The Union of Concerned Scientists released their annual "green" ranking of automakers, and for the fifth year in a row, Honda has taken top honors.
The study looked at 2008 models because that was the most recent year that had complete data from the EPA and Transportation Department. The group analyzed the top eight automakers selling cars in the U.S. on both fuel economy and emissions for the entire fleets. Good fuel economy and low emissions had to hold strong across all sizes of vehicles to get the best scores. Results were also weighted based on sales.
Behind Honda by only one point was Toyota in second place and then Hyundai in third. American automakers like Ford, GM and Chrysler made up the bottom three.
The group noted that the Prius is a major factor in Toyota's score. If the Prius was removed, it would rank fourth overall, but the efficiency and healthy sales of the car boosted its score.
The American automakers suffered because many of the hybrid models don't offer any significant fuel savings and larger vehicles are highly inefficient.
via NY Times
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