The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has announced their list of “Greenest and Meanest” vehicles for 2014. The category called “Greenest” is for vehicles that have exceptional or non-existent fuel economy resulting in a small carbon footprint. Vehicles from the “Meanest” category are called out for their gas-guzzling engines and low MPG rating. Each vehicle that made the list was given a “green score” out of 100.
Highest Green Scores
- Smart Electric-Drive – 59/100
- Toyota Prius C – 57/100
- Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, Lexus CT 200H, Honda Civic Hybrid, Standard Toyota Prius, Nissan Leaf – 55/100
- Mitsubishi Mirage, Honda Civic (Natural Gas) – 54/100
- VW Jetta Hybrid, Smart ForTwo, Honda Insight – 53/100
The Mercedes Smart Electric-Drive was awarded the highest green score of 59 because of its all-electric design that balances range with power and efficiency. No surprise with Toyota’s Prius in second place as well as it taking up a sizeable part of the greenest car list.
Lowest Green Scores
- Cadillac Escalade, Lamborghini Aventador, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead – 23/100
- Ford Expedition/Lincoln Navigator, Ford F-150 Raptor, Mercedes-Benz G550 – 22/100
- Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, Bentley Mulsanne, Ford E-150 Wagon – 21/100
- Bugatti Veyron – 19/100
- Dodge RAM 2500 – 18/100
The Dodge RAM 2500 came in at last place with its 5.7L, 8-cylinder engine and MPG rating of 13 for city driving. At second last place, the Bugatti Veyron actually has a lower city MPG at 8 likely due to its famous 8.0L, 16-cylinder engine that’s capable of draining the entire gas tank in a matter of minutes at top speed.
With every passing year automakers are adding more hybrid and plug-in vehicle options to their roster, which should make for increased competition in this corner of the auto market. One day in the future every vehicle may come with a hybrid option and that day could be here sooner than you may think.
