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Marche au ralenti (idling)

January 16, 2023

This winter, let's reduce unnecessary idling and cut our GHG emissions!

There are approximately 114,000 drivers in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC, which represents more than 20,000 tCO2 eq per year emitted by idling vehicles.

Reducing idling consists in reducing the time the engine is running without the car being in motion. This allows citizens to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions without having to limit their travel distances, while saving on gas and diesel consumption.

Did you know that?

  • On average, a vehicle that idles for 10 minutes will have consumed 0.3 liters of fossil fuel.
  • After one minute of idling, an idling engine consumes more gasoline than starting.
  • A driver with a remote starter tends to start his or her car well before he or she is ready to drive.

Despite popular belief, idling is not effective in warming up the engine. In very cold weather, idling for about 2 to 3 minutes is sufficient. After that time, the vehicle can be warmed up by driving at a reduced speed. An engine block heater can also be used.

To learn more about other effective measures to reduce our GHG emissions, visit the regional awareness campaign of the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges: https://mrcvs.ca/citoyens/environnement/ges/
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