Most of us can’t just hop in a bikecar or fire up the grease mobile. Sometimes, driving’s the only option. So what’s a mountain bounder to do? Here are a few ways you can ‘cool’ your drive.
Purchase SkiGreen Tags: offset the carbon emissions of your drive and lessen your skiing carbon bootprint with just $2. Each BEF SkiGreen Offset represents the reduction of 150 pounds of CO2 emissions, or about 150 miles of driving. Buy ‘em online!
Warm Up by Driving: Your car can burn up to 50 % more fuel for a short trip in the winter than for the same trip in the summer. Ouch! The best way to warm up your car is to drive it. With computer-controlled, fuel-injected engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before driving away. Anything more simply wastes fuel and increases emissions. Not... good.
Snow and Vehicle Weight: As cool as it looks, snow piled on your vehicle adds extra weight, decreases aerodynamics, and increases fuel consumption. Clear snow off your vehicle before you drive away. ‘On your car’ is about the only place we don’t want snow come winter.
P.S. Speaking of aerodynamic drag, you might want to remove those ski racks when they’re not in use. Just sayin’.
P.S. Speaking of aerodynamic drag, you might want to remove those ski racks when they’re not in use. Just sayin’.
Tire Inflation: During winter, cold temperatures decrease the air pressure in tires. Each tire that’s underinflated by 2 psi causes a 1% increase in fuel consumption. So, check tire pressure regularly, especially after a sharp drop in temperature. You’ll save about a tank of gas per year. You can usually find the correct tire pressure for your vehicle on the driver-side door, in the glove compartment or on the gas filler door.
One last tip for winter driving – take it easy. The more your vehicle slips, slides and spins its wheels, the more fuel you waste. For most drivers, all-season radial tires are sufficient for winter driving. But, if you live in an area where roads are regularly snow-covered, snow tires will improve traction, reduce tire slippage, improve safety and save fuel. You wouldn’t want to do an unintentional donut, now would you? Don’t answer that.
Read up on how some winter athletes travel gas-free to the mountains.
Learn what resorts are doing to fight climate change.