2012 Green Car of the Year Finalists Announced
Recognized each year at the LA Auto Show, the finalists for the 2012 Green Car of the Year award have been released, spanning the gamut of possible alternative fuel vehicles. The nominee include the Ford Focus Electric, the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, the Mitsubishi i, the Toyota Prius v and the 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI.
While fully electric models like the Fusion Electric and Mitsubishi i are obvious choices, the list goes on to include the Prius v hybrid, the Passat TDI diesel and even the natural gas powered Civic.
“This year’s Green Car of the Year finalists underscore that there is no single solution to our transportation challenges,” said Ron Cogan, publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “Here we have five exceptional answers to the question of how we’re going to increase efficiencies, reduce tailpipe and CO2 emissions, and decrease petroleum use. These nominees deserve to be recognized for their unique approaches in providing consumers diverse choices as cars intelligently evolve toward a more environmentally-compatible motoring future.”
Along with staff from the Green Car Journal, this year’s judging panel for the 2012 Green Car of the Year award includes Carl Pope, Sierra Club chairman; Frances Beinecke, Natural Resources Defense Council president; as well as Jay Leno and Carroll Shelby.
Last year the Chevrolet Volt took home the 2011 Green Car of the Year award.
Click here to see AutoGuide’s complete 2011 LA Auto Show preview
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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It would be interesting to examine the total energy/environmental-impact involved with the manufacture of vehicles as well as the energy demands to keep it in motion for its typical life. If a high-tech car gets 50mpg but requires energy intensive processes to manufacture (or to source the feedstock for components) its probably a worse alternative than a vehicle with poorer efficiency but made with less effort.
I vote for the Passat since it's the only one on the list that would actually be enjoyable to drive. That and I'm biased towards VW and biased as far against electric vehicles and hybrids as you can get. Hybrids are a joke, and until the car companies get together to standardize batteries, give us a 300-400 mile range per charge, and establish battery swap stations akin to a gas station, electric cars will never be a viable option as a sole vehicle.