My Escape to a Hybrid
Posted by James Mason Ball on September 22, 2008
As the film An Inconvenient Truth was the birth of my eco-evolution, watching Who Killed the Electric Car? was the beginning of my eco-adolescence. I had just recently purchased a new Ford Ranger that I absolutely adored. I clearly remember the sunny, warm day that I had bought my new truck less than a year earlier, driving over an hour and a half to find the exact model and color that I had chosen. Unfortunately, this truck that I loved so much was only getting about 15 miles per gallon. After seeing the two above documentaries within months of each other, I was suddenly feeling guilt ridden with each and every mile that slipped away beneath me. I knew that I had to take personal responsibility for my own impact on the environment and had to make a change. So for the second time in a year, I set out to buy another new, yet much more fuel-efficient car.
When purchasing a new car and keeping global climate change in mind, there is really only one major factor to keep in mind: gas mileage. It’s really that simple. There are of course many other environmental factors to consider such as pollution and smog producing emissions, as well as the raw materials and production processes used by the automobile manufacturer, but when considering your ongoing global warming footprint, carbon emissions are the enemy. And that translates directly to the amount of miles you get for each gallon of gas.
I agonized over the choices for several weeks before I decided on a Ford Escape Hybrid. I strongly considered both the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid, both of which achieve better mileage than the Escape, however, when I added the needs of myself and my family into the equation, I realized that a larger vehicle was necessary. And my action improving from 15 to 30 mpg was definitely something that I felt very proud of.
There are some hybrids available today that offer no significant increase in mileage. Some hybrids actually only improve mpg by a few miles when compared to their non-hybrid counterparts. Not all vehicles with “hybrid” emblazoned on their body are necessarily the best choice. There are many other vehicles that can achieve much better fuel efficiency than some of these. A great resource for comparing fuel efficiency of all vehicles can be found at:
Driving habits can also have a significant affect on the number of times that you have to stop at the pump. Whether you drive a regular car or a hybrid, the way that you drive it will affect its efficiency. I found that I was not getting the mileage that I had hoped for, so I tried an experiment. I started driving more slowly, actually driving the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas. Also, I began using cruise control and staying to the right of faster moving traffic. Cruise control helps to mitigate rapid acceleration and braking which burns more fuel than when keeping a constant speed. And I began to check that my tires were properly inflated. With very little effort I was able to increase fuel efficiency by 2 miles per gallon more, a 7 % increase: And this just from altering a few bad habits!
Even by lessening my global warming impact from driving by 100%, there were still emissions to be dealt with. I chose to purchase carbon offsets fromTerraPass. By estimating the total number of miles I drive in a year and entering my vehicle information at terrpass.com, I was able calculate my Escape’s annual carbon emissions and purchase carbon offsets for less than fifty dollars. TerraPass then invests my fifty dollars into carbon-reducing projects such as renewable energy and reforestation, therefore offsetting another measurable amount of carbon emissions.
What changes can you make today to curb your own carbon emissions? It can be as simple as slowing down. Remember, any change for the better is change for the environment that we all share. You too can be part of the solution.
