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For Further Information
Kat Loa (202) 530-2225, kloa@ase.org
Washington, D.C., June 4, 2008 -- Rising gas prices, growing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing air pollution -- they not only stretch and strain our pocketbooks today, they also can negatively affect the world we leave behind for our children and grandchildren.
In the face of these challenges, and just in time for the summer driving season, the Alliance to Save Energy, the Wal-Mart Foundation, and 16 additional diverse public- and private-sector partners, have launched the Drive $marter Challenge. The timely, unique, and interactive consumer transportation website (www.drivesmarterchallenge.org) is aimed at helping individuals lower their carbon footprint through more fuel-efficient driving and vehicle maintenance actions.
Drivers taking the Drive $marter Challenge can calculate their exact savings in dollars, gallons, and metric tons of CO2, simply by entering their basic vehicle data (make/model/year/cylinders) and pledging to take 1-6 measurable fuel-efficiency actions. The website calculator not only determines individuals’ savings, but also adds them to a running tally of the savings of everyone who has taken the Challenge.
In addition, the website provides extensive money-saving gas tips and online resources that answer everyday questions, from how to connect with others about carpooling to how to find the most fuel-efficient vehicle.
Drive $marter Money and CO2-$aving Gas Tips*
How you drive and maintain your vehicle can either increase or decrease your vehicle's fuel efficiency and your gas costs. Consider these simple tips to reduce your carbon footprint and save money:
Maintain Your Vehicle
- Inflate Your Tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated is simple and improves gas mileage up to 3%, reducing your carbon footprint up to 390 pounds and saving as much as $65 in gas costs.
- Tune up. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4% — reducing your carbon footprint by nearly 490 pounds and saving up to $80 in gas costs. Fixing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve mileage by as much as 40% — reducing your carbon footprint up to 4900 pounds and saving as much as $800.
- Select the Right Oil. Using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil can improve gas mileage by 1 to 2%, resulting in annual savings of up to $40. Motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol contains friction-reducing additives. Also, change your oil as recommended to extend the life of your vehicle.
Drive Fuel Efficiently
- Drive sensibly. Around town, avoiding speeding, rapid acceleration and braking improves gas mileage by up to 5% – reducing your carbon footprint up to 580 pounds and saving as much as $100 in gas costs.
- Avoid idling. Idling gets 0 miles and 19 pounds of CO2 per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste even more gas while idling than cars with smaller engines. According to Consumer Reports (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/tires-auto-parts/car-maintenance/get-the-most-mileage-for-your-fuel-dollars-406/), as a rule of thumb, turn off your engine if you will be idling for more than 30 seconds.
- Ditch "junk in the trunk." An extra 100 pounds in the trunk cuts a typical vehicle’s fuel economy by up to 2%. Removing that excess “baggage” can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 230 pounds and save as much as $40 in gas.
- Decrease Your Speed. Speeding costs! Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly above 60 mph. Each five miles per hour over 60 mph is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas.
Make Greener Choices
- Consider other transportation options. Investigate alternative options for getting to work and other places. Check out the public transportation, carpooling, biking, and ridesharing resources on the Drive $marter Challenge website.
- Buy $mart. When buying a new or used vehicle, think high gas mileage. For more information on fuel-efficient vehicles, check out the U.S. Department of Energy’s website (fueleconomy.gov) or look for a SmartWay® certified vehicle on EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide (epa.gov/greenvehicles).
- Take the Drive $marter Challenge and get more money-saving, fuel-efficiency ideas and related product discounts. Share them with your family and friends and “fuel the challenge” (www.drivesmarterchallenge.org).
(*Tips are calculated as annual savings, driving the national average of 12,500 miles per year in a vehicle with a fuel economy of 20.1 mpg using regular grade gasoline at $3.21 per gallon – the projected 2008 annual average by the Energy Information Administration’s March Short Term Energy Outlook. Savings estimates represent the highest likely savings to occur. Individual savings will vary depending on how many miles you drive per year, the fuel economy of your vehicle, your region’s climate, and your current maintenance and driving habits.)
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The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, the economy, and national security.
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