Tips to Keep Your Car as Energy Efficient as Possible

Your car. It can become your pride and joy. But what if your prized possession isn’t being so kind to the environment with that gas? Or to your wallet?

 It’s true, you have to fuel your car up to make it run, there’s no getting around it. And it has to emit that gas into the environment unless your solar and an electric car!

But there is a smart way to do this. There are many tips and tricks for on and off of the road that can help you drive in a way that will be energy efficient, and therefore cost-efficient.

Here are some tips that can help your car be as energy efficient as possible on gas. Therefore it’ll save you money and save the environment.

Tips for Off of the Road:

Check on the engine and oil regularly

• Tuning up your car and getting your engine checked out can improve gas mileage by up to 4%. You can increase your engines energy efficiency by replacing the air filter, cleaning your fuel filter, and using the correct oil grade for your vehicle. 

Keep tires properly inflated

Make sure your tire pressure is on the correct psi at all times. Doing this can help decrease fuel emissions by 3.5%, which saves you money on gas. 

Keep up car maintenance

Along with keeping up with your gas engine, spending the extra money now to maintain your car and fix those repairs you’ve been avoiding can save you in the long run. Taking care of those more serious repairs, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can potentially help improve your car’s energy efficiency up to 40%, according to the DOE.

Clean out your car

Believe it or not, keeping the clutter out of your car helps increase your gas mileage. For every 100 extra pounds in your car, your fuel efficiency decreases by 1%. Also, try to pack lightly when traveling for long distances to save even more on your fuel emissions. 

Be ready to roll before you start the car

Before you turn on your engine, make sure all the little things are in place. Mirrors are in check, fasten your seat belt, and get your tunes and gps ready to go. It seems small, but millions of gallons of gasoline could be saved if every driver did this every time they got in their car. 

 

Tips While Driving:

Use cruise control

Accelerating and braking frequently and abruptly uses more gas, so when you can, using cruise control is the most energy-efficient way to go. Staying at a consistent speed generally gets you better gas mileage. The only exception to that is if you are in a hilly area, it will take more energy for your car to stay at a constant speed going uphill. 

Keep your cool

Aggressive driving has been shown to decrease your car’s gas mileage by up to 33% on highways. Stay calm while driving and break and accelerate gently whenever possible. 

Don’t idle

If you are going to be idling for more than a minute, it’s best to turn off your car. Restarting the car uses less gas than idling it for long periods of time. You can use up to 2 cents a minute of gasoline while idling your car. 

Reduce AC use

Using the air conditioner in your car can reduce gas mileage by up to 20%. Try to roll down the windows and cool down the car naturally whenever possible (unless at highway speeds). Also, don’t blast the AC right when you get in if your car is hot. Roll the windows down first, get your car rolling, and then gradually turn on the AC to help stay energy efficient.

Try to avoid traffic

The constant stop-and-go nature of traffic is bad for gas mileage. Try to avoid traffic whenever you can. So let Waze or Google Maps help you with that if the Navigation on the car won’t.

Finally, if you are really concerned with energy efficiency, consider changing your commute time if possible. And if that’s not possible, avoid the abrupt braking and accelerating and instead opt for a slow roll.