Feature: Going Green on Car Care, Repair and Insurance

Exploring Ways to Green Your Current & Future Vehicles

Automakers aren’t the only ones trying to stay competitive in the automotive industry by becoming more eco-friendly. If you’re working on increasing fuel efficiency or you already have an alternative fuel vehicle, you can lessen your carbon footprint by taking advantage of green car care, repair and insurance.

You may be wondering if electric and hybrid cars are cheap to insure. You’ll be happy to hear that auto insurance companies are competing for green customers by offering discounts.

We’ll show you how to minimize your carbon footprint from the vehicle you drive in its care, repairs and maintenance.

Green Vehicles

Electric cars are on the leading edge of the green vehicle spectrum. Fuel-efficient vehicles are still in the green category, but they’re on the other side of the spectrum. In between, there are hybrids and smart cars.

Electric Cars

We’ll start with the greenest car available, the electric vehicle (EV). It leaves zero emissions on the roadways. The higher the percentage of EVs on the road, the lower the air pollution. This lack of emissions becomes especially apparent in big cities with significant traffic congestion.

You have to plug these cars in, but once the batteries are charged, you can drive in peace and quiet, knowing your commute makes your carbon footprint smaller.

If you’re able to find an alternatively-powered charging station, like solar charging, for example, you can go even further in reducing your emissions.

Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars use batteries for some driving needs and gas for others. Owners enjoy the excellent fuel efficiency; this combination gets them, and you shouldn’t be surprised when they brag about how many miles they can drive on a gallon of gas. Generally the need for repair and maintenance is reduced as well since, as an example, the use of regenerative braking decreases wear and tear on brake components.

Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

Some may argue that a gas-engine car shouldn’t be part of the green vehicle category because it runs a traditional combustion engine. The fact is, though, that engineers have improved the way cars run so dramatically that they can run on a fraction of the fuel of vehicles 40 years ago.

Using less fuel definitely contributes to reaching the goals of going green enthusiasts.

Eco-Friendly Care and Repair

Check out these tips for how you can take care of your car in the most earth-friendly way.

Car Care

Washing your own vehicle can use less electricity than using an automated car wash. Just be careful to conserve your water consumption because if you leave your hose running and spray water for hours on end, you’ll waste so much water that you’ll have a net loss on your going green efforts.

Choosing eco-friendly biodegradable soaps is an essential step if you want to take care of the environment.

Changing your tires is a normal part of regular vehicle maintenance, and choosing eco-friendly tires can help reduce your emissions and get better fuel mileage. Here’s another tire tip for you: check your tire pressure weekly because as your tire pressure drops from the manufacturer’s recommendation, your fuel consumption will increase.

Car Repair

Electric vehicles, by the nature of how they work, require more eco-friendly repairs than gas-engine vehicles. There are far fewer moving parts on an electric vehicle, so repairs tend to be easier and cheaper than similar repairs on a traditional car engine.

Choose a body shop that’s committed to environmentally friendly practices like recycling, prompt cleaning of hazardous spills and tapping into alternative energy sources. By supporting companies that strive for better green practices, you’ll enable them to invest in even better earth-friendly initiatives.

Earth-Friendly Auto Insurance

If you’re passionate about reducing your carbon footprint, you can choose to purchase your auto insurance from a company committed to reducing their emissions and rewarding you when you do.

There are a few things to look for to help you determine how green a car insurance company is.

Qualities of Green Insurance Providers

While each company develops its individual plan for reducing its carbon footprint, there are some general traits that are popular.

• Car insurance discount—Many car insurance companies offer customers a discount specifically for driving electric and hybrid cars.
• Energy-efficient headquarters—Companies that are committed to green initiatives will put effort into making their headquarters energy-efficient.
• Paperless billing—Most car insurance companies offer online or automated billing options so you can eliminate using paper and the energy consumed in delivering mail.

Several different companies display these qualities, but there are a few insurance providers that truly stand out.

The Most Environmentally Friendly Car Insurance Companies

The greenest car insurance company is MetLife. They have been carbon-neutral since 2016.  They have committed to planting five million trees, setting money aside for environmental protection and partnering with others for climate change initiatives.

Another of the top earth-friendly insurance companies is American Family. They are committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2030. They also provide their employees with places to charge their electric vehicles.

Allstate has one of the most significant discounts available for electric vehicles. They’ve also promised to reduce their emissions each year and are reaching and exceeding their goals.

Check out what your current car insurance provider is doing to support green initiatives.

Some discounts are specific for electric and hybrid vehicles, but some are more general. Don’t get so focused on green discounts that you forget the standard discounts.

Car Insurance Discounts

While discounts will vary by provider, these are the most common ones to watch for:

• Bundling
• Good driver
• Good student
• Military
• Telematics
• Occupational

If you compare car insurance rates, you may find a car insurance company that offers you significantly cheaper premiums than what you’re paying now. So, it’s a good idea to start with a comparison search and then look into each company’s discounts on your shortlist.

Getting an electric or hybrid vehicle is just one part of making your vehicle experience as green as possible. You can also make earth-friendly choices regarding car repair and maintenance. Finally, you can support a car insurance company that aligns with your values.