Sustainable Car Accessories and Gadgets for Today’s Driver
By Marie Nieves
Modern society is dominated by green colors. So, it’s no wonder we keep seeing eco-friendly and sustainable topics pop up in all sorts of fields. The automotive industry, which has a pretty spotty history regarding environmental consciousness, is one of the best examples. EVs stand as the biggest testament that tangible changes can be made.
But this welcome development is happening on a grander scale. Even if we completely eliminate electric vehicles, owning a car still allows us more than enough opportunities to do something good for the planet with the tools, gadgets, and maintenance techniques we use to keep our four-wheelers on the road.
Well, let’s then take a look at some of the ways to make driving more eco-friendly.
Low-rolling resistance tires
When it comes to car ownership, it’s all about eco-friendly driving and producing better fuel efficiency. The tires, which are effectively the part of the vehicle that keeps it glued to the ground, as you can expect, make a critical part of his story. That brings us to the low rolling resistance tires, which, as their name suggests, produce less friction and resistance to travel a certain distance.
That produces a very positive impact on the gas mileage, making the LRR tires one of the must-have upgrades for eco-conscious drivers. Reliable brands like Bridgestone and Michelin are a good place to start the search.
LED lights
Traditionally, LED lights pack much better energy efficiency than their old incandescent cousins. So, if your four-wheeler doesn’t feature these additions already, be sure to build them. You will not reduce the energy consumption of your vehicle but also reduce the lights’ replacement frequency and produce less waste.
This option comes with a couple of asterisks since LED lights can be very bright, and so their usage is heavily regulated. In Australia, for instance, LEDs need to abide by the ADR (Australian Design Rules) standards. Check these things before you make an appointment with the mechanic.
Reliable dash cams
There’s no reason to point out why car accidents are bad and should be avoided. Speaking strictly regarding eco-friendly topics, these unfortunate events, even on a smaller scale, produce a lot of waste, and your inability to successfully claim insurance may cause you to compromise with the replacement parts.
All these problems can be solved with dash cams, which are legal pretty much everywhere in the world. So, if you, like in the previous example, live Down Under, you can easily find reliable dash cams for sale in Australia. Get yourself this piece of mind and enter the roads with more confidence.
Eco-friendly cleaning products
Keeping your car clean and well-maintained is not important only to make it look good. This way, you are extending its lifespan. So, take this responsibility very seriously. Of course, you should be aware that most cleaning products you can find on the shelves are not really eco-friendly, so if you want to pull off this chore in a more sustainable manner, you will need to dig a bit deeper.
The good news is that this market is growing at a rapid pace, so you will have no problem finding a whole slew of products ranging from organic leather cleaners to non-toxic, biodegradable, and water-based APCs.
Solar power chargers
Now, this might sound like a bit of a redundant upgrade since car batteries are rechargeable themselves, and you charge them by driving, so they should be able to keep up with your devices. The thing is, the number of devices we use on a daily basis is constantly growing, and putting all this pressure on the car battery may cause it to burn through its limited number of recharge cycles rather fast and turn to waste.
So, try to mitigate this problem by getting solar-powered device chargers. These chargers will move the responsibility of keeping your devices juiced from the car battery to truly renewable resources.
Reusable accessories
Our cars are packed with all sorts of small accessories we usually don’t pay too much attention to, which usually turn to waste when we are done with them. Try to end this practice by moving to reusable alternatives.
How about reusable car fresheners, which, when used, can be easily refueled, preferably with some pleasant, organic fragrance? Bottles and cups? No need to buy the plastic pieces at the pumps. Keep reusable bottles and cups in your trunk for when you need them. The same goes for shopping bags, wipes, maintenance tools, and all other items that make drivers’ lives easier.
Wrapping-up
Well, we hope these couple of mentions gave you a better idea about the numerous ways to make your tenure as a car owner a more enjoyable and eco-friendly experience. Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg meant to nudge you in the right direction.
The ways modern drivers can be more sustainable and eco-friendly are pretty much endless, and we encourage you to try out as many as possible and come up with a couple of ideas of your own. So, happy driving and make this world a better place. These two things can go hand in hand.
Author bio: Marie Nieves is a passionate blogger with an eye for design, a flair for storytelling, and a love for culture. She contributes regularly to various blogs and online magazines, all while satisfying her wanderlust by exploring states and countries near and far.