What drives you to make changes - saving money or saving the planet? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to do both at the same time? It seems that “driving green” actually can! Whether your vehicle is performance red, classic silver, fleet car white, Bentley blue, or bold and black, consider making your vehicle GREEN.
We all know motor vehicles emit greenhouse gases. In Australia in 2004, cars contributed 41.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide or equivalent greenhouse gases, which is 7.4% of total national emissions. Trucks and light commercial vehicles contributed 26.2 million tonnes. Together these represent 12% of Australia's total emissions and since 1990 this figure has increased by 25%1.
TEN THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE YOUR VEHICLE GREEN
1. Plan it
Think about your travel needs and make appointments with travel in mind. Planned travel decisions will save you money
Use time management - plan to do a number of errands in one trip rather than several trips and save both time and fuel
Use technology such as software and GPS units to make travel more efficient
Avoid peak-hour traffic whenever possible
Encourage your staff, family and friends to use alternative transport, reward them for their efforts and let them know you care about the environment
In business – develop and measure travel efficiency KPI’s
2. Get into top gear
The engine runs most efficiently between around 1,500 and 2,500 rpm (lower in diesels). To maintain these low revs you should change up through the gears as soon as practical and before the revs reach 2,500 rpm
Automatic transmissions will shift up more quickly and smoothly if you ease back slightly on the accelerator once the car gathers momentum
3. Take a cruise
Drive smoothly. Unnecessary acceleration burns fuel and money. Erratic driving does not save time. It can build up stress. Sounds like a lose/ lose situation.
If you drive at a good distance from the car in front, you can anticipate and travel with the flow of traffic. Over accelerating then braking and accelerating back up to full speed burns your fuel and your budget.
4. Speed kills (your fuel budget)
Going fast and getting nowhere? High speeds result in high fuel consumption
At 110 km/h your car uses up to 25% more fuel than it would cruising at 90 km/h.
5. Burning rubber is burning money
Looking after your tyres will not only reduce your fuel consumption, it will also extend tyre life, improve handling, and help reduce costs
Inflate your vehicle's tyres to the highest pressure recommended by the tyre manufacturer
Make sure your wheels are properly aligned (remember to keep your spare tire inflated as well)
6. Chill your bill - use air conditioning sparingly
Air conditioners can use about 10% extra fuel when operating, but…...
At speeds of over 80 km/h, use of air conditioning is better for fuel consumption than an open window
7. Lighten ya load bro’
Travel light and lighten your costs - don't carry more people or cargo than you have to
The more a vehicle carries the more fuel it uses; an extra 50kg of weight can increase your fuel bill by around 2%
8. Service is the key
Keeping your vehicle well tuned will minimise its environmental impact and make it cheaper to run any vehicle
Two words… …Maintenance schedule - it’s a deductable (business) expense. Lock it into your budget and your diary.
9. Increase liquidity - Go LPG.
Autogas is readily available in Australia. LPG vehicles have half the carbon footprint and emit 15% less CO2 compared to their petrol-powered equivalents
Using Autogas can save you up to 50% on your vehicle fuel bills
It has been said that the expected retail price of unleaded petrol could be $3.35 a litre by 2010. That’s $200 for a sixty-litre tank. Now is a good time to trim down fuel costs and help reduce emissions. Start driving green today!
Have we missed any? Tell us your best green driving tip!
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What drives you to make changes - saving money or saving the planet?
