In honor of Earth Day, here are some tips for “green” driving, from Enterprise Rent-A-Car:
- Lighten your load — pack just what you need, and you’ll improve fuel economy. This does not mean to leave your Mother-in-law at home!
- Reduce your speed — this is just good advice anyway, given what I see on the roads these days
- Use the right fuel — most cars don’t need higher-octane gas, so don’t spend more on premium if you don’t have to. If you have a FlexFuel vehicle that uses E85 blend (85% ethanol, 15% gas) you can locate E85 fueling stations before your trip at www.e85refueling.com
- Avoid the top-off — we all do it, pumping that last little bit into the tank to maximize the time between fill-ups, but that extra squeeze can release polluting vapors into the air
- Give the brakes a break — in traffic jams, avoid those impatient jackrabbit starts and quick stops, and try to be steady on the accelerator. Cars use the most fuel when accelerating.
- Cool off wisely — rolling down the windows and turning off the AC can save fuel at slower speeds, but at highway speeds the extra drag from open windows hurts your fuel economy. So, on the highway, feel free to crank the tunes AND the AC.
Do you have any additional “green” driving tips to share?
