Greener Cars.com | Green Energy News

February 3, 2002 – Vol.6 No.45

GREENERCARS.COM.

The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has just published the latest edition of its consumers guide to the greenness of new vehicles available in the U.S. - the Green Book (tm): The Environmental Guide to Cars and Trucks - Model Year 2002. All new car buyers in the U.S. should look at this guide if they are planning to buy this year.

The new edition lists the 12 greenest and 12 meanest cars available. Not surprisingly, Honda’s hybrid Insight is at the top of the list, followed by Honda’s natural gas Civic, Toyota’s RAV4 - EV (available to consumers only in California) and Toyota’s Prius hybrid.

Even those who feel they must purchase a sport utility vehicle can use this guide to choose the vehicle with the least environmental impact . For example, in the popular mid-sized SUV class Toyota’s Highlander 4-cylinder gets a Superior rating and a higher Green Score than many sedans.

Using its Green Scores the Green Book rates vehicles by fuel economy, fuel expenses, toxic and greenhouse gas emissions. Pollution from auto factories and refineries are also taken into consideration in scoring.

The Green Book is available in print or on-line by subscription. The advantage of the on-line edition is that it is updated throughout the year as new models become available, such as Honda’s Civic Hybrid due in showrooms this Spring. The online version also includes Green Books for 2000 and 2001 for those considering a used vehicle purchase. Visit Green Book at http://www.greenercars.com/