A group of ten major automakers today announced a nationwide campaign to change driving habits in order to reduce fuel use and cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The EcoDriving initiative has already gained the support of the Environmental Defense Fund, as well as the states of California and Colorado.
"You can save money and save the environment by driving green," said Dave McCurdy, president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. "Drivers don’t have to wait to buy a new, fuel-efficient vehicle to start reducing fuel costs and CO2…though I do encourage everyone to buy one of our new fuel-efficient vehicles immediately."
The Alliance says by following a set of subtle and easy-to-use best practices for driving and vehicle maintenance, a typical driver can improve mileage by about 15 percent.
If just half of all drivers nationwide practiced moderate levels of EcoDriving, annual CO2 emissions could be reduced by about 100 million tons, or the equivalent of heating and powering 8.5 million households.
If all Americans practiced EcoDriving, it would be equal to 450 billion miles traveled on our roadways without generating any CO2 emissions. That’s 1,500 CO2-free miles for every man, woman and child in the United States each year.
EcoDriving practices include not tailgating, knowing the proper way to accelerate and brake, using synchronized traffic lights to a driver’s advantage, driving at the optimum highway speed and understanding when to use air conditioning.
Maintenance practices include knowing which motor oil to use, understanding the importance of proper tire pressure and what affects tire pressure, and understanding aerodynamics.
The campaign centers on an interactive website to help drivers learn practical tips to improving their mileage and reducing their carbon footprint. The site includes a video guide to EcoDriving, an "EcoCalculator" to determine benefits for individuals or states, a Virtual Road Test and a variety of educational tools.
As part of their national campaign, automakers pledged to reach out to government, business, educators and more. Alliance members hope to engage all 50 states, as well as major consumer organizations, in EcoDriving.
"Automakers are aggressively developing and introducing new technologies, but it takes 15 years or more for these technologies to become widespread on the road. EcoDriving helps consumers reduce carbon dioxide emissions today," said McCurdy.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers includes BMW Group, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.
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