Honda Remains Top of Green

Honda has won its fifth consecutive “greenest automaker” award from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Honda won by a single point over Toyota and Hyundai, which tied for second in the Union’s ranking of the eight largest automakers. In ranking the “greenness” of the companies — which account for 92 percent of cars sold in the United States — the Union examined the average per-mile smog pollution and greenhouse gas emissions of each automaker’s entire fleet.

“It was a photo finish, but Honda is still the champ,” Jim Kliesch, a senior engineer in the Union’s clean vehicles program, said. “Toyota was poised to take the lead but stalled in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Meanwhile, Hyundai’s fleet saw dramatic efficiency improvements, pushing the company into a title contender spot.”

As usual, American automakers brought up the rear. This is the fifth time since 1998 that the Union has ranked the biggest automakers. In compiling the “Automaker Rankings 2010,” the number crunchers at the Union examined the per-mile smog and greenhouse gas emissions of each companies’ 2008 lineup, the latest year for which full data were available.

Each company is ranked against the industry average of all eight companies combined. The average CO2 emissions of the eight automakers was 429 grams per mile. The average emissions of nitrogen oxides and non-methane organic gases — two major smog-forming emissions — was 0.147 grams per mile. The industry average was assigned a score of 100, and each automaker was ranked against that.

Honda finished with an overall score of 86, meaning its fleet is 14 percent less polluting than the industry average. Toyota and Hyundai followed with 87 points. Volkswagen was fourth with 90, while Nissan came in at 93.

“As with the past four awards, we accept this fifth honor as both recognition of our success and a challenge for the future,” John Mendel, executive VP of American Honda Motor Co. said in a statement. “We continue to accelerate our efforts to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions that contribute to global climate change.”

One interesting point to emerge from the data is an automaker can offer a full line of vehicles — from compacts to SUVs, as Honda and Toyota do — and still offer an eco-friendlier lineup. That pretty much kills the argument that cranking out nothing but econoboxes is the only way to be “green.”

Honda Mall of Georgia is so proud to part of a leading brand that not only thinks about safety and performance, but also our environment.