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Transport

Make car travel cleaner

Choose and plan more efficient routes. Become a fuel and travel smart driver.  Investigate and consider purchasing a hybrid vehicle – they have low fuel consumption and extremely low greenhouse gas emissions.

Don't forget to service your vehicle regularly – a well-tuned vehicle can reduce greenhouse gases by up to 15% through fuel savings, you also maximise safety and minimise risk of oil leaks.

Fuel saving – it makes good cents

Tips for saving fuel:

• Use the right gear – driving in a gear lower than you need wastes fuel; so does letting the engine labour in top gear on hills and corners
• Change through gears and into top gear as soon as possible without accelerating harder than necessary
• Ease back on the accelerator – automatic transmissions will shift up more quickly and smoothly if you ease back slightly on the accelerator once the vehicle gathers momentum
• Speed kills economy - high speeds = high fuel consumption – at 110 km/h your vehicle uses up to 25% more fuel than it would cruising at 90 km/h
• Check the brakes, don't rest your foot on the brake or drive with the handbrake on – this wastes fuel, increases brake wear and decreases braking efficiency
• Avoid hard acceleration and heavy braking – driving smoothly and avoiding stop-start traffic saves fuel and up to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions
• Switch off and restart your engine when necessary, rather than idling for lengthy periods – it's more fuel-efficient
• Don't overfill – filling past the first click of the fuel nozzle means fuel can be lost through the overflow pipe when you accelerate or corner
• Make sure your fuel cap fits – minimise fuel loss due to evaporation
• Inflate your vehicle's tyres to the highest pressure recommended by the manufacturer and make sure your tyres are properly aligned – tyre care reduces fuel consumption, extends the life of the tyre and improves handling
• Use air conditioning sparingly – air conditioners can increase fuel consumption by 10%
• Travel light, carry what you need – the more a vehicle carries the more fuel it uses; an extra 50kg of weight can increase your fuel bill by 2%
• Remove external fixtures – anything fixed to the outside of the car increases wind resistance and fuel consumption, so remove cargo racks and other equipment when not in use

Avoid short trips

One of the best ways to reduce air pollution and become healthier is to leave the car at home for short trips and walk instead.

Emissions from cars are greatest when an engine is cold. The first few minutes when you start up and drive your car produce the highest emissions because the control equipment has not yet reached its optimal operating temperature. On a cold day a petrol car can take up to 10 km to warm up and operate at maximum efficiency.

Buying a vehicle

• Use the Greenhouse gas emissions calculator to estimate the annual carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from your current vehicle, or compare the emissions of vehicles you are considering purchasing.
• Look around to find out which models have lowest emissions and most efficient fuel consumption.
• The Green Vehicle Guide provides information about the environmental performance of new vehicles sold in Australia. By choosing a greener vehicle, you can make a real difference.
• Look for the fuel consumption label. Information on the label will help you compare fuel efficiency between different vehicle makes and models.
• Look at hybrid vehicles. Petrol/electric vehicles use up to 50% less fuel than conventionally powered vehicles and produce up to 80% lower emissions.

Car pooling – reduce stress

Car pooling means sharing rides with others in a single vehicle. As a transport strategy it can be very effective in allowing individuals to share costs – especially fuel, tolls and parking fees.

A number of car pooling schemes are available for use. However, you may like to investigate establishing a local scheme with your friends and contacts.

Find out more about car pooling and its many benefits for the environment, individuals and the community.

Car sharing

Car sharing is not the same as car pooling. Car sharing means instead of buying your own car you pay for access to a shared fleet of cars and other types of vehicles, as needed.

You pay a fee for usage, based on kilometres travelled and the time used. Find out about schemes such as GoGet or Charter Drive, where you can have 24-hour access to cars without having to own one. There may be a service near you.