Green Driving for the Modern Motorist

Environmental concerns are growing across the world and most of the earth's population is gearing up to take on the growing impact of global warming. For a lot of us, it is unrealistic to take shared transport everywhere. As we all know, there are a lot of times when a car comes in handy. 

Electric vehicles (EV) are becoming more accessible with new and more affordable EVs coming out every year. Whether you are saving up for the newest Tesla or can't justify a new car purchase it is important to know that there are other solutions to being environmentally conscious when using a good old combustion engine car.

The solution is green driving. There are a few simple tips that can reduce fuel consumption which will ultimately reduce your carbon footprint and, as an added bonus, will save you money on expensive fuel.

Green Driving Tip 1 - Keep your car lighter

This comes straight down to Newton’s 2nd law. Acceleration is a sum of force and mass, therefore, the less your car weighs the less fuel you will need to move the car. Yes, this does mean that you will have to clean out your car.

Do you have some old junk in the back of the car, an old pram you don't use or the roof racks on for your surfing trip on Australia day? Get rid of them while you aren't using them and you will be improving your fuel economy immediately.

Green Driving Tip 2 - Stay on top of your car maintenance

If you haven't checked in with your local JAX store maybe now is the time. If you don’t care for your car it certainly won't care for you. 

Book in and get a free inspection report at any of our locations and we will tell you what is coming up for service and when you will need to book it in.

Green Driving Tip 3 - Air conditioning

This one is straight forward, using your car's air-con uses fuel. However, we understand that it's hard to just open a window and be blasted with air, especially in summer and winter. So please consider, is it necessary to turn on the air conditioning?

Green Driving Tip 4 - Your tyres are everything

It's simple, under-inflated tyres mean your car is less efficient at driving. Make sure your tyre pressure is inflated as per your vehicle owner’s handbook. If your tyres are worn or more than 2 years old then please check in with us. We are here to make sure your driving is not only green but safe.

Green Driving Tip 5 - Drive smarter, not Faster

Being smarter about how you drive is a large factor in fuel efficiency. It's easy! Don't accelerate to a red light, accelerate slower than usual when starting from a stop, try not to slam the brakes unnecessarily, and don’t let the car tick over, turn the engine off. Change your driving habits and not only will the planet thank you, your wallet will too.

Photo by Tomáš Malík from Pexels