You Don’t Need To Drive An Electric Car To Be A Eco-Friendly Driver

Let’s face it! We are a few decades late in realizing that earth is the only planet that supports life and we need to preserve it. While the term “eco-friendly” living is turning into a fad these days, there are a few of us who genuinely try to lead a life with minimal carbon footprint.

One of the popular ways to adapt to eco-friendly living is driving an electric car. But if you can't afford to buy one at this moment, let me tell you that there are ways other than driving an electric car to contribute towards saving the environment.

You can drive your car that runs on gas, and still be energy efficient and eco-friendly. Let’s explore how:

Tyre

Apart from switching to winter tyres during extreme winters, how often do you pay attention to your tyres? Tyres need to be inflated using proper air pressure to ensure that the engine of your car is not overburdened. When the tyres are not properly inflated, your car’s engine has to work extra hard to maintain a smooth drive and this indirectly impacts the fuel economy. In simple words, your car guzzles more fuel than what it would require to run with a perfectly inflated tyre. Something as simple as maintaining air pressure in tyres can make you an energy-conscious driver.

Emission System

Is your car emitting greenhouse gases responsible for global warming? Every car has a complex emission system with multiple components to filter out harmful gases produced during combustion of fuel in the engine. The gas emitting from your car’s tailpipe should not contain greenhouse gas levels above the accepted range. But a faulty emission system could turn your car into a major source of air pollution and global warming. That’s why it is mandatory by law to get your emissions checked once every year.

Radiators

A radiator is critical for the optimal function of the car engine as it helps transferring heat from the engine to the surrounding air. This air is then released through the radiator grilles made out of perforated metals. But the performance of the radiator depends on the coolants used in the car. Always maintain the coolant levels so that the radiator functions to its maximum capacity to keep the engine from overheating. Consider flushing your radiator once every six months. When a car engine stays cool during operation, it leads to maximum fuel efficiency and you can proudly brag about your energy-efficient ride to others.

Fuel System

If the engine is the heart and fuel is the blood of the car respectively, then consider the fuel system to be the arteries that transport fuel to and from the engine. A fuel system is dependent on components like fuel pump, fuel injectors, oil filters, and fuel filters. A fuel filter made out of paper, plastic or perforated metal help in keeping the contaminants away from your fuel system. A problem in the fuel system will result in performance and mileage issues with your car. This will indirectly lead to more consumption of fuel. If you care about being environment friendly, you must replace your fuel filters after every 30,000 miles of driving.

Air Conditioner

It might sound very basic but it does hold true. Switching off your car’s air conditioner is the simplest step you can take towards green living. Air conditioners and heaters installed in your cars use up fuel to keep you cool or warm respectively. This severely dents your fuel economy. Consider lowering your window shields instead of cranking up the AC. While not using your car’s air conditioner doesn’t make you a saint, it does make you an environment-friendly driver.

Filling Up Gas

Do you always fill up your fuel tank to the brim? Chances are that you are harming the environment by doing so. When you fill up gas till the meter shows full, you let harmful vapors escape your tank and pollute the atmosphere. While topping up your tank to the fullest, you force some fuel into the emission system and make it ineffective to trap harmful gases produced during fuel combustion. At times, due to overfilling of gas, there might be fuel leakage through tailpipe. This fuel then evaporates into the atmosphere adding to the already polluted air that we breathe. Avoid topping up your fuel tank and help keep the environment clean.

Smart Driving

Last, but not least, follow basic tips of smart driving such as:

• Drive at a constant speed by avoiding sudden acceleration. Overspeeding consumes far more fuel than driving at normal speeds.
• Don’t overload your car with unnecessary items. The more weight your car has to support, the lesser is its fuel efficiency.
• The best thing you can do for the environment is drive seldomly. Walk, cycle, or use public transport whenever you can.