Green car organizers note the new Ford Fusion shows how conventional and battery tech are both able to meet greener targets.
While hybrids and electric vehicles may be the very definition of “green” technology to the average American motorist, the organizers and judges of the Green Car of the Year award have a somewhat different take.
As their latest list of finalists for the annual honor underscores, there are plenty of high-mileage, low-emissions alternatives vying for consumer awareness.
“This is an exciting time” for those looking for greener technology, suggested Ron Cogan, publisher of Green Car Journal. The magazine has run the Green Car of the Year program for eight years in conjunction with the LA Auto Show. The award will be presented this year on November 29th.
Two of the finalists are exclusively sold as hybrids, starting with the newest member of the Toyota Prius “family,” the compact Prius C. The Ford C-Max has both a conventional gas-electric drivetrain and a more advanced plug-in hybrid option.
The newest version of the Ford Fusion, meanwhile, will offer a range of powertrain choices including a standard hybrid, a plug-in and a new EcoBoost alternative. That’s Ford’s high-mileage turbocharged gas engine – which the maker ultimately plans to offer on about 80% of the vehicles it sells in North America.
The EcoBoost is one of a number of relatively traditional internal combustion powertrains that are giving electric propulsion a run for the money.
Mazda, meanwhile, lands one of the Green Car finalist slots with its all-new CX-5 SkyActiv package. Mazda is betting big on SkyActiv which is a complete approach to vehicle design that puts an emphasis on slashing weight as well as improving powertrain efficiency. The maker will soon offer both gasoline and a new diesel version of SkyActiv.
The final pick is the Dodge Dart Aero, a high-mileage option package for the new compact sedan that focuses attention on the importance of reducing wind drag.
Automotive analysts say that by improving aerodynamics and slashing weight the traditional IC engine is likely to retain its dominance over battery power for at least a few more decades.
“The sheer number of environmentally positive production vehicles available to consumers is just eye-opening,” noted Cogan.
The Green Car of the Year” awards has, at times, irked environmentalists by countering conventional wisdom. In recent years, for example, several diesels have beaten out hybrids for the coveted award. It remains to be seen if “old” tech or battery power will dominate when the jury’s selection is announced next month.