NADA Promotes ”Green Checkup” Month in September
New Dealer/Automaker Campaign Shows Drivers How to Save Gas & Cut Greenhouse Gas
With high fuel prices and vehicle emissions on the minds of many Americans, the incentive has never been greater for car owners to improve their vehicles fuel economy. To help motorists save money at the gas pump and, at the same time, reduce greenhouse gas through proper maintenance, NADA is promoting September as ”Green Checkup” Month.
The campaign was launched in conjunction with a new automaker campaign called ”EcoDriving” (see box on page 2) NADA is urging its members to offer free ”Green Checkups”at their dealerships. The Green Checkup focuses on the things that have the most effect on fuel economy, such as oil and air filters, engine performance, tire pressure and emission controls. Participating dealers can refer to the Green Checkup Guidelines, which provide the estimated tech hours to perform a Green Checkup
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”Dealerships are in every major community which means we are ideally positioned to be at the forefront of a national consumer awareness campaign,” says Annette Sykora, NADA chairman and owner of two dealerships in Texas. ”Our goal with the Green Checkups is to highlight simple steps that car owners can take to maintain their vehicles in top running condition.”
Dealers in nine states have signed up to become Green Checkup Dealers and some may decide to provide the Green Checkup along with inspections of child passenger safety seats that are also offered at many dealerships in the month of September. Although NADA is promoting Green Checkup Month in September, the program is designed for dealers to offer checkups as part of their routine service year-round.
To help dealers raise public awareness of how the auto industry is increasing fuel economy through innovation and new technologies, NADA created the Toolkit ”A New Car is a Green Car,”which is designed to highlight how easy it is to be green. The toolkit includes tips on hosting green driving events, participating in the Green Checkup program and several dealership case studies that offer a ”greenprint” for success.
Providing Green Checkups is one example of how dealers are becoming more energy conscious. A trend toward green dealerships is another. ”Dealers around the country have invested close to a billion dollars on facility upgrades and new construction over the past few years to reduce energy consumption at their dealerships,” Sykora says.
This includes cutting-edge heating and cooling methods, more efficient lighting, as well as wind and solar power. Today, several dealerships are LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Councils Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. ”With the growing number of green dealerships and the Green Checkup campaign, we are sending a clear signal that when it comes to climate change, Americas new car dealers are part of the solution,” Sykora says.
For more information and to sign up to become a Green Checkup Dealer, go to http://www.nada.org/green/.
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