Discover how you can save on fuel costs and minimize environmental impact.
Unless you’re driving an electric car, your vehicle emits CO2 and other pollutants while on the road. The amount of emissions your car generates depends on:
- Your driving habits
- The make and model of your car
- The maintenance of your car.
By modifying your driving behavior, you can be more eco-friendly, save on fuel, and reduce tire wear. This approach is referred to as ‘The New Driving’. :troll:
Benefits of The New Driving
- Less CO2 emissions
- Less tire wear
- Less overall car wear and tear
- Up to 20% fuel savings
- You drive more quietly and safely
- Less freedom to you, the peasant !!! Prime Minister still goes brrr in his private jet !!!
10 tips for environmentally conscious and economical driving
Environmentally conscious driving is an increasingly important topic. Moreover, you not only help the environment, but also your wallet. This will reduce your fuel consumption and save you euros in fuel!
With these tips you will drive cleaner and save money on petrol and maintenance.
- Start the engine. Only start your engine as soon as you can drive away calmly. Do not accelerate when starting. Are you standing still for more than a minute, for example because you have to wait at a level crossing? Then turn off the engine.
- Don’t drive unnecessary kilometers. Prepare your route, switch on your navigation system and drive the shortest route to your destination.
- Drive consistently. This means that you maintain the same speed as much as possible and do not brake unnecessarily, overtake or accelerate at full throttle. To be able to drive smoothly, it is important that you do not have to stand still or rush much. So leave on time and avoid rush hour if possible. And if possible, switch on the cruise control.
- Look ahead. By moving forward, you can adjust your speed in time and you do not have to suddenly brake or accelerate. You can also anticipate situations better. For example, you see that you are approaching a traffic jam and let the car coast.
- Shift to the right gear in time. Then you use the car’s power optimally and it runs more economically.
- Avoid short journeys. Do you have a ride under 10 kilometers? See if you wouldn’t be better off walking or cycling. Or combine a number of rides in a row. This way you avoid driving with a cold engine every time. A cold engine produces more emissions and is less environmentally friendly.
- Use energy consciously. The rear window heating, the air conditioning, seat heating. These are all things that make driving safer or more comfortable. The trick is to use these energy consumers smartly. So can you see through your rear window again? Then quickly turn off the heating.
- Ride as lightly as possible and with the least resistance. Don’t drive around with unnecessary weight in or on your car. Driving with open windows creates more resistance and therefore higher fuel consumption.
- Have your car regularly checked and maintained. Check your car regularly for leaks and have your car checked and maintained by your garage in accordance with the service plan. A car in good condition ensures less unnecessary consumption.
- Check your tire pressure regularly. Be sure to check your tire pressure every two months. Too low tire pressure causes higher fuel consumption.
Giving full throttle is detrimental to the environment and accelerates your car’s wear and tear. Moreover, the noise produced by the engine can lead to noise pollution.
AnticipatIng means reacting to upcoming situations you foresee.
Tip when refueling: If the fuel nozzle shuts off the first time you refuel, the fuel tank is sufficiently filled. If you continue to refuel, the fuel tank may overflow. This means you lose fuel unnecessarily and can damage the car.
Environmental zones
Dutch: Milieu zone
More and more municipalities in the Netherlands are introducing environmental zones. These are areas where certain diesel vehicles are not allowed to drive because they are too polluting to the environment. There are two types of environmental zones: yellow and green.
Environmental zones apply to drivers of certain:
- Diesel passenger cars
- Diesel delivery vans
- Diesel trucks
- Diesel buses
Vehicles that run on other fuels are always allowed to enter the environmental zones.
Emission class
The emission class determines how many pollutants a vehicle emits. There are 6 classes. The higher the number, the cleaner the vehicle.
Yellow environmental zone
Cars with emission class 3 and higher are permitted in the yellow environmental zone. Only diesel passenger cars and diesel vans may fall into class 3.
Green environmental zone
Cars with emission class 4 and higher are permitted in the green environmental zone. Diesel buses and diesel trucks must always fall into emission class 4 or higher.