Guest Article Feature
From saving money on gas to improving fuel efficiency and lessening your carbon footprint, there are many reasons to start using green technology for your car. While it’s always great to walk or ride your bike, it’s not always possible or practical. On those occasions when you have to slide behind the wheel, why not reap the benefits of eco-friendly technology?
You Won’t Spend So Much on Gas
Image via Flickr by Nakeva
One of the main reasons you should start looking into green technology for your car is because you won’t spend your entire paycheck on gas. Gas prices are absolutely ridiculous. If you live in a suburb or a city, the odds are good that you spend far too much time topping off your tank, and you probably never spend less than $50. With green technology, whether you have a GPS that leads you away from stop-start traffic or drive an electric car, you won’t use as much gas. That means more money and fewer greenhouse emissions.
Your Vehicle Will Last Longer
Image via Flickr by CDavisWI
Because of advances in eco-friendly technology, you end up taking better care of your car. There are smart tires, for example, that let you know when they need more air. Even low tire pressure leads to less fuel efficiency. A car or truck with a low capacity general purpose sensor runs cleaner and longer. There are even engines designed to last longer without wasting fuel. Lots of automakers are even recycling the batteries from their hybrids and electric cars, meaning that current models will drive better for a lot longer.
You’ll Spend Less on Maintenance
Image via Flickr by Matthew Burpee
Those smart tires are apt to keep you from needing a realignment, because you’re never in danger of riding around on your rims. The standard GPS feature that shows you the quickest, smartest routes to work keeps you from dealing with stop lights and traffic jams, which means you won’t wear out your breaks as often. Green technology keeps your car in better condition for a lot longer. From cleaner gas tanks to better tire maintenance, you won’t find yourself visiting the mechanic once a month.
Smarter Cars Save Money
Image via Flickr by Slabby
Whether you drive a hybrid or an electric vehicle or install greener, eco-friendly technologies in your current ride, you’ll save money. When gas prices increase again, you won’t worry because you’re no longer wasting gas. You won’t end up buying four brand new tires because you are always driving on bad roads, stopping all the time, or driving around in spite of low pressure. Getting your engine overhauled or considering newer, smarter fuel injectors might seem costly at first, but once you see how well your car runs and how much longer it lasts, you’ll appreciate the one-time financial sacrifice.
Investing in greener technology is always a good idea, whether you do it in your home or in your car, so take the time to do the research and learn about the benefits. What have you done to make your vehicle greener and more environmentally friendly?
We’ve considered a hybrid vehicle for our next car, but the up front costs does scare us away. We’ve been driving both our vehicles for almost 12 and 15 years respectively with just routine maintenance. If you should happen to get in an accident before you recoup your costs of the vehicle (which would take a good number of years likely based on the initial cost), it would be an extremely expensive investment.
I sure wish they would make electric cars more readily available and larger to fit an entire family. I feel that so long as our greedy government makes money from foreign oil, they will do anything to make sure we rely on gas as much as possible for as long as possible.
You make some good points!
I would love to go green with my car. Here’s hoping we can one day.
I’ve considered a hybrid vehicle to but in the end I always decide against it.
I would love to make the switch to a hybrid for my next vehicle!
These sound like some pretty good reasons to me! 🙂
Hubby laughs but I would love to get a smart car once M is old enough
Ooooo….I would love to test drive that little red car! So glad that automobiles are going “green.”
I would love to own a Toyota Prius for the gas savings. I like all the tips here and maybe someday green cars will be the norm and people can afford them!
I would love to go green eventually when we get a new car.