As you know, the car you drive says a lot about you. While you may choose a car based on several factors such as price, fuel efficiency, driver reviews, and crash test ratings, at the end of the day you want your car to look cool. Is it possible to keep the cool in your car and make some environmentally friendly changes to your ride? Thanks to modern technology this pairing may now be possible. This article will discuss some environmentally friendly options that you may want to consider pursuing for your car.
Convert Your Car to Natural Gas
Have you driven past a compressed natural gas pump recently and noticed the astronomically low prices? Compared to the rising cost of gasoline, natural gas seems like a much more attractive fuel option. With current technology you can most likely convert your current car to compressed-natural-gas (CNG), thus offering you the benefits of natural gas, without having to sacrifice your personal style.
While converting your vehicle to CNG has many obvious benefits, you should take the following points into consideration as well:
- Converting your car to CNG is expensive. According to Popular Mechanics, the initial conversion cost can range from $6,500 to $12,000. While the cost of fuel will go down afterward, the conversion will not be cheap.
- Thanks to the Clean Air Act, conversion can only be completed by a certified CNG installer. If you did the installation another way, your conversion may be considered illegal and subject to a $5,000 per day fine.
- Natural gas stations are sparse in many states. For example, across the state of Utah there are approximately 44 CNG stations; however, if you cross the border into Idaho there are only 2 CNG stations in the entire state.
Switch to Low Rolling Resistance Tires
Energy is required to make your tires roll. You may be surprised to learn just how much energy is required to keep your wheels moving forward. The energy to accomplish this performance must come from your fuel source which is most likely gasoline. One way to improve your fuel efficiency is to swap your current tires for low-rolling resistance tires.
Most of the leading tire manufacturers have introduced their own low-rolling resistance tires. Choosing a set of these tires can increase your fuel efficiency, decrease the amount you spend on gasoline, and reduce your overall emissions. As these tires won’t change the appearance of your car, this is one way you can save money, help the environment, and keep your ride looking cool.
Conclusion
Once upon a time, it was hard to look cool and help the environment. Advances in technology have decreased this gap and many green alternatives are now available for your car that won’t require you to sacrifice the overall appearance. While new technology is often expensive and may not be very practical in the present, continued innovation will hopefully make these modifications much more affordable in the future. So when you are considering any change that involves your automobile, do some research to find some ways that you can go green and still get what you want.
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