The Honda FCX fuel-cell vehicle produces no emissions whatsoever when fueled from a solar-powered hydrogen pump.
Honda has been named the Greenest Automaker by the Union of Concerned Scientists, the fifth time the group has given the honor to the Japanese maker.
The award honors the company whose U.S. motor vehicle fleet produces the lowest levels of smog-forming and greenhouse gas emissions.
“Honda’s decade-long claim to the Greenest Automaker title has set a high bar for the industry,” said Jim Kliesch, a senior engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The science-based non-profit previously named Honda Greenest Automaker in 2007, 2004, 2002 and 2000.
Taking such a title might have meant relatively little in the early years but has become an increasingly important honorific – and marketing tool.
Honda was the first manufacturer to launch a hybrid-electric vehicle in the U.S. market, though it has continued to lag Toyota in that market segment.
The smaller Japanese maker has reversed a long-standing resistance to more advanced battery-based technologies and now plans to launch an assortment of plug-in hybrids and pure battery-electric vehicles.
Honda is also leasing a limited number of hydrogen-powered FCX fuel-cell vehicles to customers in Southern California.
The maker improved its average mileage by about 1 mpg, or 3.3%, during the 2009 model-year. It does not have final figures for 2010. There is a direct link between fuel consumption and the product of carbon dioxide, a prime greenhouse gas.
“As with the past four awards, we accept this fifth honor as both recognition of our success and a challenge for the future,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “We continue to accelerate our efforts to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions that contribute to global climate change.”