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Updates include new data for model year 2000 vehicles and preliminary ratings for 2001 releases, including Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, and others. For further information, contact: John DeCicco or Jim Kliesch, 202-429-8873 Press material or review copies: Glee Murray, 202-429-0063 Washington, DC (June 1, 2000) - The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) announces updates to GreenerCars.com, the online edition of ACEEE's Green Book™: The Environmental Guide to Cars & Trucks. Two vehicles now tie for greenest of the year: the natural-gas powered Honda Civic GX, and General Motors' EV1 electric vehicle. Also posted are new or updated Green Scores for a number of other vehicles, plus preliminary scores for several early 2001 releases. Over 60 new listings are included in this update. "Some of these vehicles, such as the Volkswagen Passat 4motion, are new configurations of cars we're already ranking," notes Jim Kliesch, ACEEE Research Assistant and co-author of ACEEE's Green Book™. "Others, like the BMW Z8, are new listings." ACEEE updates its green ratings to help consumers keep up with the continually changing market. "The automotive market is becoming more fluid, with vehicles being released throughout the year," says John DeCicco, Senior Associate and lead author of ACEEE's Green Book™. "Our goal is to provide consumers with accurate, up-to-date environmental information about the cars, trucks and SUVs hitting the streets today, and the GreenerCars.com website provides an ideal mechanism." A notable development is that Honda's natural-gas powered Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) Civic GX now ties the EV1 with the top Model Year 2000 Green Score of 52. Since ACEEE's Green Book™ first went to press, the Honda Civic GX was certified to California's SULEV emission standard, which cut its tailpipe pollution by 85% compared to its initial ULEV certification. "While the Civic GX ranked quite well during our initial release in February, it was the SULEV certification that helped propel it to the top," states Kliesch. ACEEE's Green Scores account for both tailpipe pollution and global warming impacts, including emissions from auto factories, petroleum refineries, and, for electric vehicles, power plants. "Our posted Green Scores are based on national average emission factors," notes Kliesch. "In states with cleaner- than-average electricity generation, such as California, the EV1 would see an even higher Green Score." "The fact that two vehicles tie for the crown is significant since electric vehicles have previously dominated our greenest vehicle list," remarks DeCicco. "Today's top-rated battery electric and natural gas vehicles are outstanding engineering achievements. Their advanced technologies may well become the basis for tomorrow's mass-market vehicles." One of the most promising future technologies, the fuel cell electric vehicle, could incorporate both an electric drivetrain, as on the GM EV1, and gaseous fuel storage, as on the Honda Civic GX. In addition to updates of Model Year 2000 vehicles, preliminary analyses of some early Model Year 2001 vehicles were also performed. These include a number of high-profile cars and trucks, such as the Chrysler PT Cruiser, Acura CL, Ford Explorer Sport Trac and Oldsmobile Aurora. "Green Scores of these vehicles will be finalized by early 2001, once the majority of MY2001 vehicles are analyzed, but results are not expected to change significantly," states DeCicco. Subscribers to the GreenerCars.com website can search the ACEEE's Green Book™ interactive database and build custom lists for comparing vehicles. Monthly and annual subscriptions to the website, including updates, are available at GreenerCars.com. The print edition of ACEEE's Green Book™: The Environmental Guide to Cars & Trucks -- Model Year 2000 may be ordered through major online booksellers or directly from GreenerCars.com for $8.95 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. Bulk sales discounts are also available. For further information, contact:
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is an independent, non-profit research group dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of protecting the environment and strengthening the economy. For more information, see our website at www.aceee.org. ### |
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