Changing your car’s air filter can boost your vehicles gas mileage by 10% according to the EPA. This is something that is easy to do and only needs to be done every 15,000 miles or once a year. You can easily change your filter yourself or you can also have it done for you when you take your car in for general maintenance.

Another important thing that will definitely make a difference in your fuel consumption is your tire pressure. You should check your tire pressure often and keep the pressure at the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. If your tires are properly inflated your car runs better and the engine doesn’t have to work as hard. This means you can save fuel and put less gas emissions into the air.

Your car’s air conditioning is another factor to consider if you want to get better gas mileage. Try to use the air conditioner sparingly. Use the windows to help cool the car down during the summer months. If at all possible try to park in the shade or use a reflective windshield shade. This will keep your car cooler when it is parked, which in turn means it will take less energy to cool it off when you return. There are also solar fans which are available that uses the sun’s energy to cool off the inside of your car.

Just remember if you keep your car tuned up, the proper pressure in your tires and use your air conditioning frugally you will save fuel and also be helping the environment.

If possible you should look into getting a hybrid vehicle. There are models and styles to fit almost everyone’s needs. You can find a variety of models that are 2-doors, 4-doors, luxury sedans or SUV’s. Hybrids get better mileage than traditional vehicles, which saves you money on fuel. They also have cleaner emissions which is better for the environment.

If buying a hybrid vehicle isn’t a feasible option; then you should try to find the car that will give you the best fuel mileage. Another option is to use bio-diesel fuel. It can be found in almost every state in the US. It can be used in almost any type of diesel car or truck with little or no modifications needed to the engine. Bio-diesel is clean, vegetable based and a carbon neutral fuel.

Ethanol is another vegetable based fuel which is available throughout the US. It is estimated that there are between five and six million vehicles on the road today that have flex fuel options. Flex fuel vehicles allow you to use ethanol or premium gasoline, which makes it more convenient for the driver.

Every day the auto manufacturers are making great strides in building cars that are less harmful to the environment and better on gas mileage. If you shop around you will be able to find a car that meets your needs and is also eco-friendly.

There are many reasons why auto manufacturers are doing this. Many of the biobased parts replace petroleum based parts. The US manufacturers are using agricultural materials grown here, which reduces our country’s reliance on foreign oil. Biobased materials are more appealing because their prices are more stable and lower than the higher price of oil.

Another reason automakers are turning to other alternatives is because the biomaterials are biodegradable and recyclable. This is good for the environment. Most companies are now looking at the environmental impact of a vehicle’s entire life cycle. They are trying to make their vehicles environmentally sound from all aspects.
Biobased car components require less energy to manufacture than the traditional parts do. They are also easier on the machinery and also the factory workers. It has been shown that workers have reported getting skin irritations and respiratory issues from fiberglass dust. The natural plant fibers eliminate this health issue.
The one problem that the car makers had to address was in some cases there was a smell factor associated with the plant materials. So the car companies have had their research and development teams focus on eliminating the vegetable odor from interior parts.

The use of plant parts instead of traditional materials give them design flexibility. It also makes parts that have better noise absorption and are also more impact resistant. They are also lighter which make for better fuel mileage. The use of biobased materials is good for American farmers, the environment and for fuel efficiency.

If you want a car that is going to be the best at reducing your car’s environmental impact you should think small. Subcompact cars are very eco friendly and great on fuel. Most models today are incredibly roomy and versatile on the inside despite its tiny size. Subcompact cars have come a long way from being the unattractive vehicles that they used to be. There are many more styles and brands to choose from.
Many of the automakers today are not only making their vehicles to have lower emission ratings; they are also using green materials in the interiors of the cars. They are using recycled components and parts made from plants such as coconut, corn and soybeans.

There are many organizations that rate and award cars for being green. If you are unsure of which cars have the best green features you can check the type of awards a particular brand has received so you can make a wise choice. There are different ratings and factors considered when giving out green awards. You might be surprised to know that in recent year’s diesel engines have been beating out hybrids for some of these types of green awards.

No matter what type of vehicle you want to purchase, there are many different ways you can find the perfect green vehicle for your needs.

When choosing a green vehicle you might want to consider a hybrid because they are very fuel efficient and have reduced emissions. You should shop around because all hybrids are not created equal. Some are considered mild hybrids which are not quite as fuel efficient as a full hybrid.
The size of engine and type of transmission can make a big difference even within the same vehicle family. The weight also will make a difference on what type of fuel efficiency you might have. Options like four wheel drive and third row seats will add extra weight to a vehicle and also increase fuel consumption. If you really have no need for these types of options it is in your best interest to leave them off.
If you want to have a vehicle that reduces emissions while still getting good fuel economy you might want to look into a vehicle with a Multi Displacement System. These systems deactivate half of the engine’s cylinders under certain driving conditions.

If you want to find out exactly what a vehicle’s emission scores are, you can look at the EPA Green Vehicle Guide. The US government has broken down the tailpipe emissions of all cars that are sold in America and assigned them a rating. You can look up any vehicle and the list is searchable by state.

These are just a few things you can keep in mind when you are looking for a new car to purchase. If you shop around you will be able to find a car that is environmentally friendly and also fuel efficient.

Hybrid cars are traditionally classified by powertrain and include mild, single mode and two-mode. The mild hybrid will deliver the smallest increase in fuel mileage and is usually up to 20%. The single mode hybrid does best at lower speed driving and you can get up to a 40% increase in fuel mileage. The two mode hybrids will give you more fuel economy at all speeds and they can provide enough power to be used in larger vehicles.
Hybrids are a good choice if you want to do your part to help make a difference in our environment. You can reduce emissions and lower your fuel bill with hybrids. Some models can run in electric only mode when you are going slow in heavy traffic. There is also new technology which has helped diesel fueled vehicles to have lower emissions and to get better fuel mileage too.

The hybrid uses an electric motor which is powered by a high voltage battery pack. The hybrids that are considered “full” hybrids can run on the electric motor, the gasoline engine or a combination of the two. Hybrids do not need to be plugged in to be recharged. The engine recharges the battery pack.

Hybrids are a good choice if you are in the market for a vehicle that is fuel efficient and has lower emissions to help save the environment. There are many models and types of hybrids on the market today so you can find the one that will fit your needs.

Even though these tips may sound simple; if you make an effort to do these this things every time you drive you will save fuel in the long run. Whenever possible try to use the highest possible gear if you have a standard transmission. Try to drive as smoothly and at a consistent speed as possible. Swerving in and out of traffic and speeding up and then slowing down wastes more fuel.

If you plan on being stationary for more than a few minutes you should shut off the engine. If you sit there with the car running you will burn unnecessary fuel and your car will be putting CO2 emissions into the air. It takes less fuel to turn off the engine and turn it back on then to just sit there idling.

You should keep your windows closed whenever possible. With the windows closed the car is more aerodynamic and uses less fuel. Another thing you can do is to make sure you don’t carry around unnecessary items in your car, especially heavy items. The more weight in your car the harder the engine has to work and that means using more fuel.

Your tire pressure is very important to helping you have better fuel efficiency. If you keep your tires inflated to the manufacturer’s suggested pressure you will save on fuel. The best way to save fuel and to help the environment is not to use your car for short journeys; you can try walking instead. You will save money on fuel and get exercise at the same time.

These are just some of the things you can do to save on the high price of fuel and also be saving the environment at the same time. If everyone would follow these simple tips the world would be a cleaner place to live.

This car is shaped somewhat like a plane for a reason. It is aerodynamically designed like a tear drop to reduce drag as much as possibly therefore increasing fuel economy. While the body alone may not justify the unreleased-but-surely-enormous price tag, the equivalent 300 mpg fuel economy may ease the blow.

2. Zap Alias

If this car doesn’t scream “Mach 5” to you, then you’re not looking at it from the right angle, especially with the three blades in the front. Another three-wheeler, the Alias gets over 100 miles per charge, but it’s hard to care about such petty things when you’ve got a set of wheels like this!

3. Nissan Electric Car

Nameless as of the moment, the car speaks for itself. A different style of style from the previous two, it looks like one bubble sitting on four smaller bubbles. I can’t imagine there being many blind spots in this car, but that doesn’t make a difference when there aren’t any side or rearview mirrors.

4. Mazda Kaan

I will admit this is probably my favorite although I can imagine a lot of rocks and debris getting up in the front “bumper” if in can even be called that being that the wheels are in front of it. I can’t imagine what a fender bender would be like in this car, but it better not mess up the pretty orange wheels.

5. Peugeot Leonin

Ok, this one is my second favorite, but only because of the wheel covers and the doors which I had to show. The headlights exude an aggressive elegance if such a thing existed. With a projected price tag somewhere between $22,000 and $32,000, it may even be possible for regular people to afford.

6. Courreges Zooop

I can’t help thinking this car was designed based on a turtle, but only in terms of its chassis. This is surprising since it was designed by two French fashion designers of all people. This may be fashionable in France, but here in America, we prefer smooth lines and the guts of the car being concealed. That doesn’t stop me from appreciating this marvel.

7. Pininfarina Sintesi

The obvious thing that jumps out at me about this car is that the whole dashboard lights up and looks something like honeycombs. While the interiors of the other cars are by no stretch of the imagination boring, this one really caught my eye. The outside isn’t too shabby either, I guess.

8. Phoenix Concept Car – Regeneration Passion

Just when you thought you had seen it all, someone builds a pod racer. This car actually uses wind turbines in the front to provide energy. It turns using a central axis which basically lets the two “pods” lean like motorcycles to turn. How safe this car is can be debated but it’s the closest thing right now for Star Wars geeks to get a real life fix before light sabers are invented.

9. Pueugeot Moovie

One thing really stands out about this vehicle to me; it’s basically a glass ball. In its simplicity, it seems that the maker left out air bags, bumpers, and even windows. A crash in this car would certainly mean instantaneous death. Let’s hope that gets remedied.

10. Unknown

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to track down the model or maker of this car, but I’m sure its design will make itself well known soon enough. At least the door does not seem impossibly awkward to open unlike many of the other cars.

11. GYM, a concept designed by Da Feng, a design student at Coventry University

The GYM is can be powered by two things: electricity or more interestingly, human power. There is a rowing machine, pull simulator, stepping machine and other various exercise machines built into the car which produce energy for the car when parked. Oh yeah, the car looks sweet, too.

12. The Kite, a collaboration among Tsun-Ho Wang, Min-Gyu Jung and Sung-Je Do

This one was definitely worth two pictures as it can be powered three different ways. It can be simply run on electricity with the top down. It can also be used to windsurf with the top rotated upward at a 90 degree angle. The most fun way is to allow the top to fly up in the air and let the wind power you the most direct way possible, pushing the top as a kite.

13. Solas Concept Car

The neatest part of this car is not only its Euro racer design, but also its hex shaped solar cells. The only problem I foresee here is the lack of windshield which might become an annoyance with bugs or other things like flying car parts. The transparent outer materials allow sunlight to enter the cells and power the entire car while the cells inside also provide protection in crashes.

14. Venturi Volage Concept

While the Tesla is a supercar to be sure, and not quite unique enough to make this list, the Volage is set to overtake the electric supercar crown in 2012 with 295 horses backing it. In my opinion it not only beats the Tesla in power, but also in design. As you can see, blending design themes from Audi and Porsche is never a bad idea.

15. Audi R-Zero Concept

Now what kind of list would this be without an Audi? Always the masters of elegant simplicity, this electric concept is no different. Need anymore be said about this car?

Except they may have hit a snag in the fuel cell system they have been preferring to power their view of the future green automobile.

Fuel cells are very efficient at producing mileage – in fact they are about 3 to 4 times more efficient than a regular gas powered car engine – or put this another way, if we all switched to fuel cell powered cars we would drop carbon emissions by 70% overnight. Or in another way – we solve the carbon pollution crisis in one fell swoop.

The problem is that fuel cells use hydrogen as their energy source and this produces ultra low emissions such as water (created by burning the hydrogen with readily available oxygen in the air – H2O) – but where do you get all the hydrogen you are going to need, and we are going to need a lot!

The immediate answer is you get hydrogen from … oil and gas!

Hang on a sec – to power a car cleanly we still have to drill for oil and process it (producing carbon emissions in the process) to get the hydrogen which will then fuel a car that costs me more money to buy?

Why not simply drill the oil, take that and power the regular gas mobile I own and buy now?

The problem is neither approach will work – we are using finite natural resources which will be exhausted and as the supply dwindles, higher and higher gas prices will be the result until the only people who can afford to drive a gas powered car will be the super rich with an antique car collection.

The environment will not wait that long either.

The challenge the South Koreans are now trying to address, along with the rest of the green car R&D world is how to source cheap, clean hydrogen.

A staggering 7.2 million paychecks rely on the American car manufacturers alone – more than many countries pay their entire population and the knock on effect on local economies of even small scale lay offs is highly significant. Bowling Green, KY and 200 workers at a local Corvette location are waiting to hear if GM will file for bankruptcy – the effect on the families involved is bad enough but the effect on the local economy of another 200 pay checks not being spent in grocery stores, malls, home improvements and the rest is just another hard nail being driven into smaller, localized economies already struggling with their own issues.

We have to keep positive – Chrysler has already filed for bankruptcy and if GM does, another wave of lay offs are going to happen BUT, and it is a HUGE BUT – perhaps this is what we need to do to get ourselves out of the mess and back on track fast!

The takeover of Chrysler by Fiat will introduce US manufacturers and suppliers to the small car technology that has made Fiat into such a giant around the world with a range of vehicles which are, well to be blunt, very small. Certainly very small compared to the US market!

Small may not suit the US consumer so well, but the technology which produces extremely high gas mileage certainly will and with the economies of scale such a merger is going to produce, prices for greener vehicles will fall (Japan indicates this right now with the new Prius hybrid enjoying 40,000 advance orders for this month alone) and the sooner we get American workers back on the production lines and putting their pay checks back into local economies.