One might have thought that Toyota’s plug-in hybrid can’t beat EVs – and they would be wrong
This year’s GreenerCars rankings just came out and a vehicle with a gas-burning engine beat all the rest. Coming in second through fifth though were all-electric vehicles. Here’s a breakdown of how these rankings came about, who the big winners were, and which EV also managed to be one of the worst offenders in the scoring.
Ranking how “green” a car could be done several ways from fuel cost over the course of a year, how efficiently a vehicle slips through the air, and other metrics. Here’s the way that GreenerCars comes to the rankings that it does.
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“To calculate GreenerCars scores, ACEEE evaluates each model year 2024 car on its cost to human health from air pollution associated with vehicle manufacturing and disposal, the production and distribution of fuel or electricity, and vehicle tailpipe emissions.”
Greenest List
For 2024 the first-place winner is the Toyota Prius Prime SE with a score of 71. ACEEE estimates you’d only need $529 to fuel the Prius over the course of a year. It’s the third time that it’s won and most of the victory comes down to weight. “It’s the shape of the body, the technology within it, and the overall weight,” said Peter Huether, senior research associate for transportation at ACEEE to the Washington Post. “And all different types of Priuses are very efficient.”
Having a design that’s remarkably efficient is further benefited by keeping the weight low. Big heavy batteries could reduce carbon emissions while driving but that doesn’t automatically make them greener overall. Notably, electric vehicles, especially those on the smaller end of the scale, scored well too.
The Lexus RZ 300e came in second with a score of 67 and an estimated annual fuel cost of $651. The MINI Cooper SE took bronze with a score of 67 but an annual fuel cost of $747. The Nissan Leaf and Toyota bZ4X rounded out fourth and fifth place.
Greener Choices Excluding EVs, PHEVs
The key takeaway is one that focuses on how to widen the appeal of green vehicles, says Huether. “It’s important for automakers to keep expanding affordable EV options rapidly so that the benefits of EVs are available to drivers across a wider spectrum of incomes as we transition away from cars that burn gasoline. For drivers whose needs are not met by today’s charging infrastructure, many efficient and affordable hybrid options are available.”
Interestingly, not every EV received a high score in this ranking system. GreenerCars also released a list of the “Meanest Cars,” or the least efficient and least environmentally friendly vehicles. For the first time, an electric vehicle made it onto that list, and it’s none other than the GMC Hummer EV. In fact, according to these rankings, it’s less environmentally friendly than the Chevrolet Corvette Z06.