Vehicle emissions are a significant contributor to climate change. According to the International Energy Agency, transport accounts for one fifth of human carbon dioxide emissions.
As such, many drivers are looking for ways to reduce their daily emissions. They want to support people in at-risk regions and protect the environment for future generations.
Just five years ago, low-carbon car options were few and far between. However, now that electric vehicles and hybrids are becoming more mainstream, motorists have more choices.
Lease a hybrid vehicle
According to an analysis by The International Council on Clean Transportation, PHEV emissions are between 15 and 55 per cent lower than those of conventional cars. Most of today’s PHEVs, they point out, have electric ranges of 30 to 60 km, meaning that they are capable of providing motorists with between 5,000 and 10,000 miles of CO2-free driving each year. This means that commuters can often avoid filling up at the forecourt year-round, so long as their home charging stations are capable of topping up the battery overnight.
Leasing hybrid vehicles is something that lease companies, such as Car-Leasing Online, have been recommending for some time. There are inherent advantages to leasing, they claim, that go above and beyond conventional car finance.
For instance, when you lease a hybrid vehicle, you pay less each month. That’s because you’re not shouldering the capital cost of the vehicle. Furthermore, the car returns to the dealership at the end of the term, meaning that it is their responsibility to sell it, not yours.
Critically, when you lease a hybrid vehicle, it sidesteps the high upfront purchase price – a factor many drivers find attractive.
Drive less aggressively
How you drive your vehicle also has a substantial impact on the emissions that it generates. If you dab the accelerator gently and avoid excessive braking, you can reduce fuel consumption considerably.
Similarly, maintaining your vehicle reduces emissions. When it runs efficiently, you maximise miles per gallon.
Choose cars with smaller engines
Research suggests that the average passenger vehicle emits more than 4.6 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, under the assumption of a combined fuel economy of 22 miles per gallon.
You can reduce your CO2 emissions by choosing vehicles with smaller engines. As engine size increases above 2.5 litres, so does emissions.
Avoid idling
Lastly, you can reduce daily emissions in 2022 by cutting down on unnecessary idling. Reducing idling time slashes CO2 production, engine wear, and pollution of the surrounding environment.
While it might be tempting, don’t allow your car to tick over when dropping off kids from school or waiting to pick somebody up. Instead, activate your vehicle’s automatic “start-stop” feature or manually switch off the ignition yourself.
