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Which is Best for Your Family?
Looking for a Green Machine?
If you are shopping for a “green” car, you have more choices than ever. Consider your budget, how green you want to be and how you will use the car. A fuel efficient Mini-Cooper may not work for a family of five.
In order to begin the search for your perfect green vehicle, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with your options. Here are some terms any soon-to-be car shopper should know.
What’s Out There?
- Conventional green cars – Gas engine vehicles with low CO2 emissions and good fuel economy.
- Hybrid cars – Among the most fuel-efficient with low emissions, hybrids are a combination of gas and electric engines. However, choices are limited, so they’re likely to be more expensive.
- Electric cars – Zero emissions but limited to low speeds and short distances between charges.
The Green Garage
One couple in Edwardsburg, Michigan has chosen to have one of the “greenest” garages around. Brooke Artley wanted the most fuel efficient car possible. She drives a 2008 Toyota Prius. Her husband, Anthony Gouin, drives a 2009 SMART car.
Brooke’s previous car got around 22 mpg. The jump to nearly 50 mpg has been rewarding. She has no illusions she’ll recover the higher ticket price for the hybrid Prius in fuel savings. “I wanted to support technology that promotes fuel efficiency. It’s about minimizing dependency on fossil fuel and reducing toxic emissions. I felt an obligation to the planet to buy the most fuel efficient choice,” Brooke explained.
Brooke hopes with more hybrids on the roads, the technology will become mainstream, driving up demand and reducing vehicle cost.
Her husband, Anthony, decided on a SMART car because it is the most fuel efficient two-seater available. He also wanted a car in his price point and one that would fit in a compact space in his garage. Right now, even with a conventional gas engine, it’s getting about 40 mpg. Since it only needs an oil change every 10,000 miles, “Low maintenance is an added benefit,” he said.
Mike Keen, executive director for the Center for a Sustainable Future at IU South Bend, recently donated his GEM (Global Electric Motors) e2 to HealthWorks Museum so he and his wife Gabrielle could make room in their garage for a plug-in hybrid, electric Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt when they are available. The GEM, a two-seater, is totally electric. With a top speed of 25 to 30 mph, it is only street legal on roads with speed limits up to 35 mph. With a range of 25 miles, Mike made his downtown commute for three years in the car he affectionately called “Emmy.”
Mike says it took about eight hours to charge the GEM from a standard outlet in his garage. He estimates he spent one cent of electricity for every 10 cents a standard car uses in gas. No gas tank means no air pollution when driving.
Rather than selling the GEM, the Keens opted to donate their car where it could be used as an educational tool. “Emmy is a kid magnet,” Mmike explained and he’s thrilled the car will continue its life educating children and their families about green technology.
Some Additional Advice
Brooke Artley suggests prospective buyers evaluate their motivation for purchasing a green car. “Do your homework to compare vehicles.”
An easy way to research green car choices is to use the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Vehicle Web site. It rates the environmental performance of almost every vehicle made and provides search capabilities by year of manufacture, make and style of vehicle. You can search for a fuel efficient mini-van or a truck with low carbon emissions. New or used, with a little effort you can find a greener vehicle that will match your needs.
Helpful web sites
Tips to Save Fuel (and Money) in Any Vehicle!
(Source: epa.gov/greenvehicles)
Eliminate aggressive driving. Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds or five percent around town. Drive smoothly and save 13-88 cents per gallon.
Watch your speed. Every five mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional 24 cents per gallon for gas.
Lighten up. Avoid unnecessary items in your vehicle. Unloading an extra 100 pounds could save you three to five cents per gallon.
Tune up. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune can save around 11 cents per gallon.
Keep your tires inflated properly. You could save up to eight cents per gallon. Under-inflated tires lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent with just one psi drop in pressure of all four tires.
Use the right motor oil. Improve your gas mileage by one to two percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. You’ll save three to five cents per gallon.
A few more tips:
Combine trips. Reducing your driving distance by just 15 miles a week saves 900 lbs of carbon emissions a year. Could you share a ride, take a bus, ride your bike or walk?
Idling gets zero miles per gallon. When stopped at a railroad crossing, or waiting for someone in a parking lot, shut off your engine.
Cruise control on the highway helps maintain a uniform speed and saves gas.
