Green Scores
Bob Lutz, Vice Chairman of General Motors, had better get his rose-tinted glasses adjusted with a bit more green tint. Last Friday, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its most comprehensive and devastating report on the cause and state of global warming.
- 2500+ scientific expert reviewers
- 800+ contributing authors and
- 450 lead authors from
- 130+ countries
- 6 years work
- 4 volumes
- 1 report
The report, a very conservative document because it needed consensus of so many scientists from all over the world, concludes:
"It is very likely that [man-made] greenhouse gas increases caused most of the average temperature increases since the mid-20th century,' says the report."
The report also uses terms like "almost certain" and "extremely likely" interchangeably when speaking about man-made causes of global warming.
Just on the heels of the devastating IPCC report, Maximum Bob has some choice words for those scientists and authors as printed in the 5 February 2007 edition of Automotive News:
"My personal opinion is as it always was. I genuinely believe the planet is warming. It has been warming for the last four or five hundred years. I remain totally unconvinced that it has anything to do with human activity." (Emphasis added)
Bold words, Bob, but at least you're pragmatic:
"But my opinion is beside the point. The operative fact is that there is a growing body of American public opinion that believes in global warming. Most government officials believe it. And we (GM) have to behave as if it were real. The goal is to hopefully make a difference in CO2 reduction, and we are absolutely committed to doing that."
I'm one of those "believers" in the scientific data on global warming, so I hope Bob won't hold it against me and the majority of people in LA who think that our use (burning) of fossil fuels is a major contributor to this weird thing called "climate change" by President Bush. I'm also glad to hear that GM is committed to reducing CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions -- even if it's just to pander to those "believers" at the consumer and governmental levels.
Green is definitely "in" here in LA and the trend is growing by leaps and bounds. Look around you every day and you will see hybrids and new, highly efficient cars like the Toyota Yaris, Honda Civic, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, and the new Chevy Aveo.
I read a news report in the LA Times about a Green Cars report issued by a group called the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The ACEEE is a Washington D.C.-based independent non-profit research group dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of protecting the environment and strengthening the economy.
Each year, the ACEEE analyzes automakers' test results for fuel economy and emissions as reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), along with other specifications reported by automakers. They estimate pollution from vehicle manufacturing, from the production and distribution of fuel and from vehicle tailpipes. They count air pollution, such as fine particulates, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and other pollutants according to the health problems caused by each pollutant. They then factor in greenhouse gasses (such as CO2 -- carbon dioxide) and combine the emissions statements into a Green Score that runs on a scale from 0 to 100. The top vehicle for 2007 has a score of 57, the average is 30 and the worst gas-guzzlers score around 14.
Here is the ACEEE's list of The Greenest Vehicles of 2007 and their scores:
|
1
|
Honda Civic GX (natural gas) |
57
|
|
2
|
Toyota Prius |
55
|
|
3
|
Honda Civic Hybrid |
53
|
|
4
|
Nissan Altima Hybrid |
48
|
|
5
|
Toyota Yaris |
47
|
|
6
|
Toyota Corolla |
46
|
|
7
|
Toyota Camry Hybrid |
46
|
|
8
|
Honda Fit |
45
|
|
9
|
Kia Rio./Rio 5 |
45
|
|
10
|
Hyundai Accent |
45
|
|
11
|
Hyundai Elantra |
45
|
|
12
|
Honda Civic |
44
|
American brands were totally shut out of this list for the second time since 2000 when the list was first published. The Japanese "Big 3" are the big winners here; however, the Korean copy twins, Hyundai and Kia, have representation that they can be used as an important sales tool.
I hope that someone at GM is paying some attention to this list because as the green message becomes engrained in consumers' minds, the next time they shop for a car, they may be looking at this "obscure" list.
Here is ACEEE's list of The Meanest Vehicles for the Environment in 2007 and their scores:
|
1
|
Volkswagen Touareg (V-10 TDI) |
14
|
|
2
|
Mercedes-Benz GS320 CDI |
16
|
|
3
|
Lamborghini Murcielago (V-12) |
17
|
|
4
|
Jeep Grand Cherokee (3.0L CDI) |
17
|
|
5
|
Bentley Arnage (6.7L V8) |
18
|
|
6
|
Mercedes-Benz R320 CDI |
18
|
|
7
|
Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI |
18
|
|
8
|
Maybach 57S (6.0L V-12 biturbo) |
18
|
|
9
|
Bentley Azure 6.7L V8) |
18
|
|
10
|
Ford F-250 (5.4L V8) |
19
|
|
11
|
Dodge Ram 2500 Mega-Cab |
19
|
|
12
|
Lincoln Navigator |
20
|
Mercedes and Volkswagen took some major hits this year for the first time. The reason is obvious -- all the models on this list are diesel-powered SUVs. These diesel SUVs aren't sold in California or the four other states that follow California's stringent emissions laws. However, both Mercedes and VW say they will have 2008 diesel engines that will meet the new Federal Tier 3 rules as well as California's CARB rules. If that happens, the diesel models on this list of "Meanest" to the environment will be dropped out of the list next year.
It's no wonder that Toyota and Honda have benefited greatly with their "green" credentials and economical offerings in the market. Honda has been slamming that green thing home in its commercials, print and online advertising with the slogan "The most fuel-efficient auto company in America". Toyota can't say that with its huge line of gas-guzzler trucks, including the gigantic new Tundra pickup truck. But Toyota still has the consumers' attention with the Prius. But the demand for Scion, Yaris and Corollas is so high Toyota has a hard time keeping them in dealers' inventories.
I hope GM, Ford and Chrysler find a way to make it into the top picks for green cars. It will help their image and give dealers something to sell rather than give away with heavy discounts, rebates and low interest rate financing.
