The Industrial Revolution started in the late 18th Century and lasted until the mid 19th Century. This contributed to the massive shift from an agricultural society to a manufacturing economy. The increase in using machines subsequently led to an increase in the use of fuel and chemicals, which consequently led to environmental pollution.

Luckily in recent decades, there has been increasing participation in efforts to reduce the effects of the Industrial Revolution. Recycling is probably one of the oldest and most well-known eco-friendly techniques, along with simple practices like turning off lights to save energy.

With more and more people becoming environmentally conscious, the interest in eco-friendly products is on the rise. Now with modern technology, we are able to live more sustainably.

Eco-Friendly Cars

One of the most recent ways that people are demonstrating that they are more environmentally conscious is by purchasing eco-friendly cars, once they’ve gotten rid of their old car through either selling it on to an individual, to a Cash for cars type of service, however they choose to do this. Once they’ve decided to get a new car, that’s when the car shopping can start – and many will be looking for a more eco-friendly option. In today’s world, some of the most eco-friendly cars on the road are actually electric cars. However, electric cars tend to be more expensive than petrol cars… to an extent.

Upfront, electric cars usually sell for more money than petrol cars. In the long run, however, electric cars will cost you less money.

Non-Hybrid Cars

*As of April 2018

Electric cars are still relatively new, so some people may not be willing to switch just yet. Fortunately, there are some petrol, or non-hybrid cars that are fuel-efficient and have lower emissions than others.

  • Honda

The Fit and the Civic are two of the most eco-friendly cars from Honda. Both have an Environmental Efficiency Score of 84.

  • Toyota

The Yaris, Corolla, and Camry are three of Toyota’s best-selling cars, as well as most energy-efficient. The Environmental Efficiency Scores for these vehicles are 81, 75, and 74, respectively.

  • Hyundai

Hyundai is another car company known for its efficiency. The Hyundai Elantra has an efficiency score of 79.

  • Nissan

Nissan is pretty well-known for manufacturing electric cars, but the Nissan Versa is a pretty efficient non-hybrid car. Its efficiency score is 75.

Of course, this is not a conclusive list. These are just a few of the most efficient non-hybrid cars.

Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars have a combination of a combustion engine and electric motor. Both can be working at the same time, or one or the other. This means that less fuel is used when driving.

Some of the most popular hybrid cars include:

  • The Honda Accord Hybrid
  • The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  • The Toyota Camry Hybrid

Electric Cars

We’ve made it to the most environmentally friendly cars, and that’s electric cars. These cars require no petrol, with motors powered by rechargeable batteries.

Today, the most popular completely electric car brand is Tesla, but there are other companies that make completely electric cars:

  • Hyundai
  • Toyota
  • BMW
  • Nissan
  • Honda
  • Kia

Unfortunately, there are a few cons to driving an electric car.

Just like a petrol car doesn’t run forever off one tank of petrol, electric cars don’t run forever on electricity, so you’re going to need to learn about the Nissan LEAF battery life, or the battery life for whichever car you’re looking at. These electric cars need to be recharged at charging stations, which, for the time being, at least, aren’t as abundant as petrol stations. However, it is possible to install an In-home electric vehicle charging station, meaning you can charge up the car whenever it’s parked on the drive. This can work amazingly well if you usually only take short journeys, as you will never be beyond the range to get back home before the battery runs out.

Cars and Car Insurance

There’s also another con to driving electric cars: insurance rates. If you’ve been looking into safeco insurance reviews and policies, you would have probably noticed this. Insurance rates tend to be higher for electric cars than they are for hybrid and non-hybrid cars.

With any type of insurance, getting the most accurate rate depends on several factors. So it’s best to get an auto insurance quote to figure out exactly how much your insurance rates would be. You may consult G&G Independent Insurance about the best car insurance rates.  This company is one of Inc 5000 fastest growing companies.

Conclusion

It’s nice to be able to have options when it comes to choosing what’s best for the environment. It’s also important to choose what works best for you too.

For those who are wary of electric cars but who still want to help the environment, no worries! The next time you’re in the market for a car, just simply choose an energy-efficient petrol car or a hybrid car. Every little bit helps!