You might not be able to go out and get an electric car right now, but there are ways you can improve the efficiency of your current vehicle. Below are 10 things you can do to make your car more eco-friendly.
The average fuel economy rating for your car is just an average. You can drastically increase or decrease how much gas you use through your driving habits. Accelerating to the speed limit within three seconds uses a whole lot more fuel than easing up to it over 10 or even 20 seconds.
Similarly, taking sharp corners drains the momentum out of your car and tempts you to accelerate hard directly after, so take it easy around turns. And if you’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, try rolling along at a slower pace as cars move ahead to conserve momentum. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can improve your fuel economy by 15% to 30% on the highway and 10% to 40% in traffic by driving conservatively.
Checking and changing your oil and rotating your tires regularly can help your car run efficiently. Taking care of issues when they come up also helps you get more miles out of the car and keeps it from going to the junkyard prematurely.
According to FuelEconomy.gov, you can improve your car’s fuel economy by 0.6% to 3% by using the right tire pressure. Under-inflated tires create more rolling resistance, and they can lower gas mileage by 0.2% for each 1 PSI (pounds per square inch) drop.
Certain tire models deliver greater efficiency than others by maintaining low rolling resistance and a long lifespan. Some tires are even made from recycled rubber to further reduce their carbon footprint. On the other hand, all-terrain and mud tires are designed with chunky treads to grip the ground, so they aren’t the best options for fuel efficiency.
Idling when you can turn the car off instead wastes fuel and releases more greenhouse gasses. Modern cars can be turned off and on a few times during a trip without any extra wear. And if you’re in the habit of warming your car up for 10 or 20 minutes before driving, this practice only makes sense if you have a pre-fuel-injection vehicle from the ’80s or earlier. Oil pumps lubricate engines today in 30 seconds, so that’s all the time you really need to wait.
You probably don’t maintain a perfect speed when you’re cruising down the highway. For example, if the speed limit is 55, you might oscillate between 53 and 57. Turning on cruise control keeps your car at a steady speed electronically and saves gas compared to accelerating and slowing over and over. However, this is only true if you’re on a flat and straight highway. Using cruise control for hilly back roads can use more fuel as it keeps a constant speed climbing hills, and some types can reduce the speed going downhill.
Try not to jump in your car the instant you realize you need to pick up something from the store. Maybe later you’ll remember you wanted to stop by a different store and you’ll end up making a second trip. Instead, get in the habit of making a list of errands every few days and combining your trips.
According to FuelEconomy.gov, having an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle can decrease your fuel economy by 1%. This effect is more pronounced for small vehicles that weigh less. It might be tempting to leave your golf clubs in the car if you hit the course every weekend, but it does put a measurable drain on your fuel economy.
Gasoline engines have sweet spots of revolutions per minute (RPMs) where they are most efficient. It varies depending on the gear and speed, but in general, car engines become less efficient at speeds above 55 mph. You’ll notice the RPMs keep increasing beyond that speed because your car is in its last gear. Generally, keeping RPMs below 3,000 at high speeds will give you the best fuel economy. In addition to higher RPMs, cars encounter more wind resistance at higher speeds, which further decreases fuel economy.
Our last tip for making your car more eco-friendly is to limit the use of your car altogether. Consider walking, biking or scootering if you have to go somewhere close by. You can also conserve energy by carpooling with friends and family, of course.
Contrary to what you might think, calling an Uber or Lyft isn’t actually any more eco-friendly unless the driver picks you up in an electric vehicle. In fact, gas-powered rideshare cars often use more energy because they spend a lot of time driving around town between jobs.
