Buying fuel efficient cars
August 15, 2010 by admin
Filed under Going Green
Buying a new car is an exciting experience for most people as they seek to find the nicest looking, best performing car they can find, within their budget. Sometimes buyers however do not give consideration to the Co2 emissions that their new car emits and aren’t aware that by buying a more environmentally friendly car, they could save a considerable amount of money whilst at the same time doing their bit for the environment.
Whilst the environment isn’t high on everybody’s agenda, there are a number of ‘eco-warrior’ role models who set a good example. Including a number of celebrities who prefer to opt for smaller more economical cars as opposed to larger gas guzzling models. One such celebrity, who has been widely commended for his efforts towards helping the environment, is Leonardo DiCaprio, who drives a hybrid car.
In a nutshell, fuel efficient cars burn less fuel which means they produce less Co2 emissions. When buying a new car, if everyone chose the most fuel efficient car in its class, people could save up to 3 months of fuel per year, as well as reducing emissions.
Choosing the right car and model
Smaller cars are more fuel efficient in general, so it is important to consider your requirements from the car you’re about to buy. For example, do you really need a large boot if you only use it when you go to the supermarket? And how many seats do you actually need? Asking yourself simple questions like this will help you find the right model for your lifestyle and driving needs.
Once you have decided on the type of car you are looking for (Coupe, Hatchback etc) then look at the various makes, models and engine types to find the most fuel efficient option. All cars have a colour-coded fuel efficiency rating that goes from A-G with bands A and B being the most fuel efficient and therefore releasing less Co2. This label is an important guide for you as it will show you the average running costs per 12,000 miles. Also, don’t forget that the lower the band, the less tax you will have to pay. Another way to save!
Ask for advice
When you are in the process of buying your new car you can ask the salesperson for some advice on the environmental performances and efficiency. Ask about any extras that you can buy that will reduce your Co2 emissions such as a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) which is especially useful on diesel cars.
Save money and the environment
Choosing the most fuel efficient option when buying your car is a great way to help the environment, by reducing climate change, and it can also help keep your hard earned cash in your pocket. With the cost of driving continuing to rise, we should all be doing our utmost to save some money. There are plenty of fuel efficient cars out there, you just need to take your time and be patient to find the best deals.
Buying a new car can be a difficult decision. If you require car finance its worth taking a little longer over your decision. Don?t worry if you have been refused credit in the past as it is likely there will be a range of bad credit car loans on the market to suit your needs.
CBC news report on buying a hybrid car. Is it worth it?
August 10, 2010 by admin
Filed under Hybrid Cars
Is a hybrid car worth buying? What are the prices? What rebates are available and can you get any deals? How about diesels or other cars with good gas mileage. Lots of good info.
Buying a Car Right For You
August 9, 2010 by admin
Filed under Going Green
Buying a car is usually a major investment and it will take time and effort to get a vehicle which is right for you. Before you head over to the main dealers though, you should take some time out to ask yourself some questions and hopefully get some good answers as to what you are looking for out of your new vehicle.
Do You Buy New of Used?
Buying a used vehicle will probably save you a great deal of money because new cars depreciate as soon as you drive them off the dealership lot. After 3 years, a new car is probably worth only around 65% of its original price. Buying a 3 year old used car is very often an excellent deal.
On the other hand, new cars tend to require less maintenance and are more reliable than buying used, which is in their favor.
Safety Record
There is no such things a 100% safe vehicle, but some cars are better at protecting their human cargo than others. Safety features such as airbags, may reduce the risk of injury during a collision however for an overall assessment of the model you are interested in you should check out the independent crash test results at sites such as SaferCar.gov
Reliability
You wake up all ready for the day, enjoy your breakfast and coffee in hand stroll out to the car, turn the key in the ignition and nothing happens! By now your perfect day is turning into a stressful race to find a ride or transportation to work, or pick up the kids or to find someone who can tow you to a garage from the middle of nowhere while you are on vacation.
Some cars are just better designed and engineered than others, and as a result they have a better record for being durable and reliable. Other cars have a reputation for not being reliable. Check and compare the reliability reports and reviews to see whether you want to risk looking good in your new car while traffic backs up behind you in rush hour, or whether you want the unstressed life which comes from getting where you need to get to without incident.
Fuel Economy
Annual fuel costs can be very high for some cars, even when gas prices are not at all-time high levels in fact, different cars can have as much as $2,000 difference between them in fuel cost for the same mileage.
Do you really want great looking gas hog if gas prices reach $5 a gallon again? Don’t just think about how gas prices will figure into your budget today, but consider the impact on your finances should you have to pay more for your gas.
Going Green Environmental Considerations
This is closely tied in with gas consumption, which is the largest contributor to air pollution in the country and around the world. Some vehicles offer extremely high performance but at an environmental price, while other vehicles do provide a high level of compromise on performance, passenger comfort and fuel economy. Going green with your new car doesn’t necessarily mean buying the most environmentally friendly car on the market either how you drive a vehicle has a great role to play in how much fuel you consume and pollution you create.
Scott Conklin is the president of Conklin Cars, a leading provider of Wichita Kansas Chevrolet, Wichita Kansas Honda and many other Kansas cars, trucks, and SUVs. Conklin Cars can be found online at: ConklinCars.com.
Is Buying a Hybrid Car a Good Idea
August 2, 2010 by admin
Filed under Hybrid Cars
powerlearning21.com Is Buying a Hybrid Car a Good Idea? By the end of this class you will have learned: The Advantages of Hybrid Cars How Hybrid Cars Word Different Types of Hybrid Cars Examples of Hybrid Cars How to Find the Best Hybrid Car for You
Why Buying a Hybrid Car Can Save You Money
July 4, 2010 by admin
Filed under Hybrid Cars
Fed up with paying too much for gas for your car? I can’t say I blame you considering the massive rise in fuel prices. Well it’s obvious that the price of gas isn’t ever going to be cheap again. So what can you do to save money on filling up your tank? Is getting a second job the only option to make sure you can afford gas for your car?
One option is to form a carpool. Trouble is that would need a lot of scheduling and coordination with other people. Hopefully, you are good at math because you’ll have to work out how much each person will have to pay for gas. You’ll also have to make sure that every car in the carpool is in good working condition. Otherwise, you could be putting yourself or the other passengers at risk.
I suppose you could trade down to a smaller car and sacrifice style, size, and reputation. But who wants to drive around in a nondescript little car when they could be driving a smart SUV? Although there are plenty of options for saving gas, there’s one that makes a lot more sense than all of the others. Buy a hybrid car. The question is, does a hybrid car really save you money?
There are reasons why the hybrid car will save you money and reasons why it doesn’t. The hybrid car could save you a few dollars a day and thousands per year on gas. However, if you’re the sort of person who is not into keeping tabs on how much you spend per week driving to and fro from work, you might not be able to truly appreciate how much money a hybrid car will save you at the gas pump.
We’ve all heard about the people who buy a hybrid car, just to save money on gas and luckily it turns out that they do save a whole lot.
But then there are the stories of people who buy a hybrid car, but they actually end up saving very little. Maybe it’s because some of these people may be highway drivers as opposed to local commuters. A hybrid car repowers its battery by stopping. So if you are a highway driver, you might not appreciate how much money you save with a hybrid car.
Many people say that whether you experience big savings by purchasing a hybrid car has to do with a lot more than most people think. And it really does. Some people who are stay-at-home moms for instance, don’t even consider that it might not make a difference whether they own a hybrid car or not. Really, they just don’t go too many places.
But does a hybrid car really save you money? In most cases, but you need to compare your current spending before you buy a hybrid car and after you buy the hybrid car. Only then you will see if you have saved anything. If you don’t keep a record of your car useage and cost, you won’t know if buying a hybrid car was a worthwhile investment or not.
For more tips on hybrid cars, hypermiling and many other ways to save gas at the fuel pump visit Hypermiling Tactics
Buying And Using Environment Friendly Products
June 19, 2010 by admin
Filed under Going Green
Global warming and rise in energy prices are common terms today so are eco friendly products and recycling. Our global market is trying to become more eco friendly and manufacture more environmentally friendly products. Rise in global warming is mainly due to fact, that many of us are using organic non bio degradable products like polythene bags. Our natural resources also are depleting at a very fast pace which makes conservation a necessity and responsibility for each one of us.
You as consumers can show the way by buying products and services that are earth friendly. It’s a wise choice when you buy organic products that are good for your health and for the world.
Manufacturing eco products like bags and cases, books, audio, magazines, drink wares, and other products is not an easy thing. We as consumers are bound by social responsibility to encourage and help these companies by purchasing their products.
Eco products are bio degradable which means, they mix along the surface of the earth making it easy for Mother Nature. Plastic products are not bio degradable and hence not a healthy option. They can’t mix into the earth’s soil which makes them remain as they are which has caused lot of difficulties for the marine life especially.
Eco products or green products have one main advantage over plastic products. They can be recycled and used again and again. This causes the amount of toxic and harmful materials entering into our eco systems to reduce.
Going green doesn’t cost you lot of money. There are many more options. Recycled, earths friendly materials cost less than their non-recycled counterparts and research has shown that every little bit you do counts. We can also discourage waste and help in the reduction of the amount of toxic materials entering our ecosystems.
Environmentally friendly goods and services that are available are made of natural resources which are safe for Mother Nature. The use of recycled products helps in the conservation of natural resources. Companies that produce environmentally friendly commodities are using eco-friendly means to produce their products. This helps in the reduction of disposing waste material, which helps in keeping pollutants out of the environment. It is important that you buy these products from the companies and encourage others to so the same as it is beneficial for Mother Nature.
http://greenandlovingit.com does exactly that. They can help you purchase eco friendly products like health and beauty items, books, audio books, magazines, organic clothing, designer clothing, healthy foods, home and garden, and healthy items for kids. They do product reviews periodically on their website to make sure that the companies are reputable and make sure that the products are as eco friendly and renewable. Their website also provides you lot of free information on healthy foods and products.
We are all aware of the fact that pollution leads to climate change, so all of us should do what we can to help limit the amount of poisonous gases that are being released into the atmosphere. We can start doing that by purchasing eco friendly products.
I?m sure all of us care about mother earth and want to do as much as we can to help to preserve and protect her. We can start of by buying and using earth friendly products. http://www.greenandlovingit.com was put together to list many green, environmentally friendly, natural, organic, healthy, and useful products and services for you to find.
Buying a Fuel-efficient Car
June 5, 2010 by admin
Filed under Fuel Economy
Whether you buy a new or used vehicle, fuel efficiency–good gas mileage–is high on the list of most buyers’ concerns. The difference between choosing a fuel-efficient car or one that guzzles gas, will either save or cost you money over the life of the vehicle, which could be substantial. Fuel efficiency varies widely from one car to the next. Obviously you can check the EPA rating for city/highway MPG on the window sticker, although most of us know the average car never reaches those numbers.
You can also check consumer guides, car magazines and Web sites, Web site forums or ask friends, relatives and co-workers which vehicles they recommend as fuel-efficient cars. Don’t buy more car than you need, as larger vehicles generally have bigger engines that are less fuel-efficient. Find the most fuel-efficient car in the size group you’re interested in, whether a two-seater, compact, mid-sized, SUV or pickup truck. There are several online sites where you can compare fuel consumption ratings of any car.
Your choice of transmission can also affect the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Generally, a car with manual transmission is a more fuel-efficient car than one with automatic-assuming you shift properly. And a manual with overdrive, tachometer or shift indicator is the biggest fuel saver, saving up to 10% on fuel costs. If you do buy an automatic, which makes more sense for larger cars, the more gears the better.
Under normal driving conditions, smaller engines offer better fuel efficiency and economy than larger ones. All other things being equal, the larger engine and the more cylinders it has, the more fuel it consumes. Additionally, cars with smaller engines usually cost less and gas costs are lower because you don’t need higher octane gas. That doesn’t mean a bigger engine is never a good choice. In some cases, a larger, more powerful engine may provide the greater fuel efficiency. If you use your vehicle for work or often tow heavy loads, a smaller engine could burn more fuel if it has to work too hard and function beyond its most fuel-efficient range.
Depending on the type and size of motor vehicle you purchase, you may have the choice of front-wheel, rear-wheel, four-wheel or all-wheel drive. The majority of passenger cars and minivans have front-wheel drive, a design that supplies better traction and more interior room than rear-wheel drive. Although front-wheel drive was originally adopted to improve fuel economy over rear-wheel drive by reducing the weight and size of cars without giving up driving performance or interior space, there’s really not much difference in fuel efficiency between the two.
And although four-wheel and all-wheel drive provide better traction and braking in certain driving conditions, the weight and friction of the additional drivetrain parts may increase fuel consumption by up to 10% over a two-wheel drive vehicle. Most often in SUVs and pickup trucks, four-wheel drive is enabled at will by the driver when additional traction is necessary. All-wheel drive is an option on some SUVs and a minority of passenger cars. Full-time all-wheel drive, however, makes for the least fuel-efficient car, because all four wheels are always being driven, drawing power from the engine and thus using more gas.
Another way to be a fuel saver, is by limiting the options you select for your car. You may not have realized that many conveniences from power windows, seats and mirrors to air conditioning and seat warmers decrease fuel efficiency and cost you more in fuel consumption. They add either weight, increase aerodynamic drag or pull extra power from the engine or through the alternator.
Aluminium wheels are one of the few options that actually reduce weight and thereby increase fuel efficiency.
Obviously, considering other fuel options such as a hybrid electric car, is another choice for a fuel-efficient car.
See my other articles for more tips at http://www.alientips.com
Andrea Susan Glass helps clients reach their writing and marketing goals with effective articles, press releases, newsletters, Web site copy, eBooks and books. An award-winning author for “Street Smart Secrets to Auto Care You Can Trust,” she has written books, eBooks and articles on subjects ranging from animals and auto repair to singles and spirituality.
Buying a Fuel Efficient Vehicle
May 20, 2010 by admin
Filed under Fuel Economy
When shopping for a new vehicle, keeping in mind some thoughts about fuel economy is an easy way to be a conscientious consumer. Not only will it reduce your environmental footprint, you might save some bucks too.
Buying Used Engines Is Environmentally Friendly
May 19, 2010 by admin
Filed under Going Green
When people think of used engines, a wide variety of things come to mind. You might think of a junk yard, salvage yard, an automobile dismantler, or a gangs putting vehicles on blocks so they can steal used engines. From talking to people over the years, the most common thought is that of a junk yard. They picture a big field with junk cars leaking oil and chemicals into the watershed and hurting the environment. There are a lot of misconceptions about where <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=http://www.lowmileageengines.com>used engines</a> come from, and I hope to correct those in this article. The use of used engines is in fact environmentally and economically friendly and thus, a smart decision. We’ll examine why in this article.
Used engines don’t come from Sanford and Son Salvage these days. In fact, far from it. The most modern auto recycling facilities have made a science out of auto dismantling, and in fact, consider themselves auto dismantlers first and foremost – not junkyards, not salvage yards. Modern dismantlers receive vehicles and immediately attempt to run them to verify the integrity of the drive train; they take notes on the condition of all engines, shut them off, and immediately begin to to reclaim all fluids from the vehicle. This includes the oil, anti-freeze, gasoline, brake fluid, and power steering fluid. The oil is bought and recycled, normally into plastic. Brake fluid and powers steering fluid are recycled professionally once picked up. Many auto dismantlers use the gasoline and power steering fluid on their “yard buggies.”
Once all fluids are removed, all body panels and mechanical parts are removed from the vehicle. At the most conscientious of dismantlers, used engines are “pickled.” There are several ways to pickle used engines, the most common being to pull the spark plugs and put a moisture displacing lubricant inside of it, turn the engine, and then put the spark plugs back in. The engine is then put on the shelf. When an order is placed, the moisture displacer is vacated from the engine by turning it over, and then the cylinders are lubricated with oil. The engine is then placed on a pallet.
A similar procedure is followed to prepare all other useable parts, while the remaining non-useable part of the vehicle is crushed and then melted for metal
.
That’s right – used engines come from an environmentally friendly process that has a much lower environmental impact than making a new engine or remanufacturing a nonworking engine.
But how economical are they? Very economical, my friend. You see, the material in the engines, the machining – all prepaid. It takes much less manpower to remove an engine from a vehicle than it does to make a new engine or remanufacture an engine. Typically, used engines with low mileage can be purchased at 35-60% of the cost of a new or remanufactured engine. This means more money in your pocket book is left after an identical repair is performed.
Used engines are green, financially and environmentally. If the engine in your vehicle has failed, and you are considering what replacement option you have, I hope this article has opened your eyes to the possibility used engines offer you to save your family money and reduce your environmental impact.
There are several ways to pickle used engines, the most common being to pull the spark plugs and put a moisture displacing lubricant inside of it, turn the engine, and then put the spark plugs back in
what is a good website for buying eco friendly products
May 18, 2010 by admin
Filed under Going Green
I am looking for cheap everyday eco friendly “green” household products
