don't overfill the gas tank or try to top it off beyond where the automatic nozzle clicks off. Spilled gasoline evaporates to aggravate smog formation and can leak into groundwater. Patronize gas stations that have vapor-recovery nozzles (those black, accordion-looking plastic devices attached to the nozzle) whenever you can.
Prudent Parking
Park in the shade in summer to keep your car cool and minimize evaporation of fuel. If you have a garage, use it as much as possible to keep your car warm in winter and cool in summer. If you have to park outdoors, windshield shades can cut down on summer heat and help keep the frost off in the winter. From GreenerCars
L.A. TIMES
