Choosing an Eco Friendly Car

On this website we’ve looked at how you can save energy by walking to work, at how future technologies are eventually going to supplant petrol powered cars and more. However for the vast majority of you, abandoning your car completely isn’t going to be a viable option as you will still rely on it for many of your regular activities. A more immediate way you can improve your petrol bills and your carbon footprint then is to buy an eco friendly car that will help you to go green. In other words – if you have to drive somewhere, then at least drive somewhere using as little fuel as possible.

The question how do you choose a car that will help you go green? What is there to look for? Here we will look at some suggestions…

 

Fuel Consumption: You should be able to get someone to tell you the precise fuel consumption rate. This is the most obvious indicator of how many kilometers your car will be able to do to the gallon – but remember there are other factors to consider here and some cars will be better for ‘city running’ while others will be better for long journeys.

 

Engine Size: What’s not great for city cars is a huge engine. Though a big engine is fun and empowering to drive, it also uses up a lot of fuel and is a no-no for going green. If you really want to go green then, you’ll buy a small engine – a 1.1 to 1.4 and you’ll probably buy a small car too – small cars maneuver better with a smaller engine because they aren’t so heavy. That means you don’t need to put your foot down as much to reach the same speed.

 

Features: You might like the idea of a car with lots of features, but if you really have an interest in going green you should choose one with fewer. This is important because those features all require fuel to run – your heated windscreen, your electric windows, your radio etc etc. The fewer things you have in your car, and the less you use them, the less fuel you will use.

 

Dashboard: Some cars include an indicator for your fuel efficiency on the dashboard and that means that you will be able to drive smarter and save more money. This acts as a great reminder to go green with your driving and it helps you to develop a style that is highly fuel efficient.

 

Diesel: If your car is a diesel car then it will be better for fuel efficiency, so consider that a boon. Unless it’s a…

 

Hybrid: A hybrid car is even better than diesel. The way diesel cars work is that they use both electricity and petrol together to help you drive. This then means that the petrol engine serves as a ‘backup’ for the electric one and helps to recharge it. In short you use about half as much fuel – perfect for going green. But still not as good as…

 

Electric Cars: Of course electric cars are the best for going green out of any vehicles as they use no petrol at all. This then means that you can save yourself spending any money in the petrol station and you can hugely reduce your carbon footprint

8 comments

  1. I do not understand people who drive cars with huge engines in the city. Can you tell me why do they do this? I personally have a small car. It is enough for me to drive it for work and back home. A bigger car in the city is for those who want to stand out I guess.

  2. An eco friendly car is something we all should think about. Especially now, when the gas price has grown. Even if we aren’t fans of going green we should be careful when we choose a car. Going green also means saving money. So, an eco friendly car will help us to save money.

  3. Starting to go green with an eco friendly car is not only for those who are interested in going green. An eco friendly car is good for those who want to save some money too. Following any of your advices we can save money. For example the tip regarding engine size. If you have a car with a big engine size it is obvious you will use more fuel than a car with a smaller engine size, so eventually you will pay more money for it. So, these tips aren’t just for going green lovers, but for any of us, especially on this crisis.

  4. A hybrid car is something I always wanted. I’m not very interested in going green. I rather think that this way I can save some money. Especially now when gas price has risen so much. And I guess there are many people, not very interested in going green (like me), who think this way.

  5. Choosing an eco-friendly car is something we all should. I always say this to my friends.
    I read this article a month ago. After I read it I started to follow your advices and also I started to go green. After I saw the benefits of choosing an eco-friendly car I informed all my friends about them. They all are going green now.

  6. I’ve started going green a few days ago. I hope I will save some money. But till I see the difference in my pocket I can say I already feel better. Knowing I am going green and I am participating in saving the environment really makes me feel better. This isn’t just a story, it is true.

  7. If you are fan of going green you should pick a hybrid car. I know they are much expensive but they worth the price. You will save some money after. And you will go green too. Isn’t it nice to hear this?

  8. I’m sorry, but some of those features you are talking about are kinda necessary. Otherwise, why have they been invented? I don’t think this is a good tip of how to go green with your car. The rest of them must be followed by all of us even by those who are not fans of going green.

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