News

Jul 20, 2023

How Environmentally Friendly Is Your Vehicle? (2023)

Brogan is a contributor to the MarketWatch Guides team covering auto insurance news and trends. Rashawn Mitchner is a MarketWatch Guides team editor with over 10 years of experience covering personal

Brogan is a contributor to the MarketWatch Guides team covering auto insurance news and trends.

Rashawn Mitchner is a MarketWatch Guides team editor with over 10 years of experience covering personal finance and insurance topics.

The transportation sector accounts for about 28% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, some vehicles contribute to that amount more than others. How does your car compare to the most environmentally friendly vehicles out there? We at the MarketWatch Guides team will cover what makes a car better for the environment, show you the top “green” cars of 2023 and share some tactics that can help you use your car in a more eco-friendly way.

Burning traditional fuels like gas and diesel creates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. When a car uses a different fuel source or a combination of sources, its GHG emissions can decrease relative to gas vehicles. This is the general goal that manufacturers have in making so-called “green” vehicles.

Beyond gas and diesel, there are a variety of alternative fuels on the market.

The measurement for electric power consumption ratings is an MPGe, which stands for miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent. The equation is 33.7 kilowatt-hours of electricity equals one gallon of gasoline. This is how electric vehicle manufacturers can advertise “fuel economy” without using fuel. However, this is just the energy equation. It does not mean 33.7 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity costs the same as one gallon of gas.

Each year, GreenerCars.org ranks the most eco-friendly new cars on the market. Below are GreenCars’ top picks for the greenest vehicles of 2023.

Note: GreenerCars ranked the Mazda MX-30 in third place, but 2023 is the last year of its production. It was discontinued after only two years. The small electric SUV was unpopular in part because it had a range of only 92 miles.

You might not be able to go out and get an electric car right now, but there are ways you can improve the efficiency of your current vehicle. Below are 10 things you can do to make your car more eco-friendly.

The average fuel economy rating for your car is just an average. You can drastically increase or decrease how much gas you use through your driving habits. Accelerating to the speed limit within three seconds uses a whole lot more fuel than easing up to it over 10 or even 20 seconds.

Similarly, taking sharp corners drains the momentum out of your car and tempts you to accelerate hard directly after, so take it easy around turns. And if you’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, try rolling along at a slower pace as cars move ahead to conserve momentum. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can improve your fuel economy by 15% to 30% on the highway and 10% to 40% in traffic by driving conservatively.

Checking and changing your oil and rotating your tires regularly can help your car run efficiently. Taking care of issues when they come up also helps you get more miles out of the car and keeps it from going to the junkyard prematurely.

According to FuelEconomy.gov, you can improve your car’s fuel economy by 0.6% to 3% by using the right tire pressure. Under-inflated tires create more rolling resistance, and they can lower gas mileage by 0.2% for each 1 PSI (pounds per square inch) drop.

Certain tire models deliver greater efficiency than others by maintaining low rolling resistance and a long lifespan. Some tires are even made from recycled rubber to further reduce their carbon footprint. On the other hand, all-terrain and mud tires are designed with chunky treads to grip the ground, so they aren’t the best options for fuel efficiency.

Idling when you can turn the car off instead wastes fuel and releases more greenhouse gasses. Modern cars can be turned off and on a few times during a trip without any extra wear. And if you’re in the habit of warming your car up for 10 or 20 minutes before driving, this practice only makes sense if you have a pre-fuel-injection vehicle from the ’80s or earlier. Oil pumps lubricate engines today in 30 seconds, so that’s all the time you really need to wait.

You probably don’t maintain a perfect speed when you’re cruising down the highway. For example, if the speed limit is 55, you might oscillate between 53 and 57. Turning on cruise control keeps your car at a steady speed electronically and saves gas compared to accelerating and slowing over and over. However, this is only true if you’re on a flat and straight highway. Using cruise control for hilly back roads can use more fuel as it keeps a constant speed climbing hills, and some types can reduce the speed going downhill.

Try not to jump in your car the instant you realize you need to pick up something from the store. Maybe later you’ll remember you wanted to stop by a different store and you’ll end up making a second trip. Instead, get in the habit of making a list of errands every few days and combining your trips.

According to FuelEconomy.gov, having an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle can decrease your fuel economy by 1%. This effect is more pronounced for small vehicles that weigh less. It might be tempting to leave your golf clubs in the car if you hit the course every weekend, but it does put a measurable drain on your fuel economy.

Gasoline engines have sweet spots of revolutions per minute (RPMs) where they are most efficient. It varies depending on the gear and speed, but in general, car engines become less efficient at speeds above 55 mph. You’ll notice the RPMs keep increasing beyond that speed because your car is in its last gear. Generally, keeping RPMs below 3,000 at high speeds will give you the best fuel economy. In addition to higher RPMs, cars encounter more wind resistance at higher speeds, which further decreases fuel economy.

Our last tip for making your car more eco-friendly is to limit the use of your car altogether. Consider walking, biking or scootering if you have to go somewhere close by. You can also conserve energy by carpooling with friends and family, of course.

Contrary to what you might think, calling an Uber or Lyft isn’t actually any more eco-friendly unless the driver picks you up in an electric vehicle. In fact, gas-powered rideshare cars often use more energy because they spend a lot of time driving around town between jobs.

Driving safely — and taking it easy on the gas pedal — can make your car greener, but it also is likely to have the upside of lowering your insurance premiums.

When you take more time to come up to speed and give more attention to the road, you’ll decrease your chances of causing an accident. Driving to save on fuel means you leave more space ahead of your car in traffic and avoid having a heavy foot on the gas and brake.

It won’t reduce car insurance right away, but over time, having no accidents on your record will keep your rates low. You can also get safe-driver discounts from many providers, so check around and compare new quotes if your company doesn’t offer this discount.

Tickets can also increase your insurance rates. But if you drive carefully and avoid hard acceleration, braking and cornering, you’re more closely following laws on the road. You won’t blow a stop sign if you’re scanning far ahead, and you won’t be speeding around corners if your goal is to minimize fuel consumption.

When you’re conscious about driving slower and with more attention, you’ll likely also better anticipate what other drivers will do.

An accident that is 100% the other driver’s fault shouldn’t increase your car insurance rates, though your rates could rise slightly if you have to use uninsured motorist coverage. But accident fault isn’t always so clear. Insurance companies may decide both drivers have some fault depending on the situation. That said, anticipating other drivers can at least help you avoid at-fault claims.

Some car insurance companies give discounts for driving eco-friendly vehicles. For example, Travelers, Liberty Mutual and Auto-Owners all offer some type of discount in this area. This can be helpful because hybrid and electric vehicles are often more expensive than standard cars, so insurance costs a bit more on average.

Transportation is a huge part of our lives, but we can often choose how we get from point A to point B. Whether or not you’re driving the latest EV, you can still make smart choices that improve your car’s efficiency and reduce its impact on the environment.

Below are frequently asked questions about environmentally friendly cars.

GreenerCars.org’s top pick for 2023 is the Mini Cooper SE Hardtop 2 Door. It’s a small and light electric vehicle with an energy efficiency rating of 110 MPGe.

Aside from getting a different car, you can drive smoothly, maintain your car, keep tires inflated, get eco-friendly tires, avoid unnecessary idling and use cruise control on the highway. You can also combine trips when you need to go out, reduce the amount of weight in your car and obey the speed limit on the highway.

Environmentally friendly vehicles are those that put out less carbon dioxide emissions than their gas and diesel counterparts. They include battery electric vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, fuel cell vehicles, compressed natural gas cars and ethanol vehicles.

In terms of gas mileage, anything above 30 MPG is considered to be fuel efficient. You can also use Green NCAP’s lifecycle assessment to see the environmental impacts of your car’s entire existence.

Brogan is a contributor to the MarketWatch Guides team covering auto insurance news and trends.

Rashawn Mitchner is a MarketWatch Guides team editor with over 10 years of experience covering personal finance and insurance topics.