UK’s Top 10 green cars for 2010

By Tim Beissmann | January 15th, 2010

UK automotive website WhatGreenCar has revealed its Top 10 green cars to watch in 2010, with the top six all emitting less than 100g/km CO2.

Three sets of “Double Cs” have made energy-efficient, low-emissions cars more important in the UK than ever before: climate change, credit crunch and congestion charge.

The list includes two fully-electric vehicles, two petrol-hybrids, one plug-in hybrid and three with direct injection technology.

The site’s managing editor, Dr Ben Lane, said new car customers now have a diverse and ever-expanding range of green vehicles to choose from.

“While it may be confusing for consumers trying to choose a new car, with so many technologies on offer, there’s no doubt that manufacturers are fully engaged with the challenge of designing, and more importantly selling, greener and ultra-green cars,” he said.

WhatGreenCar’s list of the Top 10 green cars to watch in 2010 (in order of increasing CO2 emissions):

Peugeot iOn electric – CO2: 0 g/km
Nissan LEAF electric – CO2: 0 g/km
Toyota Plug-in Prius hybrid – CO2: 59 g/km (expected)
Audi A1 – CO2: <99 g/km (expected)
Toyota Auris (Corolla) hybrid – CO2: <99 g/km (expected)
Citroen DS3 HDi – CO2: 99 g/km (expected)
Volvo S60 – CO2: 119 g/km (expected)
Ford C-MAX – CO2: TBA
Honda CR-Z hybrid – CO2: TBA
BMW 5 Series – CO2: TBA

The full list and UK-specific details on each of the cars can be viewed at http://www.whatgreencar.com/news-item.php?Top-10-green-cars-to-watch-in-2010.

What do you think of the list? What cars would you add or remove?

Mitch

How can you be on the list if your CO2 is listed at TBA?

Where is the standard Prius?

Safety First

Not denying what you are saying. however these are cars to be released in 2010… So if C-Max isn’t due till third quarter and the manufacturer is already making claims, it means that they are putting themselves under the spotlight up front so it had better be good….
Baddass

That’s what I was thinking! Surely there are more environmentally friendly cars that should be on the list? Fiesta Econetic perhaps?

The Other Brad

Yer wondering about that. It’s rated on Redbook as having an output of 98g/km putting it in fourth place.

James

where’s the Auris/Corolla in the Toyota Oz line up? Oh no wait, we already have the spectacular 1.8L petrol engine across the board, no need for any other engine to be made available… especially not a hybrid or diesel…
Evolution

Where is the Ford Fiesta Econetic? Should come in 4th on this list/
dasferg

This could almost be a list of the worlds most undesirable cars. Almost.
kiwimark

Surely green should mean ‘dust to dust’ or at least 80 – 90% sustainable. Not lets make it as toxic as possible but it is ok because it has low emissions.

Andrew M

Funny thing is the lowest Co2 count doesnt always mean its the greenest….

All everyone counts is the Co2, not the other harmfull stuff put into the air.
Once the other pollutants are considered, a car emitting much more Co2 can actually have more green stars.

The Dust to Dust topic is also another grey area, but I reckon pure plug in vehicles should still have some sort of emissions recorded against them to acknowledge the transfer of emissions from typiclly the tail pipe, to reflect the power stations emissions

Vince

None of these cars will be seen on Top Gear. Unless they are dropped off a cliff.
MJ

Why show the CO2 figures and nothing else?

How about km per litre and also purchase cost?