What are some other ways to save energy in a car besides turning off the air conditioner and rolling down the windows ?
Answers
- Turning off the air conditioner in a car and rolling down the windows actually uses more energy than driving with the windows up and the air conditioner on, if you are driving on the highway.
- The air conditioner uses very little energy.
- On the other hand, rolling down the windows introduces significant air resistance that the motor must use energy to overcome.
- The energy lost to drag is higher than to the air conditioner when driving at highway speeds.
Explanation:
I won't repeat the stuff about keeping tires inflated and removing excess weight and the roof rack. Also do that.
Drive slower on the freeway. That's not the same as driving slowly on the freeway. Air resistance increases with the square of the velocity, which means not only that going 70 takes more energy than going 65, but also that the difference between 75 and 70 is greater than the difference between 70 and 65. That said, your well maintained internal combustion engine car should be most efficient per mile at highway speeds.
Use both pedals sparingly. Obviously, if you have to stop, stop. But as much as you can, accelerate and decelerate gradually.
Avoid idling. You're getting zero miles per gallon when you idle, and you're making smog. Cut the engine if you're waiting, especially if it's likely to be more than 30 seconds. If you have a lot of stop and go driving to do, consider an electric or hybrid vehicle.
My favorite way to save energy, money and fuel is to drive less. I haven't driven my car in a couple of weeks. I have walked, biked, and taken the bus. My husband has a much longer commute, and he's managed three times in two weeks to get to work by bike and bus. It's practically un-American, to judge by the way some of our coworkers react, but it's incredibly effective, saving us the expense and energy costs of an entire second car.
Even if you can't ditch the car, you can at least combine errands and plan your trip so you make one trip in the same general direction, all in the same day so your engine is warm. You can certainly check a website or make a phone call to confirm that the place will be open when you arrive and will have what you need. And just maybe, you can get yourself to the park or the store close to home without your car now and then. It's good practice for longer trips......