For the first time in the last ten years, a mid-sized vehicle has achieved the top spot in the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's "Greenest Cars" list. The mid-sized Hyundai Ioniq topped the list with a highest ever green score of 64, followed closely by the BMW i3 in a list dominated by electric vehicles.
In the last 10 years, the top spot has been claimed only by compact or subcompact vehicles, so Ioniq's first place is quite a feat. The Ioniq is expected to hit the market initially with a 110-mile range, but Hyundai has already mentioned the possibility of a 200-plus-mile version in the future. A hybrid version of the Ioniq will also be available and scores comparably to other vehicles on the Greenest List.
"Anyone buying a new car now has plenty of options for making an environmentally smart decision," said Eric Junga, Transportation Research Analyst at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), which runs the greenercars.org website. "Whether you are looking to purchase the greenest car available, or the greenest vehicle for your needs such as a minivan, or simply stay away from the bottom of the list, greenercars.org can help you."
In ranking the vehicles, each car on the list was given a whole number Green Score based on an environmental damage index (EDX), which estimates pollution from vehicle manufacturing, the production and distribution of fuel, and vehicle tailpipe emissions.
The greenercars.org website also has a list of vehicles that are considered "greener" as well as those considered "meaner" for the environment, the latter including vehicles that the organization considers as being the worst for the environment. As you might guess, that list is dominated by gas-only vehicles that aren't very good at the pump.
For its part, the first place Ioniq is also the first vehicle to offer three distinct electrified powertrains on a single, dedicated platform. In addition to the Ioniq EV taking home first, there will also be Ioniq Hybrid and Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid models available.
"Ioniq will attract an entirely new group of eco- and efficiency-oriented buyers in the U.S. market," said Mike O'Brien, vice president of Corporate and Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America. "With outstanding powertrain flexibility, design, connectivity, and advanced technologies, Ioniq meets the needs of a large and growing group of buyers needing a highly efficient, enjoyable to drive, low-emissions vehicle without compromise to their daily lifestyles."
The driving experience inside Ioniq is enhanced through state-of-the art connectivity features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Blue Link, as well as wireless charging for smartphones. Even more, the seven-inch TFT instrument cluster displays all key driver information with outstanding resolution. Ioniq also offers the very latest in advanced safety technologies.
Other vehicles on the list also performed very well when it came to being environmentally friendly. Toyota's Prius lineup's lithium-ion Prius Eco variant nabbed the third spot, while the new plug-in Prius Prime and Prius C claimed spots eight and nine. The Fiat 500E and the Nissan Leaf took home the fourth and fifth spots respectively.
The Chevrolet Bolt EV may have taken home the sixth spot, but could have the greatest market impact of any vehicle on the Greenest list. The Bolt is the first EV with a range of more than 200 miles to make the Greenest List, and at $29,995 after federal tax credits, it opens the EV market to more buyers.
Two hybrid vehicles; the Honda Accord Hybrid and the Kia Niro Hybrid, claim 11th and 12th position, rounding out the list.
For the second consecutive year, the Greenest List is completely populated by plug-in and hybrid vehicles and contains no vehicle with solely an internal combustion engine. The Mitsubishi Mirage scores the highest of any purely gasoline-powered vehicle, narrowly missing a spot on this year's list with a Green Score just below the Niro's.
"For the second year in a row, plug-in electric vehicles---all-electrics and plug-in hybrids--dominate the Greenest List, proving that these vehicles are really coming into their own," said Junga. "Even the all-electrics are associated with significant emissions, however, arising from vehicle production and the electricity used for charging. It's notable that conventional hybrids continue to be environmentally competitive with the plug-ins, taking four of the Greenest slots."
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/automotive/plaindealer/index.ssf/2017/03/mid-sized_hyundai_ioniq_tops_greenest_car_list.html
In the last 10 years, the top spot has been claimed only by compact or subcompact vehicles, so Ioniq's first place is quite a feat. The Ioniq is expected to hit the market initially with a 110-mile range, but Hyundai has already mentioned the possibility of a 200-plus-mile version in the future. A hybrid version of the Ioniq will also be available and scores comparably to other vehicles on the Greenest List.
"Anyone buying a new car now has plenty of options for making an environmentally smart decision," said Eric Junga, Transportation Research Analyst at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), which runs the greenercars.org website. "Whether you are looking to purchase the greenest car available, or the greenest vehicle for your needs such as a minivan, or simply stay away from the bottom of the list, greenercars.org can help you."
In ranking the vehicles, each car on the list was given a whole number Green Score based on an environmental damage index (EDX), which estimates pollution from vehicle manufacturing, the production and distribution of fuel, and vehicle tailpipe emissions.
The greenercars.org website also has a list of vehicles that are considered "greener" as well as those considered "meaner" for the environment, the latter including vehicles that the organization considers as being the worst for the environment. As you might guess, that list is dominated by gas-only vehicles that aren't very good at the pump.
For its part, the first place Ioniq is also the first vehicle to offer three distinct electrified powertrains on a single, dedicated platform. In addition to the Ioniq EV taking home first, there will also be Ioniq Hybrid and Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid models available.
"Ioniq will attract an entirely new group of eco- and efficiency-oriented buyers in the U.S. market," said Mike O'Brien, vice president of Corporate and Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America. "With outstanding powertrain flexibility, design, connectivity, and advanced technologies, Ioniq meets the needs of a large and growing group of buyers needing a highly efficient, enjoyable to drive, low-emissions vehicle without compromise to their daily lifestyles."
The driving experience inside Ioniq is enhanced through state-of-the art connectivity features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Blue Link, as well as wireless charging for smartphones. Even more, the seven-inch TFT instrument cluster displays all key driver information with outstanding resolution. Ioniq also offers the very latest in advanced safety technologies.
Other vehicles on the list also performed very well when it came to being environmentally friendly. Toyota's Prius lineup's lithium-ion Prius Eco variant nabbed the third spot, while the new plug-in Prius Prime and Prius C claimed spots eight and nine. The Fiat 500E and the Nissan Leaf took home the fourth and fifth spots respectively.
The Chevrolet Bolt EV may have taken home the sixth spot, but could have the greatest market impact of any vehicle on the Greenest list. The Bolt is the first EV with a range of more than 200 miles to make the Greenest List, and at $29,995 after federal tax credits, it opens the EV market to more buyers.
Two hybrid vehicles; the Honda Accord Hybrid and the Kia Niro Hybrid, claim 11th and 12th position, rounding out the list.
For the second consecutive year, the Greenest List is completely populated by plug-in and hybrid vehicles and contains no vehicle with solely an internal combustion engine. The Mitsubishi Mirage scores the highest of any purely gasoline-powered vehicle, narrowly missing a spot on this year's list with a Green Score just below the Niro's.
"For the second year in a row, plug-in electric vehicles---all-electrics and plug-in hybrids--dominate the Greenest List, proving that these vehicles are really coming into their own," said Junga. "Even the all-electrics are associated with significant emissions, however, arising from vehicle production and the electricity used for charging. It's notable that conventional hybrids continue to be environmentally competitive with the plug-ins, taking four of the Greenest slots."
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/automotive/plaindealer/index.ssf/2017/03/mid-sized_hyundai_ioniq_tops_greenest_car_list.html
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