How to be Green

In order to be green you don’t necessarily have to go out and buy a brand new car with the newest advanced technology. With strangling petrol prices and choking carbon emissions there are many things you can do for a breath of fresh air at minimal cost. You could convert your current car, change your driving style or join a car club and meet likeminded people.

How to Drive Green

Green Car Clubs
Green car clubs are organisations allowing people to share vehicles who only need to use them at specific times. It takes away the hassle and cost of owning your own vehicle if you only use it on rare occasions. The tax, insurance, servicing etc is all taken care of, you only pay when you use it.

After having your licence assessed you pay a yearly fee to become registered, then when you need a car book one either online or by phone. Besides the small annual fee you only pay for what you use. The ‘green’ aspect of this is that it reduces the amount of cars on the road reducing the amount sent that turn into ELVs.

Converting your car
To cut down on petrol you can convert your current car to run on different fuels. The most popular type of conversion at the moment is to Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG). This is partly due to the ease of conversion and the availability of fuel sources (around 1,300 in the UK). LPG uses a combination of petrol with propane and butane gas stored in liquefied form. This can emit 15% less CO2 than petrol however it releases more than diesel. The benefits over diesel are that it has 80% fewer nitrous oxide (NOx) gases, lower methane emissions, zero particulates and it’s quieter than the loud diesel engines. Fuel is cheaper but you need more of it due to a small loss in power; however you will still save around £250 in fuel costs per year. Today it costs around £1400 to install this system but there are some grants available. However be warned, you are likely to lose your engine warranty and are unable to convert a leased car.

There are other options available to convert your car. Another popular one is converting to E85, a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% diesel, or just plain ethanol. Kits can be obtained an installed but as yet it is probably best to buy a car specially engineered to run on these fuels.

Tips on reducing your impact

Driving Changes

• Drive Smoothly – Erratic acceleration and quick braking uses more fuel than driving in a smother fashion. Not only will you and you passengers enjoy a smoother drive but it also improves road safety.
• Don’t Exceed Speed Limits – Sticking to the speed limits will save you fuel. Every 5 mph faster you drive above 60 mph can reduce your fuel economy by 10%
• Drive in the Highest Gear – Driving in the lower gears uses more fuel as the engine turns over more than the wheels do. When driving fast using the highest gear possible will save you fuel.
• Idle Time – When stationary for even a short period it can be more economical to turn off your engine. Sitting stationary with the engine running wastes energy keeping the engine turning. This is not necessarily true in older cars but today’s modern cars are more efficient. BMW EfficientDynamics range has auto stop/start, where the engine will automatically turn off when stationary and back on again as required.
• Get off your… - Avoid driving short journeys where possible. Whilst the engine is getting up to temperature it runs inefficiently which can take up to 10-15 mins. A staggering amount of journeys are within this time and not only damage the car, long term, but use lots of fuel.
• Don’t Chill Out – Using the air conditioning uses power generated by the engine even when at ambient temperatures. Only use it when necessary for short periods. Also winding the windows down reduces aerodynamics and significantly increases fuel consumption

Car Changes

• Excess Weight – Avoid carrying extra weight in your car. Often people will carry round excess weight either left in boot space or over load on long trips.
• Clean Your Car – Cleaning and waxing your car will not just make it look better but the increased aerodynamics will save you petrol particularly on longer journeys.
• Pump It Up – A phenomenal 36% of cars are driving with tyres below the recommended psi. By being just a few psi below can seriously affect the fuel economy and handling of the car. Air is free at most garages so there’s no excuse.
• Change your Tyres – Michelin have developed a new type of tyre that reduces fuel consumption whilst still maintaining grip. By reducing roiling resistance economy is improved. This is also a method employed in the new Ford ECOnetic range.
• Tune In – These days most engines are controlled by an intelligent electronic system. It is often possible to simply plug in a laptop and make adjustment to the tuning. It used to be done to increase speed and acceleration but more and more it is being used to increase fuel economy. Your local dealer will have more information but you may lose your engine warranty if not done properly.
• Fresh Air – We need air to breath and so does your engine. Air is mixed with fuel for combustion but if the right amount can’t get into the chambers fuel is wasted. By simply cleaning or changing your air filters you can markedly increase your fuel economy.
• Fluids – Your manufacturer will recommend certain types of fuel and oil to use to optimise the vehicle. The BMW EfficientDynamics and Ford ECOnectic range both use special low viscosity engine oil to maximise efficiency.