Hello,
I drive a 1992 Volvo 940 GL, automatic transmission, 107,000 miles, 2.3L engine, (
1992 Volvo 940 Specs - Specifications for used Volvo 940 - CarGurus). I live in the Boston area but go to school in Rochester, NY (where it's COLD). My parents were early Prius adopters and drive two of them, and after a couple of years with my Volvo, I'm interested in doing something about this vehicle's impact.
I have an ethical problem with throwing out or selling a great old car like my Volvo: it's a tank and easily will last another 200,000 miles, so if I sell it to get a more energy-efficient vehicle, I'm only benefiting myself as someone else will certainly drive it into the ground, polluting just as much as usual. Also, in the larger picture, I think the world's biggest hurdle with energy efficiency is not simply developing new technologies, but finding efficient and economical means to re-design our old technologies like my good old Volvo.
So, I'm hoping for some help with any options I have to modify this vehicle to make it more energy-efficient. To be clear, I'm interested first and foremost in modifications that would affect its environmental impact (less direct and indirect pollution), and second in modifications that would lead to more cost-effective driving (more fuel-efficient/lower cost to drive).
I already practice basic stuff in efficiency - keeping tires properly inflated, going down hills in neutral, riding my bike, etc - here I'm really looking for help with substantial mechanical changes in the vehicle: anything from using E85 to converting it to a full EV...I am fairly tech-savvy and a little bit mechanically inclined but I'm assuming I'll need a mechanic's help with at least some part of this.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Sam