First-Ever Green Guide to Cars and Trucks Helps Buyers Choose Most Environmentally Friendly Vehicles That Meet Their Needs
17 March 1998
First-Ever Green Guide to Cars and Trucks Helps Buyers Choose Most Environmentally Friendly Vehicles That Meet Their Needs
ADVANCE/ WASHINGTON, March 17 -- A new consumer guide
provides the first-ever comprehensive environmental ratings for cars and light
trucks sold in the United States.
Published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE),
the Green Guide to Cars and Trucks was released today to offer car buyers a
practical guide, containing Green Score rankings for every 1998 vehicle sold
in the United States.
The Green Score is based on a vehicle's air pollution health costs, global
warming pollution, and other specifications. The guide's tables are arranged
by vehicle class and cover cars, station wagons, vans, pickup trucks, and
sport utility vehicles.
Information on other vehicle attributes, such as safety and reliability,
is widely published, but never before has the public had information covering
the many aspects of car and light truck environmental performance in one easy-
to-use guide.
"Our guide fills a void in current consumer car-buying information,"
stated John DeCicco, ACEEE's Transportation Program Director and an author of
the Green Guide. "Consumers can now comparison shop with the environment in
mind."
DeCicco said the Green Guide's listings can "empower consumers to make
greener choices" by providing:
-- The "Best of 1998" featuring the greenest models by vehicle class --
compact, mid-size, large cars; vans; pickups; and sport utilities
-- The top 12 overall greenest vehicles in 1998
-- The 12 worst vehicles for the environment in 1998
-- Tips on keeping your vehicle running cleanly and efficiently
-- Listings for electric and alternatively fueled vehicles, as well as
gasoline and diesel vehicles
-- Practical advice about how to buy green when shopping for a new car or
light truck
-- Information on the environmental impacts of motor vehicles, including
global warming and the health effects of vehicle pollution
With growing concerns about the climate-threatening effects of fossil fuel
use and persistent air pollution in many parts of the country, cleaning up
cars is as important as ever. Automakers have begun offering models that meet
tighter tailpipe pollution standards, such as LEVs (low emission vehicles) and
ULEVs (ultra-low emission vehicles). Cars and trucks that run on electricity
and other alternative fuels are also becoming available.
"The Green Guide to Cars and Trucks covers it all and helps buyers cut
through the alphabet soup of 'LEVs' and 'MPGs,'" said Martin Thomas, ACEEE
Research Assistant and coauthor. "Not all options are available everywhere,
but the Green Guide makes it easy to find the greenest model that meets your
needs."
The ratings published in the Green Guide are based on emissions
certificates and fuel economy data which automakers report to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
"By greener we mean cleaner and more fuel efficient," noted DeCicco, "so
greener cars will often save consumers money as well."
According to Jack Gillis, Public Affairs Director of the Consumer
Federation of America and author of The Car Book, "Just as auto safety emerged
as a major selling point in the 1980s, we are convinced that environmental
performance will be a major buying factor in the future."
"We've started the Green Guide in anticipation of a 'Green Revolution' in
automotive technology. By providing Green Scores for every model, we hope to
influence consumer choice and encourage automakers to provide cleaner and more
fuel-efficient vehicles," said Howard Geller, Executive Director of ACEEE.
The Green Guide to Cars and Trucks: Model Year 1998 will be distributed
nationwide. ISBN 0-918249-33-3, 108 pages, soft cover, 6"x9". Copies may be
ordered from ACEEE for $8.95 plus $5.00 for shipping and handling. D.C.
residents must add 5.75% sales tax. Bulk copy discounts are also available.
Contact: ACEEE Publications, 1001 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 801,
Washington, D.C. 20036. Phone: 202-429-0063, Fax: 202-429-0193. E-mail:
ace3pubs@ix.netcom.com.
Highlights can be found on ACEEE's new Green Guide Web site:
http://aceee.org/greenguide.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is an independent,
nonprofit research group dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means
of environmental protection and economic development. For more information
about ACEEE, its programs, and its publications, visit ACEEE's home page on
the World Wide Web: http://aceee.org.
SOURCE American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
