5 Ways to Make Your Drive Greener in Your Toyota

Car manufacturers are working hard to make their cars more eco-friendly, but there are also some things you can do to make your drive more environmentally friendly even if you have a regular gas-powered car. Here are five ways to make your drive greener.

Anticipate Braking

If you quickly accelerate and then slam on the brakes when you need to stop, you use much more gas than if you keep an even speed and ease into braking. Look up ahead to see when you’ll have to brake, and lift your foot off the accelerator to slow down before you need to press on the brake. You can do this even when driving in traffic; it just takes some practice. It also helps to pay attention to what is going on several cars ahead of you.

Shift Up Early

If you drive a manual transmission, keeping your RPMs around or under 2,000 will help you to burn less gas. The engine runs at its most efficient level when it is between 2,000 and 3,000 RPMs, so if you keep the engine in a lower gear longer than you need to, it uses a lot of fuel. Shift up to the highest gear possible as soon as you can, and when you climb a hill, choose the gear that you need to keep the accelerator no more than three-quarters of the down.

Get Rid of Excess Weight

We all tend to gather gear in our car that doesn’t make it back out at the end of the day. Remember, the more weight you have in the vehicle, the harder it has to work. Take out everything you don’t need in the car for each trip, so you’re carrying less weight. If you have a roof rack, take it off unless you need it, and check the trunk for unnecessary items.

Check the Tires and Tire Pressure

Make sure to keep your tires at the correct pressure to maximize your fuel efficiency. If the pressure is too low, it causes extra drag and increases the amount of gas you use, and it is also unsafe. You can also choose a lightweight tire along with one that has less rolling resistance to help the car move with less resistance.

Don’t Idle

If you need to stop for longer than a few minutes, turn the car off, so it doesn’t use unnecessary gas and create pollution. The only exception to this rule is when you need to sit in traffic. If you get caught in a traffic jam, you should keep your car on, so you are ready to move when the traffic moves. Remember that the amount of gas needed to turn off and re-start the engine is equal to the amount of gas you burn when idling for 10 seconds. If you sit with the engine running for any longer, it wastes money.

Follow these simple steps to be a more eco-friendly driver and make your ride greener. You can help contribute to a better environment even if you don’t have a hybrid or electric vehicle.

 

Image by d3ims, Licensed via CC BY-SA 2.0

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