Drive Green, Live Green

At greenercars.org, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its 17th annual comprehensive environmental ratings for vehicles.  Choosing “green” cars is one of the most important of many steps that an individual can take to reduce climate change and our dependence upon foreign oil.  About 33% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions come from the burning of gasoline in internal-combustion engines of cars and light trucks. 

Nissan Leaf

Greenercars.org provides facts to examine the eco-performance of any 2014 model. The site assigns each vehicle a "Green Score," a measure that incorporates lifecycle greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emissions. Updates were made to the greenercars.org methodology to more accurately estimate vehicles' environmental impacts. These include updates to in-use emissions of methane and nitrous oxides, evaporative emissions estimates, and gasoline, diesel, and natural gas "upstream" emissions.

This year the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive tops the "Greenest" list. Following closely behind are the Toyota Prius C and the Nissan Leaf. Other top scorers include the Honda Civic Hybrid #5, Lexus CT 200H #6, Honda Insight #10, and the Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid #12.

Toyota Prius C

"We've had such an influx of hybrid and electric vehicles in recent years that the race to earn a spot on the "Greenest" list is more competitive than ever, particularly for conventional vehicles. It's encouraging to see automakers investing heavily in eco-savvy vehicles on the whole," said ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan.

Just this week, Consumer Reports magazine came out with its rating of 2014 cars.  Interestingly, it rated the all-electric Tesla Model S as its “best car overall”.  It is a great car, but currently comes with a hefty price tag.  For the 11^th year in a row, Consumer Reports rated the Prius as its top “green car”.  The Tesla, Prius, Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt and other cars in the genre are becoming increasingly popular and are competing for mass appeal.  It appears that there is room in the market for the three basic versions of green car; all-electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid.

Chevy Volt

This past October, eight states including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California, and New York announced they were working jointly to promote the adoption of electric vehicles.  Together, these states make up a quarter of the nation’s automobile market. 

Here at Mass Energy and People's Power & Light

Since 1982, Mass Energy and People’s Power & Light have worked to make energy more affordable and environmentally sustainable.  We have focused on homes and businesses.  But we are now looking at ways in which we can help bring green cars to our members.  At the very least, we will continue to provide basic information.  Stay tuned.  Meanwhile, if you drive one of the green cars featured in this post, feel free to comment.

Larry Chretien, Executive Director as Mass Energy, is currently in the market for an electric vehicle. Read about the Chretien family experience and and let us help you make the right decision.