Ok, so there are hundreds of reasons why eco driving really is the future – we’ve pulled out just a few that we think might appeal to you:
You’ll save money
We’d all like to save the planet but unfortunately money is often the biggest motivating factor that hits us where it hurts – especially in recent times. However, we’ve done a bit of digging and found that eco driving can actually save you cash…
Long term savings
With those ever soaring petrol prices, eco driving can save you a substantial amount of money long term. So start thinking what else you could be spending the money on!
Pay less tax and congestion
In the UK, the more fuel efficient your car is - the less tax and congestion charge you have to pay. Look out for the fuel economy labels in car showrooms that tell you exactly how fuel efficient each new car is.
Money from the government
Did you ever think you’d see the day when the UK government would be giving you money? Well it’s offering a Plug-In Car Grant for the purchase of eligible cars until 31st March 2012 – you could save up to 25%, to a maximum of £5,000!*
Free parking
Some London Boroughs have already started to offer free parking for low emission cars, while more and more are about to follow in the same footsteps. So once again you’re saving the environment, as well as your money!
*Cars that currently meet the standards of safety and performance for the Plug-In Car Grant include Mitsubishi iMiEV, Smart for two electric drive, Peugeot iON, Citroen CZero, Nissan Leaf, Tata Vista EV, Toyota Prius Plug-in, Vauxhall Ampera, Chevrolet Volt.
It’s easy
There’s a whole lot more to eco driving that you might think and it keeps getting better all the time…
There’s something for everyone
There’s a range of style and size to suit everyone. Whether it’s a nippy little number for getting about town that you’re after or a real supercar to impress fellow petrol heads, you’ll be able to get exactly what you want.
Choose your own energy source
It’s not just electric and hybrid that are available anymore, there’s also hydrogen fuel cell, LPG and Bio-fuel too, with even more new technologies being developed all the time.
You’ve got the Mayor on your side
In 2009, Boris Johnson published the Electric Vehicle Delivery Plan for London, with the aim of making it the electric vehicle capital of Europe. The aspiration is to have 100,000 electric vehicles on the road as soon as possible.
No need to worry about running out of electric!
The Electric Vehicle Delivery Plan’s overall aim is for every Londoner to be within one mile of an EV charge point to keep you on the move. Transport for London is working with private and public partners to make this possible.*
To get you started, we have compiled an interactive map of the most up to date charge point locations within the UK, outlining Britain’s Greenest Driving Region which can be seen here:
View EcoVelocity 2011 – Britain’s Greenest Driving Region in a larger map
*The publicly accessible charge points will be located at supermarkets, on the street, London Underground car parks and other car parks all over London. They will be networked so that a customer can register with Source London, pay an annual fee and receive a card in the post which will unlock any charge point to charge at no additional cost (parking charges may apply).
You’re saving the planet
Less petrol means less nasty CO2 emissions, which in turn means cleaner air, a fresher environment and happier healthier lives for all of us. Just to put you in the picture…
Zero emissions
Nobody likes smog and the city! Electric cars produce no tailpipe (exhaust!) emissions when they’re driven. This means that they don’t add to the problem of poor air quality in cities and towns, producing substantially less CO2 and air pollutants than petrol and diesel vehicles.
Biofuels reduce the impact of climate change
Pay close attention to this one - biofuels are made from plant materials like vegetable oils or wheat. They reduce climate change impacts because the plants they’re made from remove carbon dioxide from the air when they grow. This helps balance out the CO2 emissions produced when the fuel is used in a car.*
With so much carbon jargon out there we thought we would make it simple and show you how many people you would need to get in a car from the 1980′s versus a new eco-car. For every two drivers in an eco model you would need to fit 8 in an 80′s Audi Quattro! Check out the pics here!
*Hybrid cars have two engines, one electric and one gasoline. They sit side by side underneath the bonnet of a vehicle and work in tandem with each other. The electric motor is powered by a battery. The batteries in some hybrid cars are recharged by the vehicles’ braking system. The energy produced when you apply the brakes to a vehicle is put back into the battery, which stores it for later. The more the brakes are used, the more energy the battery stores. This system makes city driving ideal for hybrids.
It’s great for your image!
Did you know that the first hybrid car was built in 1899 by Ferdinand Porsche while he worked for the Lohner car company?
If you like to be one step ahead of the game and consider yourself an ‘early adopter’, we’re telling you now it’s the future of driving.
Do you prefer to be seen and not heard? Electric motors are extremely quiet – when you’re stopped at traffic lights, it will seem like the vehicle isn’t even running.
Nine out of ten aint bad! 90% of Urbanites consider fuel efficiency an important factor when considering buying a car.
If it’s good enough for A-list celebrities…
You might already know about Tom Hanks being a big fan of electric cars – he practically designed and built his own a few years back! He has definitely helped to kick-start a big trend amongst his fellow celebs.
Some of today’s biggest A-listers have slowly but surely shifted away from extravagant and ostentatious automobiles towards environmentally conscious hybrids and electrics. For example, Brad Pitt, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Harrison Ford, Ellen DeGeneres, George Clooney and Cameron Diaz, to name just a few.
The Toyota Prius is already the most purchased, widespread hybrid car in the US, both for celebrities and regular Joes. So whatever Joneses you want to keep up with, you don’t want to drive a Ferrari or a Porsche anymore – you just need a Prius!
Click here for the proof that celebrities love eco-driving!
Two wheels are better than four!
Eco driving doesn’t just relate to vehicles with four wheels. Electric and alternative-fuel bikes are also the future for individual transportation and creators of eco-friendly motorcycles these days are pushing the limits of their designs to make them even more desirable.
Go the extra mile (quite literally!) and get what bike suits you for when you’re travelling solo, whether it’s a push bike, electric or motorbike and you’ll benefit in more ways than one:
Quick and easy
You might be escaping congestion and parking charges by driving an eco car, but there’s still no escaping the traffic delays. All bikes are exempt from the London congestion charge, but they don’t cause or get stuck in congestion either! It’s a big problem in many of the UK’s towns and cities, nowhere more so than in the capital. However, on a bike you can negotiate traffic jams and leave all the queues behind, so it not only saves you money but saves you time as well!
Fast, reliable and comfortable electric bikes make particular light work of heavy traffic. And in London, Bristol and several other cities, the authorities understand the benefits of opening bus lanes up to motorcycles and scooters. Folding electric bikes even offer the power and convenience of an electric bicycle but with the flexibility to also travel by train, car, even aircraft or a boat. Folding an e-bike takes a matter of seconds, making it a convenient way of getting around and takes a lot to beat.
Low running costs
In addition to the obvious ‘fuel’ savings, switching to two wheels will also save you money on road tax, servicing and insurance, as well as reducing your carbon footprint. And not only are they cheap to run, scooters and motorcycles are also cheap to buy! Compared to any type of car, two wheels are better and far cheaper than four.
Plenty of space
Parking can be a nightmare – not just the cost, but finding an actual space. If you live in London or another major city, it can be impossible! Even when you do manage to find a space, it can be miles away from where you want and still expensive - unless you’re on a bike that is. Most local councils look favourably on mopeds, scooters and motorcycles and impose little or no charge for parking them. Not only do you not need as much space to park it but you can usually get in areas where cars are not allowed. And did we mention that it’s free?