Honda Is the Greenest Automaker … Again | Autopia | Wired.com

Honda Is the Greenest Automaker … Again | Autopia | Wired.com


Honda has won its fifth consecutive “greenest automaker” award from the Union of Concerned Scientists in what was the closest finish ever.

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.