Since Toyota, like other automakers doing business in the U.S., is currently unable to supply enough hybrids and other small fuel efficient cars to meet consumer demand, they are offering up other suggestions on how to conserve gas. Over on the Open Road blog, they have talked about hypermiling before but there is a solution that saves even more fuel and emissions. In a shocker for a car company, they actually suggest driving less.

As we've discussed before, there are plenty of ways to do just that. First of all, plan ahead. Instead of making separate trips to the store, to school to pick up the kids, and then to the soccer field, time things to make a single trip and plan the sequence to give you the shortest route. Go get a basket for your bike and use that for short trips to the store or a friend's house. If you have mass transit available, take the bus or train. Perhaps most important, just say no to drive throughs. Park the car and walk the 30 feet to get your burger or coffee.

[Source: Toyota]

People who drive a Toyota Prius or some other hybrid car can potentially save a lot of money in operating costs. However, it may not be the most effective way to cut energy consumption and expenses for everyone. Bloomberg has published an interesting article on some of the alternative ways of spending your transportation dollars that might save even more. From a dollars and sense perspective, a driver who doesn't drive a lot of miles might be better off with something smaller and cheaper like a Yaris (see also, this post). The Yaris is a lot cheaper but gets lower mileage. A driver who doesn't accumulate many miles may end up spending less in total payments and fuel costs and would have an incentive to drive less. Alternatively, one could forego a car altogether and take public transport and invest the difference. Although many investments are doing poorly in the current market, there are some investments that are doing well. Over the past couple of years oil industry stocks have done remarkably well, for example. Wouldn't it be great to skip driving and profit off of those who chose not to?

[Source: Bloomberg]