Bar changing your car to a greener alternative such as a hybrid or electric car, there are ways you as a driver can be greener just by changing the way you approach driving. By adopting a more environmentally friendly approach to driving youre probably also saving money by conserving fuel.
First of all make sure youre not carrying around unnecessary items in the booth of the car and remove any roof boxes or roof racks when theyre not in use. Reduce your overall speed and stick to the speed limit and make sure you drive smoothly and dont perform sudden acceleration or breaking. Make sure your tyres are properly inflated and close windows to make the car more aerodynamic. Then consider what you use the car for and consider walking, cycling or using public transport as an alternative. Plan ahead and dont make unnecessary trips to the shops and if possible car-share to work or appointments.
In addition to this you should also consider cutting down on fossil fuel usage overall. This means switching to more energy efficient appliances in your home and turning them off at the wall when theyre not in use. Then cut back on the number of flights you make and see if you can work more from home cutting down on car usage in connection with commuting. Its also worth while supporting low-carbon and carbon-cleared products by buying organically grown food, buying other produce from companies that have reduced or cleared their emissions and making sure you recycle bottles, cans, paper and plastic.
And if you are determined to go the whole way and swap your car for something more environmentally friendly why not wait until the hydrogen cars roll on to the UK market. Something like the
new Mercedes Benz F-cell which only consumes the equivalent of 3.3 litres of diesel fuel per 100 kilometres. It will have a range of 400 kilometres and only need 3 minutes for refuelling a car worthy of a new greener future.
