The Most Fuel Efficient Cars Sold in the U.S.

COMPARISON TABLE

Glossary

Class Ranking/Class: It's advisable to compare vehicles within their Class range. When you see a Large Car's Ranking is Superior, while a Compact Car's is Average, this does not mean Large Car is more fuel efficient than the Compact Car. It means that it is better within its class. If Class is not an issue for you, and you are looking for the most fuel-efficient vehicle, just look at the MPG City and MPG Highway metrics. Just use the search bar above the table to sort what you are looking for.

Auto CVT: Continuously variable automatic transmission

Auto STK: Manually adjustable automatic transmission

CNG: Compressed Natural Gas

P: Premium gasoline

D: Diesel

Emission Standards: A listing with two emission standards (e.g., Tier 2 bin five / ULEV II) denotes a single vehicle carrying both a federal and California emission certification. Green Scores for such listings reflect the cleaner of the two certifications.

Battery-Electric Vehicle Fuel Economy: Fuel economy for pure battery-electric vehicles is provided in miles per kilowatt-hour.

Plug-in Hybrid Fuel Economy: Fuel economy for plug-in hybrids is provided in miles per gallon for gasoline operation and miles per kilowatt-hour for electric operation.

Buying a Green Car: Electric, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Vehicles

Finding the most fuel efficient cars may require a little research. The choice of vehicle that you drive has a greater effect on the environment than any other choice you make as a consumer. There are huge differences in tailpipe emissions and fuel economy, not just between different types of vehicles, but even within the same type. The following guide will help you buy a greener vehicle for your needs.

There are some choices for purchasing a green vehicle. Advanced vehicles offer the greatest environmental benefits. Cars and trucks powered by alternative fuels are an important stepping stone to clean cars and trucks. Even choosing a low-emission, fuel-efficient gasoline vehicle reduces the environmental impact of driving.

A vehicle must substantially reduce two types of pollutants to be green:

• Smog-forming pollutants: Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons are the key ingredients of smog, leading to respiratory problems for millions of Americans.
• Heat-trapping gases: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary global warming pollutant. For gasoline vehicles, the higher the fuel economy, the lower the emission of heat-trapping gases.

The Most Fuel Efficient Cars

These cars and trucks go beyond conventional combustion engines to offer the greatest environmental benefits. Battery electrics and hybrid electrics are in use today. Fuel cell vehicles are on the market today but will widely be used in a few years. There are typically five types of greener vehicles available today:

• Electric Vehicles
• Hybrid Vehicles
• Fuel Cell Vehicles
• Alternative Fuel Vehicles
• Greener Conventional Vehicles

Electric Vehicles

There are known as electric cars or EVs. With no tailpipe emissions, these vehicles can be up to 99% cleaner than gasoline cars, even when power plant emissions are included. Fueled by renewable power, battery electrics are truly zero-polluting.

EVs’ major feature is that you can plug them in to charge from an off-board electric power source. It’s different than hybrid electric vehicles, which supplement an internal combustion engine with battery power and cannot be plugged in.

EV’s run only on electricity and are powered by one or more electric motors. They have a range of 100 to 250 miles. They receive power by plugging into the grid and store it in batteries. Since they consume zero petroleum-based fuel, they don’t produce any tailpipe emissions.

Range: Although the first generation had a driving range of only 50 to 80 miles per charge, advances in battery technology are erasing these limitations. The driving range is jumping to over 100 miles per charge with newer batteries.

Performance: Battery electrics offer a quiet, smooth, and quick ride.

Cost: These vehicles are currently priced at around $23k. The small volume of battery packs produced means a higher sticker price than comparable gasoline vehicles. But lower fuel costs and less maintenance due to fewer moving parts help offset the initial cost. And, as more battery electrics hit the road, sticker prices will drop.

Availability: Some battery-electric vehicles can be bought or leased, and the offerings will expand as clean air policies come into effect.

If you would like to check out a battery electric before purchasing one, you can rent one in some cities.

Hybrid Vehicles

They use batteries to power an electric motor, plug into the electric grid to charge, and use a petroleum- based or alternative fuel to power the internal combustion engine.

Although designs of hybrids vary widely, all improve upon conventional gasoline vehicles. By using an electric motor with a gasoline engine, hybrids blaze the trail for the cleanest technologies.

Range: The combined power sources allow these vehicles to reach equal or greater range than gasoline vehicles. The hybrids in America have an average fuel economy of about 50 mpg providing a long driving range.

Performance: Already popular in Japan, hybrids offer similar or better performance than conventional vehicles. They are fun, responsive, and quiet.

Cost: These vehicles are currently priced at around $25k. Significant fuel savings will help offset any slight difference in initial price.

Availability: Three hybrids are on sale throughout the United States. Most of the other automakers have announced their intention to market hybrids in the next several years.

Fuel Cell Vehicles

These vehicles create power through the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Fuel cells can use different fuel sources. Only pure hydrogen eliminates all smog-forming pollutants, but methanol also reduces global warming pollution significantly.

Range: Fuel-cell vehicles will have the same range as today’s cars and trucks.

Performance: These vehicles will offer all the performance of conventional vehicles while lessening the environmental impacts.

Cost: The major automakers are investing heavily in this technology, indicating their belief in its marketability. Honda Clarity and Toyota Mirai range from $55k and up depending on the extras.

Availability: Honda and Toyota have been investing in this technology for quite some time. There are many models available on the market today.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles

Compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), methanol (M85), ethanol (E85), and hydrogen fuels offer emissions benefits over gasoline and have been widely used all over the world since 1990’s. These fuels are particularly well suited for use in vehicle fleets. For the passenger car market, alternative fuels offer an important step toward a clean car future that combines advanced technology and clean fuel.

Greener Conventional Vehicles

Even if you are reluctant to rely on new technologies for your driving needs, your choice of car has an impact on the environment. Not all cars are environmentally equal.

The biggest polluters are light trucks, which include SUVs, pickups, and minivans. These vehicles emit up to five times the pollution of the average car and achieve far lower fuel efficiency. If a light truck can meet your needs, also look for one with low emissions and high fuel economy. SUVs and minivans vary widely in environmental impact. For instance, the Ford C-Max Hybrid averages 42 MPG, while the comparably sized Honda Civic 5DR averages only 31 MPG.

When shopping for a new vehicle, look for the least-polluting and the most fuel efficient cars that will meet your needs. The table above is one of the best resources when balancing driving and environmental needs.