It is pretty bad news for all those who have not invested in a new hybrid car because they are going to be losing out on huge fuel economies and minimizing environmental impact.

But aside from that, the bad news is non-existent because when you compare the 29% drop with the trend for the entire light duty vehicle sector which dropped 41% – in this context, hybrids are stacking up pretty well despite the fierce competition for business and the adverse economic conditions.

January 2009 figures show hybrids took 2.3% of the entire car market but this was flat during February 2009 with no change – compare this to 1.9% for February 2008 and you can see that though a small section of the total market, it is bucking the trend of decline we are seeing elsewhere.

Toyota has been suffering with only the Rx 400h showing positive sales growth up by almost 31% while all other models dropped off.

GM came in second slot for total hybrid sales but management have got to have their attention focused on bringing in the merger/takeover with Fiat after being given enough working capital to get through the next 30 days by the US government (i.e. you the taxpayer).

Nissan, Honda and Ford all reported drops in the monthly sales numbers of their hybrids too but all their falls are less than the drop in volume sales for non-hybrids which are proving a less attractive selling proposition than hybrid equivalents.

With so much happening in DC with GM and Chrysler the executive focus may not be on the green ball at the moment but as Fiat/GM move to closing a deal and resolving the Chrysler issues becomes more problematical, the green issues are taking a back seat but not in the sales leagues.

The New Year is creeping up on us and 2009 is now a few moments away.

Now is the very best time of year to go looking at what deals are available on the car dealers lots – it’s a new year and a whole new set of sales incentives are available as 2008 is consigned to history and America gets to do it all over again!

Car prices are dropping like a rock given the economy but we all need to drive; now you can negotiate a great deal on whatever vehicle you are interested in simply because of the time of year and the very real desire of dealers to get cars moving off the lot but also the necessity being imposed from the very highest levels in Washington DC for car buyers to get a the best value for money deal possible while that great big car industry bail out is still being considered.

If you are looking for a hybrid, regular gas or diesel fuel or going green all the way – you really are in the driving seat when it comes to making a deal.

Do your research in between the turkey and cranberry and go prepared to the dealer with what you are looking for and have a budget in mind when you do.  Show you mean business to the sales representative and you are bound to stimulate their interest in selling you the vehicle you are looking for – don’t forget to focus on the optional extras you are looking for as this is something car makers and dealers are looking to use to make profit and is where you will find they are willing to negotiate great value deals with you.

It came as a shock.

It simply didn’t.

The fuel used (electric/regular gas combination) did produce outstanding mileage figures and the operating carbon footprint was pretty miniscule but this is the misconception that needs to be overcome.

The operating costs are not the only costs involved in the equation.  If you are going to  reduce your carbon footprint you must also take into account the carbon cost of producing the vehicle in the first instance – something many people, including car marketing departments, tend to overlook with all of the hype.

Reducing your carbon footprint in practical terms involves not only how we use our vehicles but how they are themselves manufactured; just take a look at how much water is required to produce a rubber tire for instance!

You can reduce your carbon footprint today by simply addressing your driving habits and this helps no matter what car you drive.

Drive at lower speeds; reducing your speed by 5 miles an hour will result in a dramatic reduction in gas consumption.  To drive a car forward from 65 to 70 miles an hour requires 90% more fuel to be burned so follow the speed limits as they are set not only with road user safety in mind but also the environments.

Leave the car at home; try walking or cycling as an alternative which reduces pollution immediately and is a healthier bonus for you too.

Reduce the weight you are carrying in your car; if you are using your SUV as an extension of the house and garage just remember that every pound you carry is costing you gas to carry around.

Make sure you have your car serviced regularly so it burns fuel efficiently; a regular combustion engine can burn fuel extremely cleanly but it needs to be in good shape to do this.

You can find the site at the EPA website here.

The EPA guide gives you the lowdown on which car produces the least emissions and the cleanest, most fuel efficient performance; both of which are vitally important for the environment.

The neat thing about the EPA site is that it allows for multiple listings of vehicles which are dependent on the state within which they are bought.  The data itself is based on the manufacturers data which is submitted as part of the testing regime they are subjected to. Some may question how accurate and reliable this data is in practice but the EPA have a reputation for stringently enforcing the rules and have real teeth to enforce compliance.

Buyers and users of the site should also bear in mind that the fuel economy and emissions figures they actually get from their vehicle will differ from the EPA and manufacturers numbers for numerous reasons.  driving style is a large determinant in how much fuel you use; a more aggressive driving style, stop/start city driving and high speed all burn up more fuel and add to the pollution of the environment and driving styles will differ and be as unique as we all are as individuals.

The EPA guide will allow you to look up information on specific vehicles across the country and in your own specific state, but more than this you can look up a vehicle by type and also run a simple search for which vehicle is the greenest by year and by category.

All in all, a great little resource for those looking at reducing their impact on the environment.

Let’s be clear about what it means to go green; you may look for a hybrid or an electric car but then again, manufacturing technology and design is producing vehicles which run on gasoline and yet still produce less pollution in 2,000 miles than your petrol lawn mower produces in an hour of puttering around the garden.

Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles (PZEV for short) have come a long way in a very short period of time; so fast has the development been that the more cynical observers have pointed to their development and commercial offering as evidence that the car manufacturers and petrol companies have been holding back on PZEV’s because they impact on the profitability of the parent companies involved.

No matter what your viewpoint, PZEV’s are exceptionally green machines.

A Ford Focu PZEV will produce lower level of hydrocarbon emissions in a three hour drive than if you cooked up a burger on the grill.  In fact, some PZEV’s are producing emissions which are cleaner than the air in our cities.

So where is the catch?

Well for a start the government is involved in where PZEV’s can be sold; in a twisted irony that only government can produce, PZEV’s cannot be sold outside of “Special Zones” and if they are dealers face a civil penalty of up to $27,500.  The “Special Zones” are essentially California, New York and six other northeast states – anywhere else and you can’t buy them!

Volvo had to issue a note and standing instruction to dealers selling the S40 and V50 PZEV’s that they were only for sale in the Special Zones.

So here we have highly efficient, regular gas powered vehicles and no-one can sell them across the vast majority of the country!