Cars are one of the most important engineering wonders and provide a great deal of comfort and convenience. Unfortunately, they are also one of the heaviest threats to Mother Earth. In the U.S.A. alone almost twenty per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions come from usage of cars and SUVs.[1] These harmful emissions affect the climate, add to the air pollution, and increase the chances and severity of diseases and illnesses.

If this moves you, you might first want to consider the need of a car. After all, almost 4 tons carbon is released when producing a single car.[2] This is in addition to other pollutants that are released. If you feel, this is not important and you can carry out your daily activities on foot, or by public transport, then thumbs up!

Not only would you be contributing to a greener world but would also be saving a huge amount of money. The average estimated yearly cost of driving a single car is $4826 - $9685. This in contrast to public transportation that is between $200 and $2000 is very high.[3]. However, if the answer is yes and you definitely need a car, follow the tips in the article to make the driving experience greener and reduce carbon footprints.

Basic Tips for Green Cars

First and foremost, invest in a green car. Many trendy options for hybrid cars are now available. These hybrids not only give better mileage than conventional ones but also have cleaner emissions and cuts gas costs. Many companies now also offer bio-diesel cars that are clean, and use carbon-neutral fuel in diesel cars with minimal changes made to the engine. Other green car drivers use vegetable oil like ethanol. Affordable electric cars can also be seen in the market nowadays. If investing in such a card is not the cards for you, do not fret. Follow the tips mentioned below to make your existing and conventional car green.

• Green Driving Practices: Ensure usage of green driving practices like staying in the speed limit, avoiding sudden starts and jerks. Apart from this, consider twice before getting the car re-painted. As a rule, ensure engine speed to be between 1200 – 3000 RPM. Turning off engine when waiting in the traffic, remaining calm while driving, slowing down the speed, and minimizing unnecessary miles are all green driving practices that must be followed.
• Maintenance: Regularly get tyre pumps and keep them inflated as per the manufacturer’s specifications to boost the mileage. Clean air filters help burn less gas leading to less pollution and reducing the cars carbon footprint. Useless items that are not needed in the car must be taken out as extra weight can sap the fuel. Thus, regular tune-ups and maintenance can reduce the cars carbon footprint to a big extent. By regular maintenance including oil changes, spark plug replacements, tyre pumps, and air-filter changes, the MPG can increase by 25 per cent.[4]
• Offset Carbon from the Car: Carbon dioxide is a significant greenhouse gas that is released in the atmosphere. This occurs when fossil fuels like coal and oil are excessively used. Thus, it is advised that balancing or offsetting must be done to reduce carbon emissions.
• Carpooling: This is also known as car-sharing, lift-sharing, ride sharing, or covoiturage. Carpooling means sharing of a car by more than one passenger for commuting. Many carpool websites can be found on the Internet that enables commuters to find others who may be interested carpooling and commuting together.
• Walk it Down: No one can ignore the benefits of walking. Skip the car for short distances and walk it down. Not only would you reduce the carbon footprint but would also stay healthy and fit. If walking is not your like, try cycling, skating, or rollerblading. In addition to this, you would also be able to beat the traffic. The amount of time spent by average urban rush-hours commuters in traffic in 2000 was 62 hours.[5]
• Partial Driving: If you cannot go to your destination by foot or public transport, consider driving part of the distance only. Drive to a place from where getting public transport or walking is possible. On the way back, follow the same route.
• Cooling: As far as cooling is considered, try to get a car with an electric or solar fan. Use a reflective windshield shade to keep the car cool when parked in the sun. Avoid using air conditioners and keep the windows open.
• Work from Home: Telecommute and work from home through IM, teleconferencing, video chat, and other technologies. If not everyday, at least some days of the week, try working from home.
• Washing the Car: Avoid washing the car unless it is important. If you want to be kind to the planet, try dry washing. However, if you plan to wash it, use these tips. Start washing late in the evening when the sun has gone down. This is because when the sun is not blasting on the car, you can wash larger areas by using less water. If possible, drive the car to the garden and then wash it. This would serve two purposes – a clean car, and a watered lawn. Ensure all cleaning products are bio – degradable so that they are soft on the car surface as well as the lawn. Additionally, they would not add to the toxic garbage. Take a bucket of water rather than a pipe with continuous flow of water. An additional piece of advice: if you want to make a strong statement – wash the car when it rains!

Different Green Car Options

Hybrid: Hybrid cars use more than one source of power. Presently, all hybrid cars are gasoline-electric hybrids. However, varieties of different hybrid cars defined by the differences in their drivetrains are available. This list includes full hybrids that run on either gasoline engine or electronic motor or both like Nissan Altima Hybrid, Toyota Prius, etc. The next type are called assist hybrids that cannot run on electric motor alone and need the electronic motor to improve the gasoline engine like Satum Aura Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, etc. Finally, there are mild hybrids that have drivetrains similar to regular conventional cars and include cars like Chevy Silverado Hybrid, etc. The main players in the hybrid car industry are Ford, General Motors, Toyota, and Honda.

Electric Cars: These cars use electric motors and motor controls. These cars are powered by on-board battery packs and are battery electric vehicles. Many electric cars now use renewable source of energy to charge their batteries. Phoenix Motors are working hard on manufacturing electric cars that are practical and affordable. Popular electric cars include Toyota RAV4 EV and Tesla’s electric sports car.

Biodiesel: Biodiesel is the common name given to acid alkyl esters. This can substitute petroleum fuels in diesel engines and can be made from virgin vegetable oil, algae, animal fats, and recycled oils. This is not only cleaner than fossil fuel but also has low content of aromatic hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. The only disadvantage of using biodiesel is that it emits more nitrous oxide than conventional diesel. This type of diesel does emit carbon dioxide but the same is absorbed by the plan source from where the fuel came. In contrast, fossil fuels release carbon dioxide that could otherwise remain seized under the earth’s surface.

Vegetable Oil: Many diesel engines can be run on normal vegetable oil. Vegetable oil is thicker and must be heated to flow properly. This would allow proper atomization of the fuel. This mostly recycled oil or waste oil is discarded after deep-frying.

Plug-in Hybrid: Plug-in hybrid cars are similar to hybrid cars with additional battery capacity that allows the driver to drive for a particular distance on electric power itself. This electric vehicle has a gasoline motor that can be used is the car better gets low. These cars can get 100 miles per gallon. This technology is yet not available in the market. However, research is ongoing and development is being carried out.

Tips on Choosing the Right Green Car

A variety of different types of green cars is available in the market today. The choice to be made is not only shape and size but also the type (hybrid, gas, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, natural gas, renewable sources of energy, etc.) The best car for you would depend on many factors like budget, lifestyle, etc. Read on to know more about the factors that must be considered when purchasing a green car.

A car is considered green by the level of greenhouse gas emissions and the number of miles it runs per gallon or MPG. The gas emissions include carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and methane among others.

Carbon dioxide emissions and fuel economy are related. For example, the Smart Car has a MPG of 33 and uses very little gas. This means it also emits very little carbon dioxide. However, this does not mean that it does not emit greenhouse gases and air pollutants. This means, that a small car that is fuel-efficient would not mean a green car. Thus, the level of nitrogen oxide emissions also needs to be taken into account.

The reason why hybrids win the green race is that they are not only fuel-efficient but also emit less carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide gases. As compared to other green options, this is the most favoured. Theses cars reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 25 per cent.

When buying a hybrid, look for a Super-Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle (SULEV Phase 2). This standard is used in American made cars, which means no emissions and more long-lasting control systems as compared to others. Apart from this, the Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEV) and Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) are used as standards on all – electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles that are powered by hydrogen.

With so many options to choose from, consumers must look out for carbon emissions, nitrogen oxide emissions, re-fuelling options, space, comfort, and price. The main key areas to consider are: smaller the car, the better as less weight would lead to better fuel economy, and hybrid cars are more fuel-efficient and greener than other green options.

Tips for Green Hybrid Cars

Hybrid car drivers can save upto $3750 on fuel every year.[6] Moreover, owners of these cars can opt for federal tax credits on their cars too. This section puts together a list of tips that would help in buying the right hybrid.

• Get to Know: Conscious buyers must definitely look around and educate themselves before making the investment. There is a variety of different hybrids available. It is important to study the features before deciding which one to buy.
• Define Needs: It is important to define needs and requirements before going to the market. Think about how many people would use the car, how many people do you have in your family, how much boot space is needed, conditions in which the car would be driven, etc. Once the need is defined, go to the market and research.
• Policies: Many local governments offer tax credits and exemptions on hybrid cars. Many federal and local tax incentives are also available.
• Settings: Play with your hybrid’s settings. Adjust settings by using the onboard computer and monitor things like your current and past fuel needs. This would help understand the fuel economy better. See the difference and get encouraged to do more.
• Green Driving Tips: Follow the green driving tips that are mentioned above. This would definitely minimize the environmental footprint and maximize the fuel efficiency.

Popular Hybrid Manufacturers

Hybrid cars can be bought from the following manufacturers:

• Cadillac (Escalade Hybrid),
• Chevrolet (Tahoe Hybrid, Malibu Hybrid, Silverado Hybrid),
• Chrysler (Aspen Hybrid),
• Dodge (Durango Hybrid),
• Ford (Escape Hybrid),
• General Motors (Saturn AURA Hybrid, Saturn VUE Hybrid),
• GMC (Yukon Hybrid),
• Honda (Civic Hybrid),
• Lexus (GS Hybrid, LS Hybrid, RX Hybrid),
• Mazda (Tribute Hybrid),
• Mercury (Mariner Hybrid),
• Nissan (Altima Hybrid),
• Saab (9-X BioHybrid),
• Saturn (AURA Hybrid, VUE Hybrid), and
• Toyota (Camry Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, and Prius).

Best Hybrid Cars for the Year 2010

When purchasing environmental friendly cars, hybrids are the best options. The best hybrid cars for the year 2010 are listed below.

• Toyota Prius 2010: Has an MPG of 51 in the city and is the world’s best selling car. With a fuel cost of 5.2 cents per mile, this is the most fuel-efficient gas electric car. Moreover, it is space efficient with lots of back seat legroom and hatchback cargo capacity. The 2010 models include five different models. Moreover, it has a sleek style and provides hands free parallel parking.
• Honda Civic Hybrid 2010: Has an MPG of 40 in the city and is a close competitor to the Toyota Prius in terms of fuel-efficiency and price. The car has a sporty look and averages a fuel cost of 6.2 cents per mile. The Integrated Motor Assist by Honda is featured in this model and works with the electric motor together in this car. Moreover, it has an idle-stop feature to save on fuel and reduce emissions. The feature shuts the engine off when the car stops during a drive.
• Honda Insight Hybrid 2010: Has an MPG of 40 in the city. This is a new introduction by Honda and is least expensive. The car averages a fuel cost of 6.2 cents per mile. The car has a feature known as Ecological Drive Assist System, which is a driver – activated ECON button that optimizes control of the transmission, engine, and other essentials to save fuel.
• Ford Fusion Hybrid 2010: Has an MPG of 41 in the city. This care has enormous space and features a sophisticated interior.
• Lexus HS 250h 2010: Has an MPG of 35 and is a luxury sedan. The average fuel cost of 7.4 cents per mile and has low nitrogen oxide emissions. The carbon dioxide emission is higher than the other cars. However, over the life of the car, the HS250h will have 20 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions due to the use of Ecological Plastics. In addition to this, 85 per cent of the car is fully recyclable. The list of features include RFID, push button start, smart key, remote touch hard drive navigation system, nav traffic, nav weather, and voice control, among others.