Surprising Ways to "Go Green," even before you buy your first hybrid.

If you don’t have a hybrid on your shopping list, there are still many cheap and easy ways to Green Your Car:

1. If you have a roof rack you never use, remove it. One consumer compared the gas mileage of his car at 54.7 mph (88 kph) with 1) no roof racks, 2) an empty roof rack, and 3) a mountain bike on the roof rack.

He found that compared to the baseline of no roof rack, the empty rack reduced his MPG by -12.7% and the roof rack with a bicycle reduced it by a whooping -27.3%. And since air resistance increases exponentially with speed, the difference would have been even bigger at 70 mph.

While the methodology isn't 100% scientific, and every vehicle will be affected differently by a roof rack, this gives you a good idea of how big a difference a roof rack (empty and full or not there at all) can make.

Read more about this at:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tech-transport/roof-rack-affect-mgp.html

2. Enable your car’s air conditioner to use less energy, while cooling your car faster. When you get in a hot, closed car in the summer, don’t turn the AC on right away. First, open all the windows, then start the car, hit the button for “Fresh Air” NOT “Recirculation” and turn on ONLY THE FAN, with it venting to the lower floor vents. Start driving. This is the fastest and cheapest way to get all the hot air out of the car, without making the AC do any work yet. When the inside of the car is cooled to the ambient temperature, then close the windows and turn on the AC. Once you have the interior temperature where you want to keep it, then hit the “recirculation” button.

Read the full story at:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tech-transport/cool-vehicle-quickly-heat.html

3. Five Ways to “Go Green” Your Current Car – for less than $25 each.

• Pump up your tires. You’ll use less gas.
• Clean out the junk in the trunk – The car will weigh less and you’ll use less gas.
• Change your air filter – It will work better. (wear a facemask!)
• Replace old spark plugs with eco-friendly spark plugs – The car will run more efficiently. (Consult your owner manual first to make sure you can do this!)
• Insulate your car battery – It will last longer. (Consult your manual first!)

Read the full story at: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tech-transport/green-carunder-hundreddollars.html


Share your ideas for going greener in your current car!