We have a love affair with the car.

It started well over 100 years ago and it has continued unabated ever since. We are always looking for ways to go faster with more power and panache, ignoring the cost to ourselves and the environment.

It can’t go on forever…

We eagerly await the day when a clean, cheap and reliable source of energy powers our cars.  There are exciting developments with technologies, but so far the internal combustion engine powered by gasoline or diesel fuel accounts for the majority of cars on the roads worldwide.

In the meantime we owe it to ourselves, and everyone else, to
adopt driving habits that minimize the harmful impact that the motor
car has on the environment.  The really good news is that when we start driving in such a way that the negative footprint of our cars is minimized, we usually pay less at the same time!

That obviously makes a lot of sense.  So why are not more of us
doing it? You can make a start now and hope that others follow!

Become a smooth driver. I don’t mean someone who poses and tries to look cool behind the wheel. I mean someone who brakes gently and accelerates gently.  Driving smoothly will put less stress on your car. It will consume less gas too. The car parts will last longer and the gas will get you further.  You save and the environment saves too.

Dump all the excess weight in your car. You car will burn more gas with every pound of increased weight.  Go through the trunk and see if there is anything you can leave out. In some cases you can probably dump up to 100 pounds of unnecessary stuff. That will increase you car mileage considerably over time and save you money too.

Keep your tires properly inflated. Tire roll resistance accounts for 20% of your car’s fuel consumption. That’s the energy needed to get the tires rolling and keep them rolling.  Tires, like most other things, work best when they are in peak condition.  Tire roll resistance increases with under-inflated tires.  Check the pressure regularly and keep it at the recommended pressure. Also check wheel alignment.   Badly aligned wheels WILL cost you a lot of money!

Replace an old and worn gas cap. Check your gas cap for wear, especially the seal.  If you find any wear, replace it.  A worn gas cap with a faulty seal will let fuel evaporate out.

Reverse into a parking space instead of driving straight in.  The reason is that you can drive straight out on a cold engine instead of maneuvering on a cold engine.  It’s more efficient and greener.  You could save around 25% better fuel economy doing this.   If everyone in a medium sized city also did it, they could collectively  save a much more interesting total of $15 million every year