For the fifth consecutive time, Honda takes the title of 'Greenest Automaker' as awarded by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The winning automaker narrowly beat Toyota and Hyundai, who tied for second by one point.
"It was a photo finish, but Honda is still the champ," said Jim Kliesch, a senior engineer in UCS’s Clean Vehicles Program and the author of the rankings report. "Toyota was poised to take the lead, but stalled in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Meanwhile, Hyundai’s fleet saw dramatic efficiency improvements, pushing the company into a title contender spot."
UCS compares the "Top Eight" automakers — Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen — because they make up more than 90% of cars and trucks sold in the U.S. According to the UCS website, the car companies are ranked, "based on average per-mile smog pollution and global warming emissions of the entire fleet of ['08 model] vehicles sold," and are scored after comparing each to the “industry average” of all eight combined. So, the better the scores they received for fuel economy and emissions of their fleets, combined with how well their 'green' models sold, determined the winner.
This article appears in Oct 14-20, 2010.