Save Money – Top Ten Car Tips Part 3

Save Money – Look at your car’s fuel

In part 1 of this series, I looked at how to save money on your car with two easy changes.  Part 2 covered some simple tips to save you money as you drive every day.  Today I look at the fuel types available for your car, and also at hybrid cars.

5.  Alternative Fuels – Can I use them?

Alternative fuels, like biodiesel, can be used to power your diesel car.  Peanut or vegetable oil, or even leftover cooking oil, have to undergo some processing to turn their fat into energy that an engine can use, but once they do, they can power a regular diesel engine. Biodiesel has the benefit of being largely free or low-cost (if you have access to large quantities of grease or cooking oil) , but there are downsides.  There isn’t as much energy in these oils as there is in petroleum-based oils like gasoline or diesel, so mileage is lower.  Also, there isn’t a biodiesel infrastructure in place. If you want this kind of fuel, you’ll often have to make it yourself, and it is quite a lot of work.

A more practical gas alternative is ethanol which is made from corn or wood pulp.   Not every car engine can run on ethanol (General Motors for example has models it calls flex fuel capable), but ethanol is available at a number of gas stations across the country, making it more practical than biodiesel.   Because ethanol is made from plants, it’s a renewable resource, and can be made wherever corn or wood is grown, including in the U.S.  On the downside, it takes a lot of energy to produce, and to transport (it is not suitable to be piped, so trucks and barges are used – expensive). Also, some people are unhappy that so many farmers have sold their crops to ethanol producers, saying it has contributed to the rise of food prices across the world as well as agricultural land not being used for food.­

6.  Alternative Types of Car

A better alternative is probably to get a more fuel-efficient car.  As you can see from the chart below, switching from a large SUV like the Chevrolet Tahoe, to a small car like the Honda Fit will give you far more miles to the gallon.   Or go much greener and get a gas-electric hybrid car such as the Toyota Prius. Switching from the Tahoe to the Prius could save you up to six gallons of gas every week!

EPA Estimated Combined Gas Mileage

Many vehicles (including the Tahoe) are now offered in a hybrid version.  Hybrid cars offer greater fuel economy, reduced emissions and less noise.   Hybrids are of course not perfect – they use batteries (although of a less toxic type than the batteries in petrol cars), and hybrids need rare earth elements for their manufacture, most of which come from China and are in short supply.  The visually impaired have problems with near-silent vehicles when they wish to cross the road.  Hybrids are normally more expensive but if you live in a country where there are incentives for hybrid vehicle ownership and/or penalties for combustion engines, the car may be instantly more competitive.

Is a hybrid right for you?

Yes, if you do a lot of city driving i.e. stop-start, lots of idling.  But if you do mostly high-speed, highway driving, then the savings in emissions and noise will not be so great.  You can view comparisons of hybrid cars here.

What do you do to improve your fuel efficiency?

Next: How to slash your commuting costs.

Photo Credit – Toyota Prius: bestnewautomobile.com