Top 40 green cars expected in 2010
2010 seems to herald the beginning of a flood of green vehicles set to hit the market in large numbers over the next several years. Several new hybrid, electric, clean diesel, fuel cell and low mileage gasoline vehicles are due to be released by major automakers along with smaller companies, and startups. This should be the year that green car technology hits the roads in large numbers.
Green can mean many things. One form of green car has low to no emissions. These would be the hybrid, electric and fuel cell cars. Some are green because they get high miles per gallon and use less fossil fuel. Below are green vehicles by Type
HYBRIDS
Besides new models of the Toyota Prius, Ford Escape, and Honda Insight, car manufacturers in Japan and the US will be introducing new hybrid vehicles. Vehicles will be listed from most efficient to least efficient.
2010
CARS
| Rank | Manufacturer | Model | MPG city/hwy | Base Price |
| 1 | Toyota | Prius | 51/48 | $22,000 |
| 2 | Ford | Fusion | 41/36 | $27,625 |
| 3 | Honda | Civic | 40/45 | $24,510 |
| 4 | Honda | Insight | 40/43 | $20,510 |
| 5 | Nissan | Altima | 35/33 | $26,800 |
| 6 | Lexus | HS | 35/34 | $34,200 |
| 7 | Toyota | Camry | 33/34 | $26,150 |
| 8 | Chevrolet | Malibu | 26/34 | $25,555 |
| 9 | Mercedes Benz | S400 | 19/26 | $87,950 |
| 10 | BMW | Hybrid X6 | 16/20 | $151,983 |
| 11 | BMW | ActiveHybrid7 | 29.1 total | $171,203 |
As you can see, just because a car is called a hybrid doesn’t mean that it gets good gas mileage. Mercedes Benz and BMW are cases in point. Though they are still gas hogs compared to other hybrid cars, their emissions are much cleaner.
SUVs
| Rank | Manufacturer | Model | MPG city/hwy | Base Price |
| 12 | Ford | Escape | 34/31 | $29,585 |
| 13 | Mercury | Mariner | 34/31 | $29,995 |
| 14 | Mazda | Tribute | 34/31 | $29,995 |
| 15 | Lexus | RX | 32/28 | $41,660 |
| 16 | Toyota | Highlander | 27/25 | $34,700 |
| 17 | Chevrolet | Tahoe | 21/22 | $50,455 |
| 18 | GMC | Yukon | 21/22 | $50,920 |
| 19 | Cadillac | Escalade | 20/21 | $74,085 |
SUVs are notoriously bad on gas mileage, but the SUVs above not only have cleaner emissions as hybrids, but also better gas mileage than other SUVs. The Escape, Mariner and Tribute all use the same hybrid base and are the same size so their gas mileage is the same. The Tahoe and Yukon are essentially the same car but branded differently with minor cosmetic changes.
TRUCKS
| Rank | Manufacturer | Model | MPG | Base Price |
| 20 | Chevrolet | Silverado | 21/22 | $38,000 |
| 21 | GMC | Sierra | 21/22 | $38,390 |
It is no surprise that Chevrolet and GMC are the only two trucks that have hybrid models. Both trucks essentially use the same base as the Tahoe and Yukon and like the Tahoe and the Yukon are pretty much the same vehicle with different branding.
Clean Diesel
| Rank | Manufacturer | Model | MPG | Base Price |
| 22 | Volkswagen | Golf TDI | 30/42 | $21,990 |
| 23 | Volkswagen | Jetta TDI | 30/42 | $22,270 |
| 24 | Audi | A3 TDI | 30/42 | $29,950 |
Clean diesel may seem like an oxymoron, but diesel engines have been going through major changes lately. The turbocharged direct injection (TDI) use diesel fuel more efficiently so there are less emissions. The European Union has put very strict guidelines on emissions reductions that diesel cars have to meet as well as gasoline vehicles. The TDI diesel vehicles that we get here in America don’t have the same great mileage as those in Europe but the engines are smaller in Europe and Americans get more amenities on their vehicles.
High MPG Gasoline
| Rank | Manufacturer | Model | MPG | Base Price |
| 25 | Smart | Fortwo | 33/40 | $11,590 |
| 26 | Toyota | Yaris | 29/36 | $12,355 |
| 27 | Nissan | Versa | 28/34 | $9,990 |
| 28 | Nissan | Cube | 28/30 | $13,990 |
| 29 | Kia | Forte automatic | 27/36 | $13,695 |
| 30 | Chevy | Aveo | 27/34 | $11,965 |
| 31 | Honda | Fit | 27/33 | $14,900 |
| 32 | Kia | Rio | 27/32 | $11,495 |
Although the above cars are not hybrids, they do get better gas mileage than other cars on the road. The Smart Fortwo is not surprisingly the highest mileage no hybrid out there, but then again, that was the designers intention. The rest of the cars are pretty much the smallest vehicles offered by their manufacturers and don’t have all of the amenities that can be found on more expensive hybrids.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
| Rank | Manufacturer | Model | Distance miles |
Top Speed | Base Price |
| 33 | BYD | e6 | 249 | 93mph | unknown |
| 34 | Tesla | Roadster | 244 | 125mph | $101,500 |
| 35 | Tango | EV kit | 40-200 | 130mph | $108,000 |
| 36 | Mini | e | 150 | 90mph | lease only |
| 37 | Mitsubishi | iMIEV | 100 | 81mph | $47,000 |
| 38 | Citroen(UK) | C1 evie | 65 | 60mph | $29,607 |
| 39 | Think | City | 112 | 62mph | Fleet Sales |
BYD (build your dream), started in 1995, was originally a Chinese technology company that provided such high tech items as li-ion batteries to much of the world. The company is a relatively new car manufacturer since it only got in to making automobiles in 2003. The company is expected to release its newest electric vehicle, the e6, in North America during the second half of 2010. BYD also manufactures “duel mode” vehicles that are expected to be released in the US over the next few years.
Tesla, also a new car company, is well known for its top of the line electric sports car. The cars have so far only been released in low quantities, not many people can afford a $100,00 plus car. The company will be producing a new mass market model called the Tesla S. The less expensive model S, estimated at around $40,000, was originally expected to be released in 2010 but the date has slipped to 2011.
The Tango is actually sold as a kit car, but even so it is one of the fasted cars on the road with a respectable driving distance per charge. Best known as one of George Cloony’s vehicles, this vehicle is also in the very expensive segment of the market.
The mini-e is the electric version of the Mini Cooper. Rather than sell the car, it is only available for lease. The vehicle goes a respectable distance and can reach illegal roadway speeds just like the Tesla Roadster and Tango.
The Mitsubishi i-MIEV is finally ready for the market after several years of testing. This car is priced in the same range at the future Tesla S but still gets decent driving speeds and distance per charge.
The Citroen C1ev’ie is only available outside France in the UK. Although not offered in the United States yet, it is one of the few affordable electric cars on any market. Of course the speed and distance per charge are considerably less than the previously mentioned electric vehicles. This car is one step up from speed limited NEVs and urban commute electric vehicles.
The perennially orphaned Think City, will once again hit the streets but only as part of company and government fleets. The car will go up to 60-62 mph which is good enough for short highway trips and gets a fairly good distance per charge.
Although other electric cars, some three wheelers, are out there, they are still in the testing phase.
FUEL CELL
| Rank | Manufacturer | Model | Distance | Base Price |
| 40 | Honda | FCX Clarity | 240m | Lease |
| 41 | Mercedes Benz | Fuel Cell | 250 m | unknown |
Fuel cells once the chosen green vehicle technology of the Bush administration, has fallen out of favor under Obama. Still there are auto manufacturers that are still pursuing research into the technology and two that have actually reached the market with their cars in 2010.
Honda has been producing the FCX Clarity for several years and will be releasing a 2010 model. The car can only be leased but is still an exceptionally green car. Zero emissions is still zero emissions.
Mercedes Benz will be releasing its first fuel cell vehicle in 2010. The company is still not sure if it will be selling or leasing the vehicle.
The vehicles listed in this article are the greenest cars still expected to be released as 2010 models. Some, like the Prius, have already hit showrooms while others like BYD won’t show up until the middle of next year.
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