Greener driving

Posted by Colin Hensley on January 19, 2009 in 360° approach, Eco-driving tips, Green Technologies

Greener driving

Day-by-day, we are all made aware of the environmental impact of our daily life and more and more of us change our routines for the better. Things like recycling bins and low voltage lightbulbs are part of my family’s daily life, .and I’ve even got used to taking my bags and boxes with me when I go to the shops.

We could all be more environmentally aware on the road too. At Toyota we know the best way to encourage ‘greener’ driving or as we like to call it Eco-driving is to work closely with drivers. Through the Toyota fund for Europe, we’ve commissioned specially developed simulators so new techniques can be tried and tested. On the simluator’s we’ve set a challenge to drive as far as you can on 0.1 litres of petrol. At the recent IUCN World Conservation in Barcelona, the champion was 12 year old McKenzy Haber, who is already a great advocate for eco-driving.

Next time you’re behind the wheel, why not try these simple Eco-driving hints?

Starting
• Travel as light as you can, extra weight means you use more energy
(10% for a ski box, up to 30% for a cycle rack)
• Don’t use your car for short journeys
• Plan your route

Checking/Maintaining
• Have your car serviced regularly
• Check your tyre pressures at least every month

Driving
• Change up to a higher gear early: it means lower engine speed and lower fuel consumption
• Only use the air conditioning, rear screen heater etc. when you really need it
• Drive at a constant speed
• If possible, switch off your engine if you’re in a traffic jam or whenever you have to wait longer than 30 seconds
• Keep your windows closed and use the ventilation system
• Use cruise control or a display showing your current consumption and save up to 10%

Any other suggestions?

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