Cars and trucks are blamed for many of the world’s most serious environmental problems, from global warming to the oil spill in the Gulf. But though there are growing efforts to reduce automobile use through smarter urban design, alternative transportation methods, and more, cars and trucks are not disappearing from the roads anytime soon. It’s therefore important to reduce their environmental impact.
Believe it or not, one of the simplest way to reduce the environmental impact of cars and trucks (and save money at the gas pump!) is to keep them well-maintained. Auto repair shops can therefore play a significant role in reducing the environmental impact of driving.
If you love both cars and the environment, a great green business opportunity is opening an eco-friendly auto repair shop.
Eco-friendly auto repair shops work to reduce both the environmental impact of the cars and trucks they repair, and to reduce the impact of the shop itself.
Eco-friendly auto repair shops offer tune-ups designed to improve gas mileage and lengthen the working life of your automobile, conserving resources. They emphasis repairing, rather than replacing, damaged parts whenever possible, and help customers choose eco-friendly products such as non-toxic paints for the auto body.
Some eco-friendly auto repair shops specialize in servicing eco-friendly cars such as hybrids and electric cars. Some also assist with diesel conversions in preparation for using eco-friendly biodiesel.
Many eco-friendly auto repair shops place a high premium on customer education, and may even offer classes teaching basic auto repair and maintenance with a focus on improving gas mileage and reducing emissions.
There are also a number of ways auto repair shops themselves can go green. A few ideas include:
* Recycling used motor oil
* Using non-toxic degreasers
* Ensuring that there is no runoff of oil or other toxic materials into street or storm drains
* Using green building materials for the shop and office
* Purchasing wind or solar-generated electricity to power the shop
* Using recycled paper and eco-friendly inks to print brochures and other advertising materials
San Francisco-based Luscious Garage is an auto repair shop that’s put careful thought into every aspect of running the shop in order to make it as green as possible. The shop specializes in hybrid vehicles and does everything from brewing their own non-toxic windshield wash to using solar-powered, energy efficient tools and appliances to reducing, reusing, and recycling everything possible with the eventual goal of producing zero waste. Luscious Garage also places more focus on people than most garages – the open workshop allows owners to watch the repairs being done on their cars, while a comfortable waiting room offers free Wi-Fi, a library of books, and a children’s area with toys and games.
Green Garage, which has locations in Boulder and Fort Collins, CO, is another thoughtful eco-friendly garage that puts a lot of effort into reducing the environmental impact of both the garage and the cars it services. Green Garage offers free valet pick-up and drop-off services and a full line of services, including both routine maintenance and emergency repair, as well as specialty green tune-ups designed to improve gas mileage and performance while minimizing toxins and waste.
ShopHonest-1 Auto Care bills itself as the nation’s first eco-friendly auto case chain, and it has locations in Oregon, Arizona, Minnesota, New Jersey, Florida, and more. In addition to a full line of traditional services, Honest-1 offers a Eco-Tune-Up that includes a 21 point inspection, tire pressure evaluation, spark plug replacement, and more. Like Luscious Garage, Honest-1 places a premium on comfortable, family-friendly waiting rooms, including children’s play areas, complimentary internet, and clean restrooms.
It might be easier to buy a car because the price is one-off, but the expenses that come with owning a car turn many people off. A car attracts gas, insurance, maintenance and taxes among other costs. Even worse, car owners will pay for parking each day and if bought on loan, pay for interest on loans taken to buy a car.
With the above expenses, people are using public transportation more. Even with public transport, there is a day that you might absolutely be in need of a car. That is why people look for other transportation options. Besides rental cars, you can turn to a car sharing company. This is a way to cut the cost of owning, leasing or renting a car.
With car sharing, an individual pays a yearly fee to the car sharing company. This fee gives them access to a fleet of shared cars whenever they need them. Most car-sharing companies require you to make reservations on an hourly or a daily basis. The rates fall between $5 and $15 per hour for a shared car. This is the cost that goes towards fuel, cleaning, insurance, and maintenance. After paying the required fees, all the car expenses are taken care of by the car-sharing company.
By using a shared car, an individual saves money. This also benefits the environment seeing that the number of vehicles on the road is reduced. A single shared car takes the place of about eight private cars. Since the car sharing company needs to save money, they will only offer fuel efficient cars or hybrid cars to their clients.
Not all car sharing businesses are for profit; some are non-profit. A good example of a non-profit car-share business is the San Francisco CarShare program.
To start a Car-Sharing business, high initial costs are incurred. These costs cater for buying, registering and insuring cars. However, a car-sharing company is highly profitable with good marketing.
A car-sharing business should be marketed to three groups of people:
• People living in the city and do not need cars frequently. This saves them money.
• College students
• Business owners who need to cut down costs of owning a car
This is a car sharing company operating in France, Canada, Germany, UK, Spain and the US. In the US, the company operates in more than 20 cities and also operates on college campuses. To serve their clients better, the business has a fleet of cars including Toyota Camry, BMW Mini, and Toyota Prius.
Zipcar is the biggest car-sharing firm in the world. It is highly widespread, making it the most popular in the US, UK, and Canada. In the US, the company serves more than 50 cities and more than 100 colleges. Besides cars for individuals and college students, Zipcar runs a corporate car-share program as well. They have partnered with ZimRide, a social ridesharing network, to ensure that the impact on the environment is significantly reduced.
This is a car-sharing business that offers luxury car sharing alone. If you find it expensive to own a luxury car and you need one once in a while, Business Exotic Car Share offers you the experience of driving one. They have cars such as Ferrari 355F1 Spider, Corvette Z51 Convertible, and Dodge Viper GTS Coupe.