Your roadmap for a healthy green life

  1. Find out your current healthy green score with our five-minute quiz
  2. Discover what to do next from 400+ actions & track your progress
  3. Share and compare with your friends & neighbors
Superbly Green
Your Action Status
Not Committed Yet
Sign in or join now to get started
Points
Energy Energy 150
Badges

Frugalista

Upgrade your vehicle's fuel economy to 37 MPG or higher

All Practically Green: 2,491 or so people have DONE this action so far.

All Practically Green: 4,057 or so people have ADDED this to their action plan so far.

Why is "Upgrade your vehicle's fuel economy to 37 MPG or higher" green?

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, passenger cars get an average of 22.4 miles per gallon. The overall miles any one car is driven yearly varies wildly, but adding 14 or more MPG to that average makes a huge impact on emissions, fuel use, and cost. As gas prices continue to rise, this is invaluable.

There are many steps a car owner can take to improve the fuel economy of his or her car—driving the speed limit and keeping tires inflated come to mind—but to get up to 37 or more MPG will likely require swapping your current car for one with clean-diesel, electric, or hybrid technologies. If this is financially possible, the resulting environmental benefit and fuel savings will be huge. Upgrading to a more efficient car is also a way of sending a message to car manufacturers that consumers demand efficiency. However if your current car is in good shape, it may be more eco-friendly to hold onto it until it reaches the end of its useful life and then go for the upgrade.

How to: Upgrade your vehicle's fuel economy to 37 MPG or higher

Determine the average fuel economy of your current car. Then check out the fuel economy of other cars you might be capable of upgrading to—do any of them represent an improvement that would get to or over 37 MPG?

Weigh the pros and cons of upgrading in terms of the savings you might see from reduced operating costs versus the cost of upgrading. If it makes sense, go for it.

  • Honda Insight Hybrid
    • (0 Ratings)

    Tired of watching gas prices rise? The latest Honda Insight gets an EPA-estimated 41 city miles per gallon and 44 highway miles--nearly double the national average! It was also named one of the "Greenest Vehicles of 2011" by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Kudos.

  • Toyota Prius Hybrid
    • (6 Ratings)

    According to the EPA, The Prius is one of the most fuel efficient gasoline cars currently sold in the U.S., not to mention it's among the cleanest based on smog and toxic emissions. Its EPA-estimated average of 48 city miles per gallon and 51 highway miles is pretty tough to beat.