We hop in the car to get groceries or drop kids at school. But while the car is convenient, these short trips add up in terms of emissions, pollution and petrol cost.
Close to half (44%) of all Australian commuter trips are by car – and under 10km. Of Perth’s 4.2 million daily car trips, 2.8 million are for distances of less than 2km.
This is common in wealthier countries. In the United States, a staggering 60% of all car trips cover less than 10km.
So what’s the best solution? You might think switching to an electric vehicle is the natural step. In fact, for short trips, an electric bike or moped might be better for you – and for the planet. That’s because these forms of transport – collectively known as electric micromobility – are cheaper to buy and run.
But it’s more than that – they are actually displacing four times as much demand for oil as all the world’s electric cars at present, due to their staggering uptake in China and other nations where mopeds are a common form of transport.
A couple times per year I do. And it turns out you cannot rent a truck - truck shaped cars no problem, but to use it as I do isn’t allowed by the contract.
I drive it about once a month, mostly things that a car would do but having a car and a truck is even more expensive. I’ve regularly asked if I could use somthing else but there are some things I can’t figure out and so the truck ends up staying for now.
I drive a rented vehicle daily, for work reasons, and that damned Ranger is put through the grinder as any other vehicle. It was rented with that specific purpose in mind and there is no objection to its use.