Become car-and fuel-smart

 

Car trips for work, school, shopping and other activities account for much of the travel emissions from the average household. There are a number of ways to reduce your personal travel emissions.

Leave the car at home for shorter trips (under 3kms) by using more sustainable options such as walking, cycling or using public transport. See the Walk, Cycle and Use public transport sections for great tips and information on your sustainable transport options. 

You can also reduce your travel emissions through smart car use, carpooling for work or the weekly shop, and buying cars that are more fuel-efficient. Here are some simple tips from the RACV and the Federal Government's Department of Heritage and Environment to minimise the environmental impacts of your car.

Top tips for efficient car use

 

Maintain your vehicle. Keep your car well maintained and regularly serviced to increase operational efficiency and minimise fuel consumption. Servicing should occur every once on six months and every 10,000kms. Check the oil, coolant, brake fluid and batteries every fortnight to ensure efficient operation and detect leaks. Repair leaks as soon as possible to minimise soil and water contamination. Get a check if there are any changes to the feel and sound of your car or warning lights on the instrument panel; all may be indicators of a problem.

Plan your trips. Vehicles are least efficient at the start of trips and on short trips. Longer trips (particularly driving at a speed over 90kmh or with fewer stops and starts) use up to 30% less fuel. So it's worth planning journeys to combine a variety of activities requiring car use. Better still, limit your car use to longer journeys only.

Drive in the right gear. Driving your manually-geared car a gear lower than required or in top gear on hills and around corners wastes fuel because the engine works harder (sometimes tyres too). Change up gear as soon as the car is comfortable doing so but without accelerating harder than necessary. Automatically-geared cars will do the hard work of switching gears more quickly and smoothly if you ease slightly on the accelerator once the car gets moving. Minimise overdrive and power options, which drop the car into a lower gear and use more fuel. Whether manual or automatic, let the car slow slightly when going up hills to minimise constant gear changes.

Smooth driving. This means avoiding unnecessary braking and acceleration, which uses around 30% more fuel. Keep a safe amount of space between your car and the one in front. Ease on the car's accelerator to slow down safely and use the car's momentum to cruise, minimising constant stopping and starting.

Look after your tyres. Low tyre pressure increases drag and fuel consumption. Check tyre pressure at least monthly (only when tyres are cold). Inflate tyres to the higher end of the recommended range of pressures (see edge of driver's door or glove-box for minimum recommended pressures). Also check for uneven wear on tyres, which may indicate incorrect wheel alignment.

Travel light and aerodynamically. Minimise unnecessary loads (stuff idling in the boot) and elements that might cause wind resistance (racks, driving with windows down over 50 kmh) for a smoother ride with less fuel use.

Keep a fuel consumption log. Increasing consumption can be the sign of a problem.

Recycle your car. If your vehicle is at the end of its life, ensure it is recycled. Over 80% of car parts (including metal, foam, rubber and glass) are recyclable. Recycling also ensures the careful handling and disposal of toxic materials such as battery acid and motor oil. If your insurer or mechanic doesn't offer this service, contact a local auto parts recycler or car removalist. For a registered dealer, visit www.apraa.com.

 

Top tips for fuel efficiency

 

Fill up right. Fill only to the first click or you risk fuel spillage and leaking.

Use air-conditioning only when required. Air-conditioners increase the fuel used in vehicles by about 10%. At speeds of over 80kmh, they save fuel compared with open windows (which cause drag). Avoid unnecessary use of air-conditioning. If the interior of a car is hot, always cool with open windows for the first few minutes before turning on the air-conditioner.

Accelerate gently. Minimise revving the car up unnecessarily and avoid high revs.

Minimise idling. Idling is a great way to waste fuel and create greenhouse gas emissions while going nowhere useful. Most cars do not need to be warmed up. Also, turn the engine off if you are waiting for someone, chatting on the mobile or dropping something off.

Minimise speeding. Observe the speed limit; speeding simply increases the gas used and is unsafe. Use cruise control on longer drives to assist in maintaining a constant speed.

More information is available on the RACV website and the Federal Government's Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities website.