Smarter Travel Choices

When talking about Smarter Travel choices, we mean to look for alternative methods to reduce the usage of cars. As Church Farm’s Travel Plan Coordinators, here are three different ways to help minimise CO2 emissions.

Electric Vehicles

By 2035, all new cars produced will be either electric (EVs) or hybrid. Many people are already making that switch now though and there are many benefits.

EVs and hybrid vehicles are often cheaper to run and maintain compared to petrol or diesel vehicles. From 25 October 2021, only zero emission vehicles – those emitting 0g/km CO₂ – qualify for the cleaner vehicle discount. All other vehicles, regardless of their emissions status will be required to pay the Congestion Charge.

A common concern with EVs is range anxiety. Most new vehicles will cover between 100 and 300 miles on a full charge (dependent on conditions and model of car). The average car journey in the UK is only 8 miles and 25% of journeys are less than 2 miles!

Useful apps or websites:

Zap Map:

Find out where your nearest charging point is!

Energy saving Trust:

Your one-stop point for information including active travel, electric bikes, EVs and even efficient energy at home.

Eco Driving

Petrol and diesel cars can be expensive to run, so here are some top tips that could make a difference to your journey and reduce the need for such regular trips to the petrol station.

• Service your car regularly to maintain engine efficiency.

• Check your tyre pressures frequently, especially before long journeys. Under inflated tyres create drag which consequently uses more fuel.

• Lose any unnecessary baggage – extra weight means fuel. Perhaps it’s time to clear out the boot of the car?!

• Combine short trips into one. Cold starts use more fuel so if you have a few errands to run, complete them in one longer trip.

• Drive smoothly by accelerating gently and read the road ahead to avoid any unnecessary braking.

• Cut down on the air-con. Air conditioning can increase the fuel consumption of your vehicle when driving at low speeds, however, the effects are less noticeable at higher speeds.

To learn more about low carbon travel and how you could drive efficiently, please visit the Energy Saving Trust website.

Car Clubs

Did you know each car club vehicle replaces 20 private cars on the road?

Car clubs are essentially pay-as-you-go community car hire schemes where members can hire vehicles from convenient locations across the UK.

Most clubs have a range of vehicles from vans and cars in different sizes to fit multiple purposes.

At the moment, there are over 30 Enterprise car club vehicles available within Norwich. If you don’t drive often, why not sell your car and join a car club instead of paying off extra car bills such as MOT, road tax, fuel and more?

It is simple and free to join. There are also various membership options within Norwich. Please visit the Enterprise Car Club website for more information. Of if you would like to learn more about the benefits of joining a car club, click here.