No exhaust fumes and hardly any noise: When you think of particularly environmentally friendly vehicles, you probably think of an electric car. But the ‘greenest’ car of the year still largely uses fossil fuel.
At least this is the conclusion of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a nonprofit research organization that develops strategies to reduce energy waste and combat climate change, in its “GreenerCars” report. The annual rankings are based on a life cycle assessment of the greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions generated during the production, use and disposal of each vehicle.
Unlike other assessments of the health and environmental impact of vehicles that rely solely on fuel efficiency, this assesses the vehicle’s carbon dioxide emissions while driving as well as emissions from the production of the car and its battery. The assessment also takes into account pollution from nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and particulate matter – all substances that can affect human health.
From the combination of these factors, the authors ultimately calculated a ‘green number’ from 0 to 100 points for each of the 1,200 cars examined. We have the “greenest” and the “dirtiest” cars for you – and the good green compromises in between.
The current leader with 71 points and therefore the ‘greenest’ car of the year is the Toyota Prius Prime – a plug-in hybrid that can drive just over 70 kilometers on electricity before switching back to combustion, putting it ahead of purely electric cars such as the Lexus RZ 300e or the Mini Cooper SE.
Electric driving alone is not enough
The results (see tables below) emphasize that simply running on electricity is not enough to guarantee that a car is “green”; weight, battery size and overall efficiency also play a role: “It’s the shape of the body, the technology inside and the overall weight,” ACEEE’s Peter Huether explained to the Washington Post.
According to the expert, the Prius outperformed its competitors due to its small battery – which reduces emissions and environmental impact associated with production – and its high efficiency. The vehicle’s battery is less than a tenth of the battery of the Hummer EV (which, despite its purely electric drive, ended up in the negative ranking of the “dirtiest” and therefore particularly environmentally harmful cars). This means fewer emissions from battery production and fewer rare minerals that need to be mined and mined.
Reviews and rankings
However, Gil Tal, director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at the University of California at Davis, told the newspaper that many drivers use their plug-in hybrids like regular hybrids and almost never charge them. “I don’t think the Prius Prime is the greenest,” he said. “If you can buy a fully electric car, that is always the best.”
The more wind and solar energy that is introduced into the electricity grid, Tal continues, the cleaner electric cars will become in the long term. “And your gas car will only get worse as the years go by,” he said.
Suitable solution
The most important thing, ACEEE’s Huether responded, is that drivers find the most environmentally friendly option that suits them – whether that’s a plug-in hybrid, a conventional hybrid or a pure electric car. In a statement from the organization, he called on “automakers to quickly increase the number of affordable electric vehicles so that their benefits are accessible to a wider range of incomes as we move away from gasoline-powered cars.”
For drivers whose needs are not met by current charging infrastructure, “many efficient and affordable hybrid options are available.”
The list of ‘greenest’ cars highlights the twelve models that performed best this year. The leader is the Toyota Prius Prime, followed by the Lexus RZ 300e, Mini Cooper SE, Nissan Leaf, Toyota bZ4X and Toyota RAV4 Prime. The list is completed by three electric cars and three petrol hybrids from Hyundai, Toyota and Kia.
According to ACEEE, the average fuel cost of a vehicle on the list is one-fifth of the average fuel cost of a vehicle on the ‘dirtiest’ car list (see below), “showing that greener options can also be more affordable.”
The so-called Greener Choices list includes model year 2024 vehicles with the lowest environmental impact in each vehicle class that did not make the list of ‘greenest’ vehicles. This does not apply to electric cars, including plug-in hybrids, “as some drivers do not have sufficient access to electric vehicle charging stations,” the ACEEE explains.
The most ecological cars with classic combustion engines in their respective categories are the Mitsubishi Mirage (compact car), the Mini Cooper Cabrio (small car), the Kia Soul (minivan), the BMW Z4 sDrive30i (two-seater) and the Ford Ranger (pickup) .
The list of meanest mass-market cars consists mostly of large, inefficient gas guzzlers: seven SUVs, three pickups, one sports car and one sedan. According to ACEE, the Mercedes-Benz G63 was the worst vehicle among more than 1,200 models evaluated and has annual fuel costs of more than $4,000 (the equivalent of about €3,685).
With the GMC Hummer EV, an electric car is in ninth place in the negative ranking for the first time. GM markets the almost 4.5-ton ‘super truck’ as ‘extreme’ and ‘packed with extras’.
“Although electric cars have lower emissions than similarly sized gasoline cars, the Hummer shows that size and efficiency, not just fuel source, are important factors in a car’s impact on the environment,” the ACEEE notes.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
