Leasedrive VELO

10 Top Tips to ‘greener’ driving from Leasedrive, the group behind Carbon:Manager
7 November 2006

Leasedrive, the largest independent privately-owned vehicle management group in the UK, is the company behind the recently launched Carbon:Manager, allowing company car drivers to offset their CO2 emissions to become CarbonNeutral drivers. To help drivers get the best economy from their cars, Leasedrive has come up with a list of top 10 ‘greener’ driving tips.

1. Drive away within 20 seconds of starting your engine. An idling engine produces 80 per cent more pollution than when a vehicle is on the move. Catalytic converters are only effective on journeys over five miles.

2. Accelerate and brake smoothly. Drivers who accelerate sharply produce 50 per cent more pollutants than those that drive smoothly and can see their fuel consumption rise by 20 per cent.

3. Make sure you are always in the right gear, and change up to a higher gear as soon as the engine will allow. Driving at 37mph in third gear uses an estimated 25 per cent more fuel than at the same speed in fifth gear.

4. Try driving at lower speeds. The faster a car is driven, the more carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide it produces. The most economical speed range is 40 to 55mph. By comparison, a car driven at 70mph uses 30 per cent more fuel than at 50mph.

5. Keep windows and sunroof closed when driving at higher speeds, or more fuel will be consumed due to increased drag. Air-conditioning can increase fuel consumption in petrol-driven vehicles by an average 15 per cent and by up to an estimated 40 per cent in diesel cars so when it’s not really hot or humid, open air vents instead.

6. Plan your journey properly and familiarise yourself with the route. Drivers waste 350 million litres of fuel per year getting lost!

7. Maintain your car at the recommended service intervals. Ninety per cent of badly polluting vehicles can be re-tuned at a dealership within 15 minutes.

8. Check tyre pressures every week when the tyres are cold. Tyres under-inflated by just 0.3 to 0.4 bar can increase fuel consumption by two to three per cent. Under or over-inflation also causes uneven wear and reduces grip.

9. Remove a roof rack when not in use. It could account for wasting up to 40 per cent extra fuel. And empty the car boot of heavy loads. Extra weight means poorer fuel consumption.

10. Lastly, try walking or cycling if your trip is less than three miles long. It’s healthier too!

Did you know that in 6,000 miles a car will produce roughly it’s own weight in CO2. Carbon:Manager allows Leasedrive clients to measure and reduce to ‘net zero’ the amount of CO2 emissions associated with their fleet. It can form part of a corporate CSR programme. To find out more visit, www.leasedrivevelo.com

Facts source: National TravelWise Association.

See also...
Press releases
Biographies
Images
Media contacts
History
Key facts
Archive news