The Greenest and Meanest Vehicles of 2021

GreenCars.org has published its ratings report on the “Greenest and Meanest” vehicles on the market today.

Under the “Best in Class” category, the top 5 rated vehicles are the Hyundai Ioniq electric, the Cooper Mini SE Hardtop electric, the Kandi K3, the Nissan Leaf and the Toyota Prius Prime.

Under the “Greenest” category, GreenCars.org ranks the Hyundai Ioniq Electric, the Mini Cooper SE Hardtop 2 Door, the Toyota Prius Prime, the BMW i3s and the Nissan Leaf as its top choices.

Vehicles ranked “the meanest,” as in those performing the worst when it comes to tailpipe emissions and fuel efficiency, include the RAM 1500 TRX 4×4, the Mercedes-Benz AMG G 63, the Lexus LX 570, the Toyota Land Cruiser Wagon 4WD and the Toyota Sequoia 4WD.

To determine rankings, GreenCars.org says:

“We analyze automakers’ test results for fuel economy and emissions as reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, along with other specifications reported by automakers. We estimate pollution from vehicle manufacturing, from the production and distribution of fuel and from vehicle tailpipes. We count air pollution, such as fine particles, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and other pollutants according to the health problems caused by each pollutant. We then factor in greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) and combine the emissions estimates into a Green Score that runs on a scale from 0 to 100. The top vehicle this year scores a 70, the average is 43 and the worst gas-guzzlers score a 19.”

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