Eco Friendly Cars
Today, there are a growing number of eco friendly cars on the road. In as little as a century, the car has literally changed the face of America. Cars are also one of the biggest polluters on Earth and among the most significant sources of greenhouse gases. Maximizing your car's fuel efficiency is more important than ever before.
With so much of American culture centered around mobility, it is unlikely that everyone will be getting rid of their cars anytime soon. However, by making small changes in the way that you drive, you can maximize your fuel efficiency and reduce your carbon footprint.
Eco Friendly Cars and Driving Tips:
- Keep your car tuned up
- Drive smooth and slow
- Don't idle your car
- Drive less
- Reduce your commute
- Car sharing
- Ride a bike
- Hybrids
- Biodiesel cars
- Electric cars
Keep Your Car Tuned Up
One of the best ways to increase your car's fuel efficiency is to keep it tuned up. This means changing the oil, changing the filters, and keeping your tires inflated. Regular maintenance not only helps the environment, but keeps your car running smoothly with fewer costly repairs later on.
Drive Slow and Smooth
Even if you have to drive, you can make eco friendly choices about the way that you drive. By slowing down a little bit and driving smoothly to minimize the need for breaking, you can increase your fuel efficiency and reduce your carbon footprint.
Don't Idle Your Car
If you're not driving your car, why is your engine still running? By turning off your car when you're not actually moving, you can easily reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and your carbon footprint.
Drive Less
This is probably one of the most obvious and eco friendly ways to shrink your carbon footprint - drive less! If you need to be on the road, try combining trips. Before you get in your car, ask yourself if the trip you are about to take is really necessary.
Reduce Your Commute
If the movie "Office Space" is any indication about how people really feel about commuting, many of us would be more than happy to find ways to reduce our commute. While it might not be possible for every profession, ask your boss if you can work from home even just one day out of the week to reduce your commute time by 20%.
Car Share
Sharing is caring! Car sharing is an eco frienldy option that is becoming more popular and more available in larger cities across the United States. Some people have eliminated the need for their car altogether by belonging to car sharing programs. See if car sharing is right for you.
Ride a Bike
If you can't reduce the trips that you need to take with your car, see if there are any of these trips that can be taken with a bike or public transportation.
Hybrids
With gasoline prices going sky high, fuel efficient vehicles are becoming more popular. Hybrids combine gasoline engines with electronic technology to maximize your vehicle's fuel efficiency. The best part is that you never have to "plug in" your car to recharge the battery which why hybrids are among the most popular eco friendly cars on the road today. Your car will automatically switch between the gasoline powered engine and its electronic mode while you just sit back and enjoy your increased fuel efficiency and savings at the pump.
Biodiesel Cars
Biodiesel cars are cars with diesel engines that run off of non-diesel, renewable sources of fuel, like vegetable oil. While biofuel is not yet widely available, it will soon become an increasingly common transportation option.
Electric Cars
Electric cars were of the first eco friendly cars available to consumers and have been around since the 1970's and today's technology is helping to make them more viable options. Find out if an electric car could be an eco friendly option for you.
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