One of the best ways to lessen your carbon footprint and help in the protection of the environment is by reinventing the way you travel. There are a number of ways to do it: choose eco-tourism destinations when traveling for a holiday; ride the bike instead of the car when going to a picnic; walk or take the public transportation when going to work, and so on. But if you can’t live without a car, a good alternative would be to opt for green car instead of a conventional one.

Look around. As with buying a conventional vehicle, you have to look around first to see what fits your budget and what features of a car you are really willing to pay for. The Internet will make it easy for you to look around for the best possible deals and to familiarize yourself with the cars’ features. Look around in blogs to get first-hand information or reviews from buyers and users of particular brands. Some online dealers may even offer prices that are lower than what is offered by your local dealer. Nevertheless, once you have narrowed down your list to particular models, it would be wise to still check your local dealer to compare the prices of those sold online. Seeing the actual thing and doing a bit of test-driving wouldn’t hurt either.

What type of green vehicle do you want? Green cars come in different forms so make sure you know which one you want.

1. Low carbon emission vehicles- Ordinary vehicles with low CO₂ emission levels.
2. Electric vehicles- Vehicles with zero emissions when on the road. Remember though that electric power is still mostly derived from unclean sources like coal from power plants. In addition, electric cars are limited by their lower speed rates and the shorter distances they can travel.
3. Hybrid vehicles- Popular for their fuel-efficiency. They have less emissions than most diesel cars but also tend to be more expensive because of limited options in the market.
4. Alternative-power vehicles- Other cars are designed to run on alternative sources of energy like bioethanol gasoline, biodiesel and liquefied petroleum gas. These are more environment-friendly than conventional types of fuels.

Features of the car. Always make sure to factor in environmental considerations, monetary concerns and convenience. Opt for a car with better fuel efficiency (expressed in miles per gallon) and has lower carbon emissions (expressed in grams per kilometer of carbon dioxide or g/km of CO₂). Put into consideration your driving requirements as well. For instance, if you intend to drive long distances and at great speeds, then an electric car might not be suitable for you. If you have a big family, then buying a fuel-efficient minivan may be a better choice than a hybrid mini car. When you have finally considered all of these factors, you’ll be a step closer to having your very own dream green car.

For other green living and green travel tips, please read these other articles here on the BabyGanics blog:

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