Who Are 2010's Greenest Car Makers?

Today almost every element of society has green initiatives going on or more eco-friendly alternatives available. If they wanted to, a person could easily (but not necessarily cheaply) choose to reduce their carbon footprint significantly my making smarter choices in everything, from switching utility providers to buying their clothes elsewhere and, of course, cycling instead of driving. However in the last year or two there have been many breakthroughs in the motoring industry so now, in 2010, drivers finally have the choice to go green behind the wheel if they want to. A lot of the big name brands have produced ‘hybrid cars’, which are run on electricity and gas to reduce emissions, and here is a run-down of the top green cars of 2010.



In Hollywood, it has apparently become cool for actors and starlets to say they drive one eco-car over any other: the Toyota Prius. The name is now synonymous with hybrid cars and, to a certain extent, has become a cliché of actors trying to portray a more considerate image of themselves. However, it’s not surprising given that the new Prius can get up to 50 miles to the gallon.

Thankfully, having a green car doesn’t mean sacrificing luxury either, so the next green car of 2010 is the Lexus 250h Hybrid. This luxury car has all of the classic elements of any Lexus but it also claims to be the most fuel efficient luxury car ever made. Though it still runs mainly on gasoline, the car has a very low drag rate, reducing fuel emissions, and the interior is even made of 30% plant-based plastic. Perfect for the environmentally conscious businessman.



However, perhaps the only eco-car on the market to be fitted with its own ‘Eco-Gauge’ is the Ford Fusion. It runs on 87 Octane, which is the cheapest type of gasoline available and, if you run out of gas, the car can run up to 45 miles on pure electrical power alone. Another big name getting involved in the hybrid market is Honda. Where their Insight Hybrid stands out from its peers is its ‘Eco Assist’ feature, which is a simple colour system that tells you how efficient your driving is through a series of lights. The more efficient your driving, the more economical your fuel consumption will be. Car manufacturers have now even started looking for ways to lighten the weight of their models, using thinner, lighter, glass for example which means that car windscreen replacements will become even more complex and specialised.



Currently, most big-name hybrids are quite large cars, as they naturally appeal to the more eco-conscious families, but now one or two manufacturers are producing greener cars that are just perfect for the eco-friendly city dweller too. Though not a hybrid, the 2010 Mini Cooper has been made as fuel-efficient as possible and can get up to 30 mpg in the city. Also, Honda have created a new Civic to join their Insight in the green car stakes. It runs on clean-burning natural gas and has even won an award from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.