How to Get the Most out of Your Car
Nobody's trying to tell you to replace or get rid of your car.
Whether you're driving your car to work, school or just running errands, there are always things you can do to either mitigate the effects of operating a car, or maximize the benefits you get out of it. Going green doesn't necessarily mean not having a car at all. It just means you use it wisely and understand and appreciate the real costs that come with owning and managing one.
Nobody's trying to tell you to replace or get rid of your car. However, there are ways of leveraging our car culture to make the most out of what you have.
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Park and Ride – By leaving your car at a park and ride lot and jumping onto transit, you'll save money on gas, maintenance and parking, all while cutting down on carbon emissions.
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Ride-share – Perhaps the easiest and fastest way to leverage car ownership is to share the car and share the ride by carpooling. You'll also have access to HOV lanes, which will make your driving more efficient and your commute faster.
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Carshare – If you can't give up the convenience of a car, try carsharing a few days a week. Carsharing, or car co-ops, allow a group of drivers to share a fleet of cars. You pick up the car when you need one, then park it once you're done, reducing the overall number of vehicles on the road.
10 Tips to Choose an Energy-efficient Vehicle
- Read the EnerGuide label. All new cars have a sticker (look for the fuel-pump logo) indicating the city and highway fuel consumption ratings and estimated annual fuel cost.
- Pick the right size. Avoid buying a car that's larger than you need, as they're heavier, have bigger engines and consume more gas.
- Consult the Fuel Consumption Guide. This free guide lists the fuel consumption ratings for new cars sold in Canada, so you can choose the most fuel-efficient vehicle for your needs.
- Look at winners of the annual EnerGuide Awards, presented to the most fuel-efficient vehicles. Winners are determined by simulating 20,000 km usage (55 percent city, 45 percent highway).
- Choose the right transmission. This choice will directly affect the cost of fuel consumption. In general, manual transmissions are more fuel efficient. If you buy an automatic, the more gears the better.
- Four-wheel, all-wheel or two-wheel drive? In terms of fuel consumption, four-wheel and all-wheel drive use the most due to their sheer weight, requiring 5 to 10% more fuel than two-wheel drive.
- Compare engine sizes. All other things being equal, the smaller the engine the better the fuel economy.
- Pick your options wisely. You'll be paying for every bell and whistle for the life of your car, so consider if you really need power windows, seats and mirrors.
- Explore your fuel options. Alternative fuels are becoming easier to obtain so consider diesel or ethanol fuel blends. Propane and natural gas are also good options and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions and are cheaper to use than gas or diesel.
- Consider a hybrid electric car. These use both a conventional internal combustion engine (fuelled by gas or diesel) and an electric motor powered by a battery. They consume significantly less fuel and emit far less carbon dioxide than traditional vehicles.
Do you have additional ideas and experiences you want to share about getting the most of your car? Add a comment below to help other users be TravelSmart.