Let’s be realistic. Sometimes we just have to take the car, sometimes we just don’t want to cycle, sometimes we're on a tight schedule. We accept that we are driving and thus emitting greenhouse gas emissions. But did you know that you can learn to drive in an eco-friendly manner without needing to buy an electric car? In reading The Rough Guide to Climate Change: the Symptoms, the Science, the Solutions we came across this concept of eco-friendly driving. We’ve done some more research and are happy to share what we’ve learned, to help you minimise your impact for those times when you can’t avoid going by car. Enjoy!
According to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy report of the 2018 UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions, transport covers the largest category of UK GHG emissions, at 28%. Of that, the highest contributor is private passenger cars. So, if we are on the road, how can we minimise our impact? Whether you’ve got a snazzy new model, an old tanker or a diesel guzzling van, the following tips are things we can all do! (Unless you’ve got a hybrid, see the end for guidance on speed/smooth journeys). If you have taken your test in the last 10 years you may have noticed that some of these principles are actually assessed in your practical (and thus you’re already part way there, buddy!)
1. Speed
Drive at the right speed and in the right gear. Most cars are built to be at height efficiency at speeds of 30-50 miles per hour. Above that, and you’ll watch your fuel efficiency go down as much as 15% every 10mph. In driving tests, examiners identify negative behaviours such as heavy braking, over-revving and inability to use appropriate gears. For more information see Driving Test Mark Sheet Explained.
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2. Avoid sitting ‘ready to go’.
Idling, like parents sitting in running cars at the school gate, is such a wasteful practice. According to the aforementioned Rough Guide book, even just 5 minutes of hanging around emits 0.5kg of GHG. And you may think, ‘oh it’s just a couple of minutes,’ but it only takes 10 seconds of idling to surpass the emissions caused by switching on and off again - YIKES!3. Know when the air-con is actually needed.
Sometimes the A/C is all the hope we’ve got as we see hotter summers year on year. If outside temperatures are not too gross, then using the vents and pumping air through the fan is the least impactful way of cooling the car. You may also wish to use the windows on short journeys to create a nice cool breeze. On long trips however, the option of using the speed + window combination to produce cool winds through your car has been argued to be not as beneficial as you may expect. The drag produced by a lapse in the aerodynamics of your vehicle can consume fuel at a similar rate to using the A/C.
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4. Get your car checked out.
5. Smooth journeys.
Abrupt stops and starts in your journey can drain fuel and contribute to wear and tear. Accelerate gradually (not zooming like the boy racers of Fallowfield) and ease off the gas, moving down through the gears before using your break and ultimately coming to a stop. It makes for a much more enjoyable ride (for the driver, passenger and the car) but also helps reduce the impact of your travel.
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6. Plan ahead.
To assist with your smooth journey goal, planning ahead can help. Firstly, to know where you’re going so you don’t need to make sharp turns, breaks, etc., but also to suss out the best route. Avoiding peak times on major roads allows you to steer clear (no pun intended) not only of the inconvenience of traffic, but also unnecessary idling. Consider opting for alternative routes that may mean longer mileage but if quieter, can take less time.
7. Keep it light.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of using your car as an extension of your personal space and end up storing all sorts of rubbish in there. Keep heavy items at home unless you need them and ensure to match your tyre pressure to the appropriate levels for your load. You can find this information online or in your car manual. When the tyres are at optimum pressure, they roll much better along the tarmac. For more advice see How to Check Your Tyre Pressure and Tread Depth.
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8. Keep your DPF clean (diesel vehicles only)
Okay this one is for the diesel car owners. The Diesel Particular Filter is put into the exhaust of cars to prevent soot passing into the atmosphere – all cars from 2009 will have these. They can be troublesome if you don’t maintain them or learn how your particular car needs to be cared for, so do be sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
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Hybrids
So, hybrids are a bit different; with a hybrid engine it’s actually beneficial to accelerate briskly until the optimum efficiency zone has been reached (30-40mph). Cool kids call this “pulse and glide” driving, where you hover around the optimum efficiency zone with little pulses of acceleration and deceleration; it can actually boost the car’s efficiency overall. For slowing down, initially start gently braking and then increase pressure. As the Rough Guide to Climate Change book explains, “this ensures that the maximum energy goes into recharging the battery versus creating unusable heat in the brakes themselves”. I hope that makes sense to you – I don’t have a hybrid!
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Hopefully, some of these things will be helpful to you and easy to adopt into your driving behaviour - maybe you were already doing some of them and didn’t realise you were helping to make using your car more efficient! Wherever you start from, the most important thing is just that – to start. Let us know if you found this useful or if you have more tips we can add to this post!
Author: Holly
References:
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (2020). 2018 UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Final figures. National Statistics. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/862887/2018_Final_greenhouse_gas_emissions_statistical_release.pdf
Henson, R., & Clark, D. (2011). The rough guide to climate change (3rd ed.). Rough Guides.
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