Your car is a modern convenience you probably couldn’t see yourself without. You use it to commute to work, take the kids to school, run errands, attend events, spend time with loved ones, and even on road trips. Yet, if you knew how this “convenience” was impacting the environment, it might cause you to take action.
Electric Vehicles: The Ultimate Solution
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, typical passenger vehicles produce approximately 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) into the atmosphere, contaminating the air and exacerbating climate change. As you might imagine, this motivates eco-friendly consumers to invest in sustainable products like electric cars. These vehicles don’t burn fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Don’t Have An EV? No Problem.
Although prices for electric vehicles (EVs) have dropped to a more affordable level, many consumers still can’t afford to make the change. Fortunately, you can still do your part to reduce your vehicle’s carbon footprint. Check out these tips below.
Maintain An Accurate Tire Pressure
Believe it or not, most people don’t think about their tire pressure until it’s flat. However, accurate tire pressure is essential to your vehicle’s safety and performance. More importantly, low-pressure levels cause the engine to work harder, increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Newer cars have tire pressure features that enable you to evaluate each wheel before you start driving. If you have an older vehicle, you can always purchase a tire pressure gauge and inspect your wheels instantly.
Schedule Regular Maintenance
Keeping up with the cost of maintenance isn’t always easy, but it’s a necessary concept that can save you money, your life, and the planet. When a car isn’t well-kept, it doesn’t function as efficiently, causing the engine to work harder. Therefore, your fluids, filters, spark plugs, and oxygen sensors must be evaluated, cleaned, and/or changed.
Sustainable Upgrades
Vehicle upgrades can significantly enhance safety, performance, speed, aesthetics, and comfort. However, these enhancements aren’t always ideal for the environment. Manufacturing, shipping, and installing auto parts produce an alarming amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, you should be mindful when choosing vehicle enhancements, parts, and service providers.
Many leaders in the automotive industry are taking strides to reduce their carbon footprint by providing environmentally friendly parts, performance packages, and engine tuning services. They understand these options’ impact on the environment, their customers, and the communities they serve, encouraging top-rated brands to offer sustainable and affordable solutions that don’t compromise quality or vehicle performance.
Drive Safely
How you drive can increase or decrease your car’s carbon footprint. Safe driving practices can save your life and help the environment. Following the speed limit, reducing acceleration, and avoiding excessive braking improve fuel efficiency, ultimately helping the planet. Using automotive technologies like cruise control and collision avoidance systems can help you maintain a decent speed and decrease the need to slam on the brakes.
Know When It’s Time To Purchase A New Car
All vehicles have an expected lifespan of approximately eight years or 150,000 miles. While modern advancements, upgrades, regular maintenance, and repairs can extend the life expectancy of your car, eventually, it must be replaced. As your vehicle ages, it loses its efficiency and must work harder to operate, which increases greenhouse gas emissions.
Car owners must pay attention to signs that it’s time to purchase a new car. If your vehicle is constantly breaking down, the check engine light keeps coming on, your gas mileage decreases, or you can’t pass annual inspections, it’s time to start looking for something new. As you shop for vehicles, avoid buying large SUVs, vans, and trucks and stick to options with a fuel efficiency of 30 miles per gallon or higher. The earth is heating up, air pollution is at an all-time high, plastic consumption is ruining marine life, and renewable resources are shrinking. Although many factors have contributed to the declining state of the environment, vehicles (and auto services) are significant culprits. While you may not have the means to forgo a car altogether or purchase an EV, there are things you can do to reduce your vehicle’s carbon footprint. Use the advice above to protect your investment, wallet, and the environment.