Car Dealers Are Seeing Green for Green
It's a simple fact that owning a car is a vital part of the American way of life. In the past the car you drove was about personal style and individuality but these days things have changed. Now affordability and fuel efficiency have become key factors on buying a car. This is not to say the glory days of the large, gas guzzling SUV's are over or that slick sports cars are endangered, but with both gas prices and environmental concerns are on the rise, fuel efficient cars are flying off dealer lots. In fact, manufactures everywhere are offering great savings on green cars.
Another large factor literally driving this trend is the new federal fuel regulations requiring higher fuel standards in 2016 and 2025. Strangely enough, hybrid sales are not on the rise, as most new cars sold are still being gas powered. It seems America is continuing its love affair with gasoline, even if it is emphasizing efficiency.
That being said, even if you aren't planning on buying a new hybrid or green car anytime soon there are still plenty of things you can do to increase your gas mileage and save money. Most are routine things that do not take much effort, yet you might be surprised at the difference they can make.
Your air filter is one of those things that is easy to forget about but if it is dirty it can cost you some gas mileage. Dirty filters reduce the amount of air being sucked into your engine for combustion. The less air, the less energy the gas produces upon combustion. Changing your air filter is easy and only takes five minutes. Any auto parts store can look your car to see what kind of filter you need. Doing so can increase your mileage by up to ten percent, or save about thirty nine cents a mile.
Getting your tires aligned can also increase your fuel efficiency. If you alignment is off, the energy being transferred to the tires is being pulled into the wrong direction which in turn wastes energy. Not only that but unaligned tires will wear out much faster thus costing you more money. Unfortunately you cannot do this yourself and must pay a professional to do so, but doing so can save you about ten percent on your mileage as well.
There are other things you can do as well such as inflating your tires and getting a tune up. While nothing will give you the efficiency of a new car or a hybrid these simple steps can help you go a long way, literally.
Another large factor literally driving this trend is the new federal fuel regulations requiring higher fuel standards in 2016 and 2025. Strangely enough, hybrid sales are not on the rise, as most new cars sold are still being gas powered. It seems America is continuing its love affair with gasoline, even if it is emphasizing efficiency.
That being said, even if you aren't planning on buying a new hybrid or green car anytime soon there are still plenty of things you can do to increase your gas mileage and save money. Most are routine things that do not take much effort, yet you might be surprised at the difference they can make.
Your air filter is one of those things that is easy to forget about but if it is dirty it can cost you some gas mileage. Dirty filters reduce the amount of air being sucked into your engine for combustion. The less air, the less energy the gas produces upon combustion. Changing your air filter is easy and only takes five minutes. Any auto parts store can look your car to see what kind of filter you need. Doing so can increase your mileage by up to ten percent, or save about thirty nine cents a mile.
Getting your tires aligned can also increase your fuel efficiency. If you alignment is off, the energy being transferred to the tires is being pulled into the wrong direction which in turn wastes energy. Not only that but unaligned tires will wear out much faster thus costing you more money. Unfortunately you cannot do this yourself and must pay a professional to do so, but doing so can save you about ten percent on your mileage as well.
There are other things you can do as well such as inflating your tires and getting a tune up. While nothing will give you the efficiency of a new car or a hybrid these simple steps can help you go a long way, literally.
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