The Environmental Impact of the Automotive Industry

The environmental impact of the automotive industry has come under the spotlight in recent years. As far as possible, we all want to make the world better for future generations. There is a lot of talk about reducing our carbon footprint. When it comes to the automotive industry, we must focus closely on every tiny detail as part of an effort to reduce the impact of our use of vehicles on the environment. Practices that we can adopt to help the environment even while using vehicles include using smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, selecting tires with higher rolling resistance, keeping an eye on tire pressure to regular maintenance checks and changing oil regularly to minimize emissions. Even washing the car regularly takes a toll on the environment, especially in a country like the UAE where water is a highly valuable commodity.

When we wash our vehicle with a hosepipe, generally we use up about 480 liters of water for a wash lasting ten minutes, according to the Car Wash Association in the UK. This figure is based on the assumption that the outflow from a standard garden hose is about 10 gallons in a minute. Nevertheless, we do need to keep our cars clean.

In view of the fact that there is almost one car for every two residents in Dubai, we can save a tremendous amount of water if we use waterless car washes. Instead of using soap and water, an effective cleaning product which can break down dirt particles and separate them from paint would help save water. Using a bucket and mug instead of a hose can help us control the usage of water. Another way we can minimize the amount of water needed is by using coatings which protect the exterior of a car from contaminants, thus reducing the number of washes needed. Though it may seem strange, washing the car more regularly so that there is little dirt accumulating between washes can help save water in the long run as just a quick rinse would do instead of a deep clean to remove all the accumulated dirt.

So, next time you drag out your hose to wash your car, think about the impact you are having on the environment.