SmartWay: EPA new campaign on how to save money and reduce your footprint when shopping for your next car

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching the SmartWay Leaf Campaign to encourage consumers to purchase SmartWay-certified vehicles.
EPA scores vehicles according to their environmental impact. SmartWay-certified vehicles are the best environmental performers, as measured by a combination of their emission levels of greenhouse gases, hydrocarbons, nitrous oxides, and other pollutants. If every light duty vehicle in the country were SmartWay-certified, carbon dioxide emissions would decrease by about 214 billion pounds annually. That’s equivalent to the emissions from nearly 20 million vehicles each year.
The new campaign builds on the previous outreach efforts to inform drivers about ways they can save fuel and protect the environment, like the recent Alliance to Save Energy’s Drive $marter Challenge campaign launched this past May. Even with their current vehicle, there is a lot drivers can do to cut down on fuel use. It is important to maintain a reasonable speed and avoid rapid accelerations and braking. Vehicles should be well-maintained with properly inflated tires and clean air filters. Finally, try to decrease vehicle use by walking or biking, combining errands into one trip, and using public transportation where available. For more information about SmartWay, visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartway
To visit EPA’s green Vehicle Guide, go to: http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles
To learn about the Drive $marter Challenge, go to: http://www.drivesmarterchallenge.org/
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News Release: Thursday, July 3, 2008 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Driving the SmartWay: EPA Debuts New Campaign to Help Drivers Save Fuel, Money and Protect the Environment Contact Information: Marilyn Franklin, (202) 564-4355 / franklin.marilyn@epa.gov