Despite the fact that gas prices have been going down recently, electric vehicles and hybrids are still ever growing in popularity. These types of vehicles, those that aim to be first and foremost environmentally friendly, have certainly come along way since the days of the first generation Prius. Consumers now have a wide range of environmentally friendly and green vehicles to choose from, and some are better than others. Each year, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy takes a look at all the various electric and hybrid cars out there. They examine a range of different factors like average miles per gallon and their carbon footprints, and then come up with a list of the most environmentally friendly cars. So, based on what the ACEEE found, here are the top ten most environmentally friendly cars for 2016.
Photo from Nissan
10. The Ford Focus Electric
The Ford Focus has long remained a favorite amongst many car owners out their, and their all-electric version was rated by the ACEEE as one of the most environmentally friendly and green cars for 2016. They gave the Ford Focus Electric a Green Score of 57. Between it’s 110/99 MPG in the city and highway, it’s 76 mile range, the fact that it doesn’t pollute at all, and it’s $29,170 price tag, the Ford Focus Electric is a solid and affordable all-electric vehicle.
Photo from Ford
9. The Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius has long remained as one of the best environmentally friendly cars out there, it was one of the first successful hybrids, and it makes the list again this year. The ACEE gave the new Prius a Green Score of 58. Toyota has done a lot with this car over the years, and it’s now better than ever. It looks much better than previous iterations, it’s still affordable and feature rich, and it’s combined city/highway mpg of 52 miles is quite impressive.
Photo from Toyota
8. The Toyota Prius C
The Toyota Prius C review a Green Score of 59 from the ACEEE, just beating out its older brother. For those living in a dense urban environment, the Toyota Prius C is even more attractive. It’s cheaper than the standard Prius, it’s much smaller, and it’s nearly as environmentally friendly as it can get about 50 mpg.
Photo from Toyota
7. The Kia Soul Electric
The whole notion of taking a compact and an already somewhat environmentally friendly car and then replacing its combustion engine with an electric one has proven to be beneficial for automobile manufacturers, as is evident by the Kia Soul Electric. This all-electric car received a Green Scoure of 59, and it can get a combined city and highway miles per gallon of 105 miles. The car is however limited by it’s 93 mile range and the fact that you can only buy it in California.
Photo from Kia
6. The Nissan Leaf
The all-new 2016 Nissan Leaf has made multiple improvements over its former self, and it’s now better than ever. The Nissan Leaf earned a Green Score of 61, putting it up high on the ACEEE’s list of green cars. With its new battery you can now travel 107 miles on a single charge, it’s available in every state, and it has an electric equivalent of getting 112 mpg in both highway and city driving.
Photo from Nissan
5. The Volkswagen e-Golf
Despite the somewhat recent emissions scandal with Volkswagen, their all-electric version of the Golf is rated as one of the best green cars in 2016. The e-Golf brought in a Green Score of 61 from the ACEEE. You can expect an equivalent of about 116 mpg from this car and it can travel some 83 miles on a single charge. But above all else, since it’s a Golf, it’s one of the coolest compact cars out there.
Photo from Volkswagen
4. The Toyota Prius ECO
The Toyota Prius ECO is essentially an upgraded version of the standard Prius, primarily offering drivers a more environmentally friendly car. It has a slightly better mpg compared to the regular Prius, and the ECO received a Green Score of 61.
Photo from Toyota
3. The Fiat 500e
Fiat’s all-electric version of the 500 is yet another impressive vehicle if you’re someone that values a green car. This ultra-compact vehicle can easily get an electric equivalent of 108 miles per gallon on the highway, and since it’s small with power instantly available, it’s quite enjoyable to drive. While it’s not for everyone, the Fiat 500e is still a solid performer, which is why the ACEEE gave it a Green Score of 62.
Photo from Fiat
2. The Chevrolet Spark EV
While Chevy did have a rocky start with their electric vehicles, they’ve learned from their mistakes and now the Spark EV is one of the best environmentally friendly cars that you can get today. It earned a Green Score of 63 (the highest number given this year by the ACEEE), and it’s a great little car. It can travel 82 miles on a single charge and it can get an average of 128 mpg in the city, which makes it a top performer.
Photo from Chevrolet
1. The Smart FourTwo Electric
It’s probably the smallest car you can buy in the United States today, but the Smart Car is still one of the most environmentally friendly cars out there. The gasoline model is extremely efficient, but the electric version is even better in terms of being green. It earned a Green Score of 63 in addition to being named the most green car in the U.S. by the ACEEE for the third year in a row now. It’s extremely affordable at just over $12,000 dollars and it can get a combined electric equivalent of 107 mpg. If you want the most environmentally friendly car that you can buy in the United States, the Smart FourTwo Electric is that car.
Photo from SmartUSA
