The most obvious way to reduce your carbon footprint behind the wheel is to buy an eco-friendlier car, such as an electric or hybrid vehicle.
However, this may not be possible immediately or within everyone’s reach, so can you reduce your carbon footprint by modifying your driving or looking after your car in a different way? Read on to find out more.
What has become known as eco-friendly driving is a recognised type of driving that not only helps reduce fuel consumption and emissions but also contributes to road safety. It does this by encouraging drivers to plan ahead and ensure that they are prepared for potential hazards.
Eco-friendly driving allows you to maximise the potential of every journey you make in your car, bringing more benefits to the environment, as well as to your wallet. Even simply making fewer journeys or taking a more direct route to your destination will help lower your carbon footprint.
By making a few uncomplicated changes, such as changing gear earlier and reducing braking, you can help make our roads safer, something that should be of importance to all drivers.
In simple terms, car emissions can be reduced by burning less fuel. Eco-friendly driving involves making your car as fuel efficient as possible to ensure your consumption and emissions are no higher than they absolutely need to be. This is one way in which you as a driver can help the environment.
Eco-friendly driving includes driving with your windows up to reduce drag, keeping the weight in your car down by removing anything that is not vital to your journey, regularly checking your tyres, not keeping your engine idle and, of course, planning your route to ensure that it is not only as direct as possible, but also to foresee any hazards such as roadworks or traffic jams.
These simple changes can be implemented immediately without a great deal of effort and have the potential to improve not only your carbon footprint, but also the roads in your community.
Of course, hybrid or electric vehicles (EVs) represent a greener choice for drivers, but these are not always realistic options. When it comes to traditional engines, newer and smaller vehicles are more eco friendly than older, larger vehicles as they tend to use less fuel and emit fewer emissions.
If an electric vehicle is an option for you, it is also worth remembering that you may be eligible for a government grant both on your vehicle purchase and towards the installation of an electric charging point at your home.
Regular vehicle maintenance is a key weapon against emissions. Looking after your car properly to ensure that it functions at optimum efficiency will help burn less fuel.
Change your oil regularly to keep your car running smoothly and ensure that your air filter is clean or new to keep the air flowing around the engine. Check tyre pressure regularly as low tyre pressure increases both fuel consumption and consequently CO2 emissions – a tyre under-inflated by 20 per cent reduces fuel economy by roughly the equivalent figure.
If you’re considering an electric vehicle but might not yet be ready to purchase one outright then leasing could be for you.
Leasys offer a wide range of electric cars and vans for lease, all of which come with a standard service package and the option to purchase an additional maintenance package for a small supplement on your monthly rental payment. As you will have by now realised, regular maintenance is one of the main ways in which drivers can help the environment.
If you run a business with values based on sustainability, environmentally-friendly vehicles and eco-friendly driving will be of prime importance to you. Contact one of Leasys’ expert customer care advisors today to find out how leasing an environmentally-friendly vehicle or fleet of vehicles through Leasys can help you become a more eco friendly driver.
