GWB Guide to Green Driving, Part 1: Preparation of your Vehicle

February 18, 2009 |

You might think that ‘driving green’ is all about slowing down, braking less or even just not making those short, walkable journeys - but it’s definitely not. Making an efficient, greener journey begins before you even get into the drivers seat and there are several easy things you can do to make your trip more efficient - for the benefit of both your wallet and the environment. So where to start? Lets go from the ground up…

highlander hybrid GWB Guide to Green Driving, Part 1: Preparation of your Vehicle

Tyres - check that all your tyres are not only at the correct pressure for the loading of your car (the majority of user manuals will break-down pressure differences depending on the occupancy of your vehicle) but also at the same pressure as each other. Even small amounts of under inflation in the tyre will cause it to flatten onto the road and the increased surface area and drag can bump up fuel consumption dramatically.

General Maintenance - whether this is something you do yourself or your dealer / local garage takes care of, a regularly maintained vehicle will absolutely run cleaner and more efficiently than one with over a years wear and tear with no attention. Have a full service done regularly.

Weight - think about what you really need to take on your journey. Heavy items you may leave in your boot / trunk because it is more convenient than to move them can also have a heavy toll on your cars fuel consumption. Every timne you slow down a heavily loaded vehicle’s engine must work that much harder (and burn more fuel in the process) to bring itself back up to an efficient speed.

Equipment - similarly, external equipment like bike racks and roof racks (which you leave on for convenience or semi-frequent use) may be taking a big toll on your cars efficiency as they act like air-brakes during transit.

You should of course also ensure that you, personally are fuelled, rested and alert to drive - because tiredness and fatigue will not only make you a potentially unsafe driver but also cause you to make unnecessary or inefficient driving decisions. Accelerating too hard, braking too late, overtaking when not really necessary or increasing speed to make up time - all bad and inefficient driving habits but we’ll look at these and more in Part 2 of thus series when we see what you, as a driver, can do to help.