How Energy Efficient Is Your Car?

What is your car's energy impact score? There is a website called Fuel Economy.gov that is maintained jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The site provides accurate MPG information. Here you can find fuel economy estimates, energy and environmental impact ratings, and other useful information such as vehicle tax incentives.

If you are in the market for a new car and would like to tread lighter you should also spend some time on greenercars.org. Here you can find the greenest cars of 2009. The Green Cars.org Green Book® also lists the greenest vehicles in each size class. The searchable database allows you to review every vehicle they have scored in the last 9 years through an online subscription. With 13,200 options, take your time searching and building a custom list to find the greenest vehicle that works for you and your lifestyle.

Since almost all models are available in different configurations (i.e. engine, transmission, and other options), look for models that meet emissions standards or even consider ones that run on alternative fuels.

A green option is to buy a fuel efficient pre-owned. You can find ratings for cars between 2000 and 2008 on line here as well, but information on earlier models is in hardcopy only.

Greenercars.org is part of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), an independent, non-profit research group dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of protecting the environment and strengthening the economy.

On Thursday, look for tips for driving green right here. If you have some green tips of your own, we would love to hear them.

Tread lighter in a new or pre-owned green car,
-Phyllis, Green Expert