Finalists For 2016 Green Car Of The Year Award

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Green Car Journal recently announced the finalists for its 2016 Green Car of the Year award. No diesels made the cut, but it’s not all hybrids, either: The gas-powered Honda Civic and Hyundai Sonata are in the running. Naturally, the three other contenders are the major names that always come up in green car discussions: the Chevy Volt, the Audi A3 E-Tron, and the Toyota Prius.

To arrive at this set of finalists, the editors over at the Green Car Journal looked at all vehicles on the market, no matter the fuel source or onboard tech, and boiled that list down to the five that we currently have. The vetting process was based on fuel efficiency, EPA and CARB certification, plus performance and affordability.

Also, availability and accessibility to real consumers was considered, so both limited-market EVs and super-expensive vehicles like the Tesla Model S were eliminated.

The five finalists cover a wide range of technologies and, significantly, none are pure battery-electric. They all use a gasoline engine in some form or another:

• The Audi A3 e-tron is the maker’s first plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle, though Audi has a range of plug-ins and pure electric models set to follow;
• The Chevrolet Volt was the first mass market plug-in hybrid, and has gone through a complete redesign for the 2016 model-year;
• The 2016 Honda Civic is the only finalist not offered with a hybrid option, but it still offers what Green Car organizers call "hybrid-like fuel economy";
• The Hyundai Sonata offers a variety of powertrain options, including both a conventional hybrid package making 43 mpg on the highway, and a new plug-in with 24 miles of battery range;
• The Toyota Prius is back in all-new fourth-generation form, with a new, more aero exterior design, an updated interior, more safety features, and 10 percent better mileage.

Launched in 2005, the Green Car of the year awards have highlighted the increasing emphasis on clean and high-mileage automotive technologies. But organizers have occasionally confounded environmentalists by defying conventional wisdom. On several occasions they have honored diesels and traditional, gas-powered vehicles over battery-based models.

The winners of the Green Car of the Year will be chosen by a jury that consists of environmentalists, regulators, journalists, and enthusiasts. 

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