Breathe Easier And Save Money With Hybrid Vehicles

With dealers now taking orders for Toyota’s hybrid gasoline-electric Prius, North American consumers can finally purchase an affordable and practical sedan that treads far more lightly on the Earth. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), publisher of the Green Book, announced today that the Prius received its highest rating for a gasoline-powered vehicle. The Prius is also the first car to be marketed nationally that meets both pollution and efficiency requirements of the Clean Car Standard developed by a coalition of environmental groups.

The Prius, which uses both electricity and gas, emits nearly 90% less air pollution than a new vehicle meeting current federal requirements and is more than 50% more fuel-efficient than comparable conventional cars. Honda also introduced a hybrid to the US market this year, the two-seater Insight, which received a slightly lower rating in ACEEE’s Green Book.

“Just as oppressive summer smog descends on US cities, the technology that can help clear the air has hit the market,” said Kevin Mills, an Environmental Defense auto industry expert. “At last, Americans have practical, reasonably priced cars that meet our driving needs with dramatically lower emissions of the pollutants that foul the air and harm our health. The Prius, which achieves 52 miles per gallon in city driving, provides consumers with a cushion against rising gas prices. At today’s prices, the average driver would save nearly $300 a year at the pump driving a Prius rather than a typical compact sedan. The Prius also is more convenient, traveling about 600 miles between fill-ups.”

The Prius meets the Clean Car Standard’s requirements for fuel efficiency and tailpipe emissions. The Standard was developed by the Clean Car Campaign, a coalition of environmental organizations working for better choices from the auto industry for environmentally-conscious consumers. Nearly 90,000 consumers have signed a pledge through the campaign to buy the cleanest car that meets their needs and challenging automakers to offer practical choices that meet the Standard. For more information about the campaign and the Prius, see www.cleancarcampaign.org on the web.

“Based on initial discussions with Toyota, the Prius also appears to meet many aspects of the Clean Car Standard for clean manufacturing and use of recyclable nontoxic materials,” said Mills. “Clean production is an important part of the picture for environmentally friendlier cars. Cleaner built cars mean less air and water pollution both when cars are made and when they are disposed of.”

Environmental Defense, a leading national, NY-based nonprofit organization, represents 300,000 members. Environmental Defense links science, economics, and law to create innovative, equitable and economically viable solutions to today’s environmental problems.