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Honda the greenest car maker

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Old Dec 9, 2004 | 07:28 PM
  #1  
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Default Honda the greenest car maker

Got this from over at freshalloy.com



http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release.cfm?newsID=439
December 7, 2004

Environmental Ranking:
Honda Greenest Automaker, GM Freefalls from Best of Big Three to Worst Overall
Ford Tops in Detroit Despite Jekyll and Hyde Approach; Toyota Slips





in Cars and Suvs
Read the Full report

Washington - Honda increased its lead over its competitors in the biennial race for the title of greenest automaker, the Union of Concerned Scientists announced today at a Washington press conference as it presented leaders of Honda with the "2004 Greenest Automaker" award. In stark contrast, UCS dubbed General Motors "Public Polluter #1" when it comes to emissions generated by automakers. GM, which had the least polluting vehicles of the Big Three automakers just six model years ago, fell behind industry laggard DaimlerChrysler into last place in UCS's latest environmental ranking of car companies.

"Honda is in a class of its own when it comes to producing clean cars and trucks," said David Friedman, Research Director of UCS's Clean Vehicles Program and lead author of the report. "General Motors, on the other hand, is stuck in reverse. GM has spent countless dollars in advertising trying to create a green image, but as the only automaker to move backwards on both smog and carbon dioxide, its rhetoric doesn't match reality."

Automaker Rankings 2004: The Environmental Performance of Car Companies is the third installment of the only comprehensive ranking of the automakers' environmental performance. The report analyzes the six largest automakers in the U.S. market, which together account for nine out of every 10 vehicles sold in this country. UCS evaluated data on smog-forming pollution and heat-trapping emissions from each company's fleet using model year 2003 sales information and certification standards. The report rates the pollution performance of the average vehicle produced by each company; total sales volume does not influence the results.

Honda increased its overall lead by building vehicles that produce less than half the smog-forming pollutants of the industry average and 18 percent less heat-trapping emissions. Nissan took over second place by reducing global warming emissions per vehicle more than any other automaker—by about six percent since model year 2001. Toyota's slip into third place is a reflection of Nissan's pollution progress as well a lackadaisical effort from Toyota on smog. Ford maintained a fourth place standing with a Jekyll and Hyde approach to the environment that led to cars that matched Toyota's smog-forming pollution performance for the first time in UCS's analysis and the worst heat-trapping gas performance of all the automakers.

"One of the key findings of this report is that trucks don't have to be an environmental liability," said Don MacKenzie, UCS Vehicles Engineer and co-author of the new report. "Ford and Honda put technology to work and cut their overall smog-forming pollution despite increased truck sales."

DaimlerChrysler moved into fifth place (one up from last place in the first two rankings) due to GM's poor performance as well as a modest fuel economy improvement from the trucks that make up two-thirds of DaimlerChrysler's sales. GM bottomed out in the rankings, despite many technology announcements and a commitment to lead the Big Three on truck fuel economy. In fact, GM fell from the best of the Big Three to the worst over the past six model years, largely because GM's trucks are more polluting than Ford's and DaimlerChrysler's.

"Spurred by regulations, Honda, Nissan and Ford cut smog-forming pollution ahead of schedule, and the other automakers should follow their lead," said Friedman. "A similar approach is needed to address global warming. Automakers must tap into the variety of existing technologies that can cut heat-trapping emissions while saving consumers money at the gas pump."

The report encourages consumers to purchase the cleanest, most fuel-efficient car or truck that meets their needs. When all else is equal between two vehicles, the rankings allow consumers to use their purchasing power to reward the better overall automaker.


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To set up interviews or for UCS info, contact:

RICH HAYES
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202-223-6133

DAVID FRIEDMAN
Clean Vehicles Research Director
202-223-6133
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Old Jan 3, 2005 | 07:32 AM
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thats what Ive been thinking all along...
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Old Jan 3, 2005 | 10:58 AM
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unfortunately a lot of people still think toyota makes the cleanest, most fuel efficient cars on earth (my parents included).
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Old Jan 3, 2005 | 11:32 AM
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Originally Posted by mayonaise
unfortunately a lot of people still think toyota makes the cleanest, most fuel efficient cars on earth (my parents included).
They must have been suckered by that one Toyota commercial that states 8 of 9 Toyota Cars gets 30+mpg hwy by only counting their inline4 models.
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Old Jan 3, 2005 | 11:51 AM
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Originally Posted by kazi
They must have been suckered by that one Toyota commercial that states 8 of 9 Toyota Cars gets 30+mpg hwy by only counting their inline4 models.
just like how toyota won the CART championship for 5 straight years by giving ganassi a big cash blow-job to oust Honda and claim its success, Toyota did this at the Tokyo Auto show several years back taking credit for Honda's success

companies that market what they don't provide lose its effect over time as the educated public no longer believes them - like toyota claiming its stolen or cheated racing success (wrc banned toyota) - like ford claims its cars are the safest where reality shows the exact opposite, i.e. explorer has the highest per capita death rate in single car accidents = rollovers - like mitsubishi claims of its end of dishonesty only to find more scandels a couple years later
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Old Jan 3, 2005 | 01:27 PM
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Toyota is much bigger than Honda and they can throw their weight around to promote themselves. I think they just pased Ford and now the second largest car maker in the solar system. Honda, meanwhile, is pretty small compared to that, but Honda is competing very well consider its size and its offerings. Not to mention the amazing technologies that Honda ooze out all these time.
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Old Jan 4, 2005 | 10:15 PM
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I'd like to point out that while nissan doesnt sell hybrids (not even in japan anymore), and I dont know if they have any diesel engines (certainly none in the u.s.), they are the second greenest.
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