The 20th annual environmental ratings at greenercars.org, released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), answered questions about this year’s “Greenest,” “Meanest,” and “Greener” choices, and best-in-class vehicles. The ratings feature an informative write-up on model year 2017 market trends, a consumer primer on vehicles and the environment and advice on how to buy green when shopping for a new car or truck.
“Anyone buying a new car now has plenty of options for making an environmentally smart decision,” said Eric Junga, transportation research analyst at ACEEE. “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.”
The following vehicles comprise the Greenest List for 2017. Each car is 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 tailpipes.
Greenercars.org also identifies practical options in each class among the top widely available, automatic transmission, petroleum-fueled models, because many of the vehicles on the Greenest list are not widely available or may not meet the needs of every individual. The Greener Choices list includes trucks and SUVs, such as the Chevrolet Colorado diesel and Honda CR-V. The new Chrysler Pacifica fills the slot for vans on the Greener Choices list and is accompanied on the market this year by a new plug-in hybrid version, which earns an impressive score of 49, better than many compact cars. The gasoline-powered smart fortwo coupe and Toyota Yaris iA top their respective car classes, scoring just below the vehicles on the Greenest List. As the list demonstrates, consumers can make greener choices whatever their vehicle needs. The Big Three American automakers claimed five of the 12 Greener Choices spots:
Greenercars.org also provides a “Meanest List,” comprised this year as usual by large SUVs, heavier medium-duty vehicles and European luxury cars that are the least friendly to the environment.
