Sales to plant trees
MORE than half an acre of native forest will be replanted this month as a result of an initiative by a usedcar retailer.
The trees will be planted in a Northland reserve by the Native Forest Restoration Trust, a charitable organisation dedicated to protecting New Zealand’s native forests and wetlands.
2 Cheap Cars chief executive Daniel Buckley says they expect to plant about 1000 trees, as one will be planted for every vehicle purchased during October.
Buckley says they want to use the opportunity to encourage motorists to drive in a more sustainable way.
Drivers need to think about their emissions, he says.
In 2018, the average tailpipe emissions from light vehicles entering the New Zealand fleet was 180g of CO2, per kilometre. The Government is considering setting a target of 105g by 2025.
Buckley says that if a petrolpowered car emits about 115g of CO2 per km, and is travelling an average of 25km a day, over a year that translates to 1049kg of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere or 284kg of carbon.
One tonne of carbon is equivalent to 3.7 tonnes of CO2.
Buckley says there are actions every motorist can take to reduce their impact.
‘‘Keep the vehicle’s tyres inflated to the correct pressure, ensure your vehicle is serviced regularly, and check the air filters, which can clog and reduce mileage. The additional weight of items left in the boot or a roof rack can reduce fuel efficiency noticeably.
‘‘Drivers should avoid peak traffic times where they can, and also try to plan ahead to take the shortest route.’’
If they own more than one vehicle, take the more economical one.
Buckley says they aim to sell many more electric vehicles in future.