Car and Environment

Ecodriving Principles

Driving habits and the Environment

The reduction of CO2 emission requires a combination of factors. Eco-driving is among the actions should be taken as it could lead toreduction in fuel consumption and in CO2 emissions of up to 20%.

Eco-Driving, is a “smart” way of driving, whichcan be easily applied to all types of vehicles. Today it is included among the most importantofficial measures of EU, concerning the improvement of energy efficiency of road transport and CO2 reduction. Slight changes in driving style enable drivers to exploit fully the fuel-efficiency potential of modern technologies. Eco-driving is easy to apply.

Eco-driving advantages

Cost- cutting in fuel consumption and in vehicle’s maintenance
Comfort for the driver and the passengers
10-25% less accidents-improved road safety
Significant reduction of sound pollution
Up to 20% less fuel consumption and respective CO2 emissions
Significant reduction of pollutants emissions ( CO, H/C, NOx)
Decrease stress-levels while driving
Equal or even less travel time in compared to conventional style of driving.

The golden rules of eco-driving

Change in habits of drivers is a prerequisite to CO2 reduction. In order to protect the environment and reduce their expenses, the drivers need to apply slight changes in their driving styles following the golden rules of eco-driving.

Engine operation at the lowest possible revolutions

Maintain a steady speed

Anticipate traffic flow

Decelerate smoothly before stopping

Switch off the engine at short stops

Check the tyre pressure frequently once per month

Proper and tactic vehicle’s maintenance

Get rid of surplus weight and unused roof racks

Wise use of air-conditioning

Decelerate Smoothly when turning.

Eco-driving Campaign

AMVIR in cooperation with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks carried out in August 2008 an advertising campaign in order to promote eco-driving.

“Don’t drive mechanically. Think Green” was the main message of the campaign which took place both in the press and television aiming at changing the driving habits of Greek drivers.

Vehicles become “green”

All means of transport (Road, Rail, Air & Water) contribute  to global CO2 emissions by 17%. Since 1998, the automotive sector is the unique transport sector, which joined a voluntary agreement with the EU, in order to reduce emissions that cause the greenhouse effect.
The results of this initiative were exceptionally positive, as the overall CO2 emissions revealed a drop of 10.8%. In 2003, the average level of emissions was constrained at 165 gr/km, while several new car models emit under 100 gr/km. An average modern car produces only 1% of the pollutant elements (CO2, NOX and CO) of a 1970’s car, while the level of noise is 90% lower.
Furthermore, since 2010, an EU regulation has been applied, according to which from 2015 the average CO2 emissions of new passenger cars must be lowered to 120 gr/km.

Every year, ACEA members spend over €20 billion, or over 4% of their turnover, on Research & Development. Innovation focuses on improvements in engine technologies, aerodynamics as well as on the reduction of rolling resistance and vehicle’s mass. Moreover, auto industry develops internal combustion engines, hybrid systems, electrical motors, several forms of fuel cells, particulate matter filters for diesel engines, supports the usage of alternative fuels and the engine’s cooling fluids. Furthermore, vehicles’ air conditions are now significantly improved in terms of energy consumption, cooling fluids and leakage.

Since 1990, another initiative of the auto industry is that of recycling materials at the end of products’ life. The EU directive 2000/53 about end-of-life vehicles resulted to the reuse and recovery of 85 % by an average weight per vehicle in 2006. In 2015 this percentage is expected to reach 95%. In this context, the non-profit organization Alternative Management of Vehicles Hellas (EDOE) was founded in Greece.

Integrated strategy

Climate change is a complicated global challenge. Thus, the reduction of gas emissions that cause the greenhouse effect require an integrated approach, which will combine vehicles’ technological improvement with:
Increased usage of alternative fuels.
Traffic management.
Change of driving habits.
 CO2–related taxation.
It is obvious that a partnership between industries, governments and customers is indispensable. In the context of this strategy, the issue of high average age of circulating vehicles should be faced. In Greece, this problem is even worse as the average age of passenger cars is 13,5 years when in EU15 only 10,7.

The electric car

The large reduction in CO2 emissions that has been achieved by the automobiles in the past years, will be greatly reinforced from further development of the internal combustion engine, the introduction of alternative propulsion systems and the use of more alternative energy sources.
In this direction, the use of electricity for the propulsion of vehicles in the cities is necessary, in order to move towards the future target for zero emissions in city centers and lower noise level.
Spreading the use electric vehicles is not a simple task, though. It requires parallel investments from the energy sector (suitable electric networks), EU’s member states’ governments (incentives for new technologies, coordination of local authorities for the creation of recharging infrastructure), the automobile industry (attractive models offering high comfort and safety standards, with gradually lower production cost) and standardization bodies (introduction of common interfaces). The European Commission must take up a coordinating role, setting the directions for all stakeholders to follow.
The automobile industry expects that internal combustion engines and today’s fuels will remain the dominant source of vehicle propulsion for the next decades, with the market share of electric vehicles being somewhere between 3% and 10% by 2025. The market penetration of electric vehicles will, to a large extent, depend on the familiarization of the consumers with their driving characteristics, an effort towards which great support also comes from the Hellenic Institute of Electric Vehicles (HELIEV).

Αndrea Papandreou 13, Marousi 151 24, Athens Greece
Tel.: (+30) 210 68 91 400
Fax: (+30) 210 68 59 022

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