Good News, everyone! The finalsts for the 2012 Green Car of the Year have finally been announced!
For 2011, the list of finalists for the Green Car Of the Year, given annually at the Los Angeles Auto Show, were the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Ford Fiesta, Lincoln MKZ hybrid and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The Volt won.
This year's list includes the 2012 Toyota Prius V, 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012 Mitsubishi i, the 2012 Ford Focus Electric and the 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI. According to the organizers, this year's list represents "different takes on green."
"This year's Green Car of the Year finalists underscore that there is no single solution to our transportation challenges. Here we have five exceptional answers to the question of how we're going to increase efficiencies, reduce tailpipe and C02 emissions and decrease petroleum use," read the statement by Ron Cogan, Editor and publisher of Green Car Journal.
Two EVs that aren't on sale yet, a slightly bigger Prius, a diesel we know in a bigger car and a Civic that runs on natural gas. Hooray?
stovt001 says:
12:47 PM, 10/24/11
Great news! The Dacia Sandero...
aznraptor says:
01:09 PM, 10/24/11
anytime I read "Good news everyone" all I can think of is futurama
mitsubishicars says:
01:58 PM, 10/24/11
Woohoo! We're on the list again! Thanks for the mention, guys!
brn says:
04:48 PM, 10/24/11
Does the car need to be new for 2012? If not, some of last years cars need to be on the list this year.
stovt001 says:
10:00 PM, 10/24/11
I'm still not sure how mining precious metals, shipping them halfway around the world to be made into batteries, put in to new cars, which are shipped the other half way around the world is environmentally friendly, but I guess that's not the point of being "green" at all.
firstwagon says:
07:38 AM, 10/25/11
"I'm still not sure how mining precious metals, shipping them halfway around the world to be made into batteries, put in to new cars, which are shipped the other half way around the world is environmentally friendly, but I guess that's not the point of being "green" at all."
The point is it's greener then drilling for messy oil, pumping it into leaky tankers, shipping it halfway around the world and then burning it.
At least the batteries stay in the car for the life of the car and then are recycled when they are done.
Think of all the advanatages if we all cut our oil use in half.
transpower says:
08:09 AM, 10/25/11
I think the Prius V is much more practical than the Volt, unless you just need an urban runabout....
stovt001 says:
10:18 AM, 10/25/11
@firstwagon - the fossil fuels just go to the power station making the electricity instead. You're not cutting them out of the picture. Electricity isn't just magic that comes out of the wall.
Oh that's right, telling Greens that electricity has to come from somewhere is like telling a kid there is no Santa.
brn says:
05:07 PM, 10/25/11
stovt001, but you can create a very small amount of really expensive and unpredictable electricity form solar/wind! :)
transpower, I believe that depending on your driving habits, the Prius V or the Volt may be preferable. A runabout would be appropriate for a pure electric. For primarily distance, the Prius V would win, but most people don't drive that way. The Volt bridges the gap between a runabout and an unlimited range vehicle. Neither is "better" than the other, just different.
firstwagon says:
06:47 PM, 10/25/11
stovt00
I do agree with you in part. Nothing more annoying then people who have no clue where electricity comes from (or worse seem to think it's free).
However....
I was talking about the Prius in this case and I'm sure you know it generates it's own electricity by using waste energy and excess energy.
Also I know very well where electricity come from and in our province it doesn't come from fossil fuels.
Third I am not a "green" by any stretch of the imagination. I am open to new and improved ways of doing things though and there are ways to generate clean electricity. Can't say the same about oil.