Save money and cut fuel consumption with a digital tyre inflator
You may wonder why a digital tyre inflator is a green gadget – and the answer might surprise you! Driving is a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions but unfortunately for many people it’s a necessity. While we should all be cutting back on car use where we can – most of us could easily walk to the shops if we had to – those for whom a car is simply essential to getting around can still make changes that reduce their fuel consumption and therefore make their driving habits more eco-friendly. One of these changes is simply to keep your tyres correctly inflated: some sources estimate that up to 50% of cars have under inflated tyres, which increases the rate of wear (and therefore means you have to spend money replacing them more often) and decreases fuel efficiency. This digital tyre inflator is super easy to use: you simply pre-programme it to the desired pressure, plug it into your cigarette lighter and it will switch off automatically when the tyres reach that pressure. The inflator comes with an LED worklight so you can always see what you are doing, and it’s small enough to store easily in your boot. So you should check your tyres are correctly inflated every couple of weeks and use the inflator to correct any under-inflation. By keeping your tyres inflated to the correct pressure, you will increase their longevity and your fuel efficiency, which will both save you money and reduce your carbon emissions. We can’t all stop driving – but we can all take small steps to reduce the impact that driving has on the planet, and the digital tyre inflator will help you do that.
Save money and fuel with the Econav GPS range
We’ve mentioned before the Econav GPS range, but manufacturers Vexia have launched a new range of eco-friendly Econav GPS systems in time for Christmas. These Econav systems are designed to help you reduce your fuel consumption by informing you of the most ecological and economical way to drive, so you can save money and help save the planet at the same time. The Econav 380 (3.5 inch screen) and Econav 480 (4.3 inch screen) are both lightweight and stylish, being slimmer and lighter than previous versions. Like all Econav systems, they will warn you of excessive acceleration and braking, show you when to change gear in order to drive more efficiently, and indicate a safe following distance to the car in front. They include Econav Reports, which show you just how much fuel you are saving. The Econav 380 and 480 feature an updated vehicle database (which contains over 8000 models!) which allows your vehicle to be personalised for optimum fuel economy, and both models are available in the UK and Ireland or European mapping versions. While we’re all keen to reduce the amount of driving we do, few people can eliminate car journeys completely, but with the Econav range you can at least be sure that you are being as fuel efficient as possible, which is good news for the planet and your wallet!
Stop your battery going flat with a Sunforce solar car battery charger
This Sunforce solar car battery charger is perfect for cars, small boats and motorbikes and other vehicles. It utilises solar power to provide a ‘trickle’ charge to your 12 V car battery and is the perfect way to ensure your car battery never goes flat. (This is a particular concern at this time of year, when the last thing you want is to be stranded on the roadside in the cold weather hoping someone will stop to help jump start your car!) Compact, easy to install and affordable, the charger connects in seconds via crocodile clips or your cigarette lighter and is easily mounted on the inside of your car window via suction cups (a cigarette lighter adapter cable, suction cups and battery clips are all included with the price of the solar car battery charger). The charger will also not overcharge a standard car battery, so you don’t need to worry about your car suddenly short circuiting! You can also easily adapt it for long-term use by simply using a silicone sealant to attach it to the car/boat window. It is rated at 1.8W and has a five year warranty. So why not add a Sunforce solar car battery charger to your car care kit? You never know when you might need it!
Green light ahead with a Vexia Econav
Highlighted recently by The Times magazine as one of the best new eco-gadgets around, the Vexia Econav 380 takes satnav GPS technology into the green age. The Vexia Econav 380 GPS Satellite Navigation System is similar to a standard satnav system but is specifically designed to help you get the most out of your vehicle: to gear shift at the right time and avoid unnecessary acceleration or braking and to maximise the power of your car without compromising performance. The eco-friendly Vexia Econav 380 is designed to provide you with the most economical and environmentally friendly ways to drive by directing the driver on the most fuel-friendly route: in doing so, the makers claim that the Vexia Econav 380 can offer a 15-30% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, depending on your driving habits and the make and age of your car. The Vexia Econav 380 will also tell drivers the best (and most energy efficient) gear to drive in. Given the high price of fuel – and the heavy cost to the planet of our motoring habits – this potentially revolutionary device should be high on every driver’s Christmas wish list, and is one gadget that will pay for itself in a very short period of time. The Vexia Econav 380 is easy to install and to use, and comes with everything you need to plug in and set up in your car. So why not get started saving fuel and money today?
The Horizon H-Racer Hydrogen-Powered Car
Do you feel the need for speed – but the guilt to be green? The eco-friendly Horizon H-Racer is the world’s smallest Hydrogen-powered fuel cell car and lets you indulge your inner Top Gear without damaging the planet. This futuristic toy car is powered by Hydrogen – a non-toxic, renewable energy. The car’s fuel cell technology converts Hydrogen to electricity without any combustion, meaning the only exhaust resulting from fuel cell cars is pure water. The remote control H-racer is an exciting toy that uses the technology that is being developed by motor industry manufacturers to power this eco-friendly car. It contains an onboard Hydrogen storage tank, a fuel cell system linked to the car’s electric motor and a Hydrogen refuelling system that can be linked to an external system solar-powered refuelling system (which is included in the kit) so the car runs on completely clean energy! It is also totally safe, given the tiny amounts of hydrogen used. Developed by Horizon, a group of scientists and entrepreneurs dedicated to developing greener energy solutions, this toy car uses technologies that might one day be commonplace on our roads, helping solve one of the greatest energy challenges we face today – our dependence on fossil fuels. But in the meantime, it provides endless hours of eco-fun and makes the ideal gift for the would-be Lewis Hamilton in your life.
The Emergence of the Electric Van
According to current statistics, there are approximately 3,000,000 diesel vans on British roads and some 500,000 lorries. Given that the average articulated lorry, when fully laden, will offer just 8 miles to the gallon, it is hardly a surprise that lorry drivers tend to protest when fuel costs rise. It is also clear that the greatest impact of these three and a half million fuel guzzling vehicles is borne by the environment. However, whilst traditional diesel or petrol vans and lorries will continue to clock up billions of miles on British roads each year, there are more eco-friendly alternatives available.
Indeed, the Modec van was launched in 2007 having been in development for several years. Although sales are only just beginning to represent the strengths of the Modec van, the vehicle’s eco-friendly vital statistics are undeniably attractive. Whereas an average diesel van will cost around £100 to fill up, the electric Modec van costs just £5 for a full charge. Moreover, it offers none of the noise and air pollution associated with conventional vans. In fact, the Modec Van is a Zero Emission Vehicle (Zev).
In terms of range, which is one of the main reasons why many delivery companies have not switched over to commercial electric vans, the Modec van offers a respectable 100 miles on a six hour charge. Nevertheless, the real strive towards greener commercial vehicles comes in the form of Renault and Nissan’s ‘Project Better Place’, which aims to introduce an electric car battery station network by 2011. The effect of deploying such a network would be to provide a virtually infinite trade of spent batteries for fully charged replacements, which could keep heavy load vehicles on the go for thousands of miles or more.
Recycling car parts – from high fashion to life saving products
Handbags made out of licence plates may sound crazy, but company LittleEarth is turning old car parts into eco-fashion. Even with the rise of greener motoring solutions such as the Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius, motoring remains one of the least environmentally friendly – but generally most necessary – pastimes. But around the world people are making an eco-virtue of this necessity. LittleEarth was founded in 1993 to recycle old car parts to create beautiful and fashionable bags. They use old American licence plates to create beautiful, stylish metal bags that retail at around £100-200, and are perfect for a night on the town. They come in a range of styles, with some making a design virtue of their origins, while others – such as the ‘More Shoes’, ‘Lace Wallpaper’ or ‘Cocktail Time’ bags – are designed to be more high fashion. Each one comes with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity, so you can be sure your gorgeous handbag really is made from recycled car parts. With party season fast approaching, they are the perfect winter accessory.
If all this sounds too frivolous, it’s good to hear that ethical design collective Design That Matters has been working on a way to use recycled car parts to build neo-natal incubators for developing countries, and has already delivered a prototype for further development. So from fashion to health, the by-products – and waste products – of the motor industry are being reused for eco-friendly purposes, and that’s something we can all get behind.
