If the Audi eTron doesn't win it, we're going to have problems.
Civic sedan - really? Depending on distance, some of these competitors can use literally zero fuel. The Civic? Nope. Don't let this be another Ecoboost marketing campaign - a downsized turbo Civic does not equate to "green car of the year".
The new Prius and Volt, being existing cars with slight updates, will be really neat - but the eTron is all new (to our shores, at least).
Out of all those cars, the Civic Sedan is likely literally the greenest. It will cost the least to build, and have used the least resources, as well as the least damaging. Not sure if you realize this, but mining the materials for the batteries of hybrids and electric vehicles is extremely energy intensive. Then the processing methods used to refine the battery materials is also very intensive, and uses a whole lot of very bad materials that have to be discarded somehow.
I eriously doubt that the amount of energy saved through the working life of an electric car vs that of a conventional car will be equal or greater to the difference in energy used to build the two. And this is assuming that the electricity used to power the electric car comes from green sources, rather than hydrocarbons.
The Civic sedan represents the latest and greatest effort of the conventional car. It's cheap and economical to build, and with the latest advances in engine and emissions technology, conventional gasoline cars have NEVER been this efficient or little polluting. And, let's face it, the masses aren't going to be buying hybrids or electric cars anytime soon. So reducing the impact that conventional cars have on our environment and resources currently represents our best immediate chance at 'saving the planet'.
So don't discount the little Civic as not being green. I think when all things are considered, it's greener than all the rest.
