As spring and summer approaches, so will the days where it’s nice enough outside to spend an afternoon washing and waxing your car or truck. So, you go to your local big box store’s auto section and pick out your supplies. As you check out, you get that ever-prevalent question about bagging your purchase; paper or plastic…or a reusable grocery bags for a dollar and ninety-nine cents. You decide to help the planet and opt for the reusable bag and head home. At home as you begin to clean the car you wonder what else you might do with your car to promote green and eco friendly living.

The first thing you think about is what kind of car you are driving. Was its selling feature the mileage or how many horsepower are under the hood? Car technology has spoiled some attempts at green and eco friendly living by letting us have our cake and eat it too. A sixties muscle car with loads of horsepower got twelve to fifteen miles per gallons at best. Some really hot cars were lucky to make ten. Today you can get zero-to-sixty in seven seconds and get twenty or more miles per gallon. Of course you have to put that in the context of a sixties economy car got twenty miles per gallon and today forty-five mpg is almost a minimum.

So while things like fuel efficiency and performance have changed, one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of keeping your car in good condition. If your cars engine is tuned up and has clean filters it will run better, cleaner and be good for the environment. Check the tires, low tire pressure can cut your gas mileage as much as fifteen percent. Simple investments like clean air filters and tire pressure guages can go a long way in keeping your car operating at its ‘greenest’ levels.

If you have to return to the store for those type of things, think about consolidating your trip. Maybe you shouldn’t have made a trip for the detergent and wax after all. All of these things could have been done on the same trip as weekly grocery shopping or you can even buy some of these products at grocery stores. If they don’t have what you need in the big box store, at least stop at the auto parts store in the same trip.

Finally, think about how much you use your vehicle when you’re the only passenger. Most states sponsor rideshare programs to work, but they are not particularly effective for a multitude of reasons. People have trouble synching their work schedules, and are not particularly comfortable posting their schedules online for strangers to see. Sharing shopping trips with a neighbor is a great alternative. You know who they are, chances are you meet over backyard barbeques, so why not give it a try? It’s a great way to spend some adult time and live green and eco friendly.

Things like organic cotton bags give us something to think about when we bag our purchases. Think about your car and how you use it for green and eco friendly living.

One of the most popular Hybrid cars on the market is the Toyota Prius. It is both compact and economical, with a starting price of just $22,400. This price puts the Prius within the realms of possibility for the average, although environmentally-conscious, individual.

The third generation of Toyota Prius, the 2010 model, has EPA ratings of 51 mpg city, and 49 mpg highway. Even for a hybrid, that’s not bad, and it’s a step up from earlier years’ Toyota Prius models.

But a new pricing structure is lined up for this hybrid; and the Toyota Prius I, II, III, IV, and V are reportedly already available.

The lowest-prices model is the Toyota Prius I, which should run for around $21,000, while the Prius V starts at $27,670.

It gets better though. A solar roof package is available for the Toyota Prius II, III, and IV Models – but not for the V.

The solar roof costs between $3,600 and $4,500. It uses solar energy to supplement the vehicle’s power and get even better mileage. This package also includes a solar-powered ventilation system, a navigation system, a power tilt/slide moon roof, and remote-control AC (for those of us who just can’t be bothered to lean forward and turn the knob?)

With this new combination of hybrid technology and solar power, a whole new range of fuel efficiency may be well within grasp. The solar powered hybrid is said to make mileages of up to 70 miles per gallon possible, under the right circumstances.

If you live in or often drive through a sunny climate, a solar-powered roof might go a long ways in reducing your gas bill and carbon emissions.

Under some (although somewhat theoretical) circumstances, the driver of a solar-powered Toyota Prius might never need to buy gas at all.

But at the very least, a driver of a solar powered Prius who uses the vehicle’s “eco” settings and who follows basic speed guidelines can expect to need gasoline far less often – so infrequently, in fact, that he should take care not to forget to stop for gas at all.

About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn how they can live greener and more environmentally friendly lives.

To learn more, visit her blog, Green Gadget Blog.

Source Article: Solar Powered Toyota Prius

One of the most popular Hybrid vehicles on the market is the Toyota Prius. It is both compact and economical, with a starting price of just $22,400. This price puts the Prius within the realms of reality for the everyday, although environmentally-conscious, individual.

The third generation of Toyota Prius, the 2010 model, has EPA ratings of 51 mpg city, and 49 mpg highway. That’s pretty good even for a hybrid, and it’s a step up from earlier years’ Toyota Prius models.

But a new pricing structure is lined up for this hybrid. The Toyota Prius I, II, III, IV, and V are reportedly already available.

The lowest-prices model is the Toyota Prius I, which should run for around $21,000, while the Prius V starts at $27,670.

While the new line of Priuses will include a range of features, it gets better.. A solar powered roof package is available for the Toyota Prius II, III, and IV Models – although not for the V.

The solar-powered roof system costs between $3,600 and $4,500. It uses solar energy to supplement the vehicle’s power and to get even better mileage. This package also includes a solar-powered ventilation system, a navigation system, a power tilt/slide moon roof, and remote-control air conditioning … for those of us who just can’t be bothered to lean forward and turn the knob?

With the combination of hybrid technology and solar power, a whole new range of fuel efficiency may be possible. The solar powered hybrid is said to make mileages of up to 70 miles per gallon possible, under the right circumstances.

If you live in or often travel in a sunny climate, the solar-powered roof might go a long ways in reducing your gas bill and pollution emissions.

Under some (although somewhat theoretical) circumstances, the driver of a solar-powered Toyota Prius might never need to buy gas at all.

But at the very least, a driver of a solar powered Prius who uses the vehicle’s “eco” settings and follows basic speed guidelines can expect to stop for gas far less often – so infrequently, in fact, that he should take care not to forget to stop for gas at all.

About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn how they can live greener and more environmentally friendly lives.

To learn more, visit her blog, Green Gadget.

Source Article: Solar Powered Prius