Although it was one of the most talked about green cars in the recent months, the Chevrolet Volt surprisingly didn’t make it to the top ten of the annual greenest cars list of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
Honda Civic GX bagged the no. 1 spot with its cleaner compressed natural gas technology, while electric vehicle Nissan Leaf, also a favorite among 2011 EVs, came in second. The small two-seater Smart ForTwo was third on the list and battery-powered Toyota Prius came in fourth. The Honda Civic Hybrid completed the top five.
Because of inefficient fuel economy, Chevrolet Volt fell to a disappointing and less than stellar ranking at no. 12.
The ACEEE ranks the vehicles according to their “Green Score”, with fuel economy and emissions among the top criteria for making it to the list. Diesel cars were not included in the list because they still give off higher amount of emissions as compared to gasoline-powered cars.
Although it can run on electricity and gasoline, the popular Volt still failed to impress the council with a fuel economy of only 35 miles per gallon in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.
According to ACEEE spokeswoman Shruti Vaidyanathan, “As a gasoline vehicle, the fuel economy’s not stellar.”
Weight is also considered as part of the rating system, so there was no chance the heavy 3,800-pound Volt would have made it to the top 10. The lithium-ion battery pack installed in the engine added heavily to the Volt’s total weight.
GM spokesman Rob Peterson found the ranking “laughable”.
“It’s one group’s interpretation of a measurement of ‘green’,” he stated.
Related posts:
- Chevrolet Volt: Fully Charged 2010
- Honda Reveals New Insight at Paris Motor Show
- The Chevy Volt Electric Car: Ten Things You Oughta Know (Part 1)
- The Chevy Volt Electric Car: Ten Things You Oughta Know ( Part 2)
- World Green Car of the Year Finalists
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