Develop Eco-Driving Habits
September 5, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under Green Living
We’ve looked at green driving tips before here at Blisstree Green but while I consider myself pretty eco-savvy, I’m not the most car-savvy person on the block. I can put gas in, tell you the basics for green driving, and let you in on the best way to wash your car without water, but I’d usually rather deal in eco-friendly lip gloss or sustainable houses. Green cars are more mysterious to me. Luckily they’re not so mysterious to everyone, least of all Ford, who recently introduced the eco-friendly 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid – an extra fuel efficient mid sized sedan that gets 41 mpg. Yay. Plus while I’m not a car know-it-all, I do get budgeting, and the Fusion is $19,270 for starters – not bad for new hybrid driving.
In any case, Ford forwarded me nice eco-driving tips that you’ll like because they’ll save you money and help protect the environment. They sent me 10 tips in all – here are five of them…
- Accelerate smoothly and brake gradually. Jackrabbit starts waste fuel.
- Don’t be an aggressive driver. Time studies show that fast starts, weaving in and out of traffic and accelerating to and from a stop sign or traffic light don’t save much time but do waste fuel and wear out car components such as brakes and tires faster.
- Avoid piling a lot of luggage on the roof rack. This reduces aerodynamics and can reduce fuel economy by up to 5 percent.
- Replace air filters as needed. Consult the owner’s guide for the recommended schedule.
- Use good-quality oils with the viscosity grade recommended in the owner guide. Ford recommends SAE 5W-20 oil for most cars and trucks to provide the best fuel economy. Only oils “Certified for Gasoline Engines” by the American Petroleum Institute (API) with the starburst symbol should be used.
Visit Eco-Driving: Ten Easy Tips for Saving Fuel to see all ten eco-driving tips.
Thanks to Ford Motor Company for the tips and image.
This U.S. Patented invention (Moment-O-Meter) helps anyone EcoDriving instantly without effort. Moment-O-Meter is a new consumer friendly car instrument that helps reduce fuel consumption indicating the vehicle’s momentum telling the driver when to coast. It really does not matter if the vehicle uses gas, ethanol, or electricity or if the vehicle is small or eighteen wheelers. If you want to try it, just call for a demo. Thomas Delor 1-800-937-9455. http://www.EasyEcoDriving.com.
My next car purchase will be a hybrid, so I’ll add this vehicle to the list to take a look at.
It will take you years to recuperate your investment while using your current vehicle and retrofiting it with a moment-o-meter would be only a few months.
Tom Delor, Inventor