Driving green saves you fuel and ‘wear and tear’ on your vehicle.
Here are some green driving tips that will help maximise your vehicles performance.
*Change your driving style
Press the accelerator / gas pedal lightly and smoothly. No more heavy or jerky movements.Whatever you do, don’t over-rev the engine; keep the revs under 3000rpm and cruise smoothly along. Drive smoothly – pulling away too fast uses 60 percent more fuel.
*Plan your journey
If you don’t need to travel during rush hour then don’t. Avoid the congested times whenever possible. Plan a route that misses traffic filled areas, road works or local industrial parks. Stick to roads that allow you to drive at a steady speed rather than having to keep stopping and starting. Consider car sharing with friends or colleagues, if you don’t know any, start your own car pool.
*Lower your speed and use your gears
Do 30 in a 30 mile an hour zone, why? Sticking to the speed limit will save fuel, slowing down a bit more will save you a lot more money. Use the highest gear possible without letting the engine labour, and try changing straight from second to fourth gear, or third to fifth – this saves time, fuel and clutch wear and tear. Use your gears to slow down as well.
*Drive pro-actively, not reactively
By keeping your eye on the road, you can drive greener as well as safer.
Whenever you can, always try to keep the car moving. Allow the engine to slow the car rather than by using the brakes (this gives more time for the cars in front to move on). Avoid having to brake sharply and suddenly. Don’t race between sets of junctions or traffic lights.
*Switch it off!
If you don’t need it, then turn it off. Don’t sit in the car with your engine idling, do your pre-drive checks and then start the engine. Idling your engine during its initial start for more than 30 seconds is unnecessary. An idling engine also produces 80 percent more pollution than when the vehicle is in motion. Modern engines warm up faster when they are in motion.
If you get stuck in traffic, switch the engine off. Air-conditioning, heated seats and other electric components also consume huge amounts energy, so switch it off when you don’t need it.
Finally, lose some weight.
Don’t drive around with unnecessary weight in your vehicle – the engine will work harder and use up more fuel. Remove roof boxes and roof racks etc when you’re not using them. Remove cycle carriers and kayak holders as well – the extra aerodynamic drag they cause will increase your fuel consumption.
The same goes for open windows and sunroofs – shut them, or don’t open them as much. If it gets too hot, open the air vents instead. Get any loose items of external trim fixed, a hanging spoiler or damaged bumper can use up more fuel too.
Happier, greener fuel efficient motoring!
Sarah
The Greener Essex courier company
PS I am going to assume that you follow the manufacturer’s service schedule, and get work carried out by a good garage or mechanic. Under-inflated tyres can increase your fuel consumption, so check them weekly. Also if you keep an keep an eye on your fuel consumption and investigate sudden changes, you will find that if things are going wrong with your vehicle, you will know sooner rather than later.
