A Greener Vehicle
by Michael Chiacos
I often get asked what the best choice is for someone wanting a greener vehicle. This is a huge decision, as a person’s vehicle is often their largest environmental impact. Should you get a Prius, go biodiesel, or wait for a hydrogen car? The answer is ….complex.
The greenest way to get around is, of course, not to drive, and everyone has heard how walking, biking or taking the bus can make you healthier, reduce stress from traffic and parking, save money, etc. While we can all try to increase the frequency we choose alternative modes of transportation, often we want the convenience of driving.
The Toyota Prius so far has the lead as the most fuel efficient, least polluting vehicle. Real world mileage is around 45-48 mpg, more than double than the average American’s vehicle, which is 20.2 mpg. So if everyone drove a Prius, we’d decrease our gasoline consumption by more than half for the private transportation sector. Imagine that impact on emissions reduced, gas price demand, oil spills averted…. Not to mention the costs of going to war for oil.
For those wanting to get off oil, biodiesel allows the owner to use fuel from American grown crops, or even waste vegetable oil from restaurants to power their vehicles. While traditional diesel fuel pollutes more than gasoline (though becoming much cleaner), biodiesel cuts many emissions by half or more when compared to petroleum diesel. Biodiesel can be used in 1993 or newer diesels without any modifications, though warranties may be voided. As a side note, I have been driving a VW for 2 years on 100% biodiesel with no problems. By using biodiesel, you reduce pollution, dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, get 30% better mileage than comparable gas cars, and use a renewable, domestic fuel! The most popular diesels are the 40-45 mpg VW Jettas, Golfs and Passats; many Mercedes are also available.
Another great option for a “greener car” is a used car. By purchasing a used car, you sidestep the issue of resources consumed in producing a vehicle. Studies show that 10-20% of a vehicle’s environmental impact comes from manufacturing and design. For the budget conscious, used diesels can be as cheap as a couple thousand dollars, and used hybrids from $10,000.
While a Prius or a biodiesel VW are my top two recommendations, the Honda Civic hybrid is almost as efficient as the Prius, and for those who must have an SUV, hybrids like the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner achieve over 30 mpg. Small efficient vehicles like the Toyota’s Yaris and Corolla, as well as the Honda Fit get around 35 mpg.
In a few years plug-in hybrids that achieve 100 mpg and electric vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions may be available. Electric motors are cleaner and roughly three times as efficient as gas engines. Small “neighborhood electric vehicles” are available today for $10-15,000. Also, hydrogen cars may be available in a decade. I recommend choosing a greener car now though, as these technologies are probably years away.
And remember, if we all used alternative transportation just one day a week, think how much energy and pollution we would save and how much less crowded the roads would be!