Go Go Green Cars

Since the automakers are all on the quest to produce vehicles that have high fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions there are an abundant of diverse vehicles to choose from. Greener vehicles are becoming more mainstream from entry level to luxury cars. There has even been an increase in clean diesels, which offer the driver more power along with better fuel mileage.

The Green Car Journal has chosen the 2010 Audi A3 TDI for the prestigious title of the Green Car Journal’s 2010 Green Car of the Year. For the second year in a row a clean diesel has taken top honors in the annual award program. Last year the award went to the VW Jetta TDI.

The competition for top honors was tough and among a lineup of stellar vehicles including three hybrids and a clean diesel. The other green cars that were contenders included the Honda Insight Hybrid, the Mercury Milan Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. The other clean diesel in the running for the award was the VW Golf TDI.

The judges of this year’s award liked the rakish styling and 42 mpg highway fuel efficiency of the Audi A3 TDI. This vehicle has a 50% improvement over the A3 gasoline model and has relatively low CO2 emissions. This model is also approved by Audi for operation on up to B5 biodiesel fuel.

The Audi A3 is an entry level luxury car that has a variety of distinctive features, including 17 inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and a sporty appearance. The Audi A3 looks like a hatchback; however, the EPA officially classified it as a small station wagon. Audi on the other hand describes it as Sportback. No matter what it is called, the Audi A3 TDI is a fuel efficient and low emissions winner of the 2010 Green Car on the Year award.

There has been a definite change over the past decades in the way automobiles are being designed and produced. Long gone are the days of gas guzzling muscle cars. Now the trend has switched due to our society becoming more aware of the impact automobiles have on our environment. The auto industry is making fuel economy their priority.

There are many green choices to choose from today. If you are considering a new vehicle you will want to find the one that is the most environment friendly for your needs and budget. You can look at the various models and compare their green scores. When you choose a green car you are helping to reduce air pollution.

The more consumers that purchase environmentally friendly vehicles the more the auto industry will take notice. This will make the auto manufacturers continue to make the effort to build and redesign more fuel efficient and lower emission vehicles. The economic downturn and the highest fuel prices in history influenced the vehicles that were purchased. Compact vehicle sales were at a all time high.

As time goes on there will also be more alternative fuel and flex fuel automobiles available. As of now the automakers are concentrating on making gas efficient vehicles. However, there has been an increase in vehicles that are flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). There has been a renewed interest in ethanol being used instead of oil. There has been a substantial increase in the number of fueling stations that offer ethanol. However, it still isn’t widely available across the United States.

Every day the consumer has more options and choices when it comes to buying a vehicle that is fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. The more green cars put onto the highways and streets the more we as a society are erasing out footprint on the ecosystem.