The Guide to Green Vehicles Online Guides

Are you concerned about the quality of the air you breathe? If you live in an over- populated area such as Los Angeles or New York you probably are even more aware of how the quality of air has been degrading over the years. One main reason for this is the pollution from car tail pipes. To help turn this situation around many are trying to buy “green” vehicles.

Cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles have carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that contribute to the greenhouse gas effect. This greenhouse effect traps heat in the earth’s atmosphere and could cause harmful affects to the world as we now know it. The largest amount of greenhouse gas emissions come from the CO2 released from burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas.When choosing a greener vehicle, one is looking for a car that is cleaner and more fuel-efficient and thus minimizing harm to the environment.

Car manufacturers are now making cleaner and more efficient vehicles, an important step towards reducing the pollutants in the air and thus increasing our air quality. Car makers will only continue to make and sale these vehicles though if people continue to choose them and buy them from the dealerships.If you are interested in a green vehicle, how do you go about choosing one?

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) ranks the greenest cars each year. The ACEE is a Washington, D.C. based non-profit, independent research group that has dedicated their organization to the advancing of energy efficiency in hopes that it helps to protect the environment. Their green vehicle rankings are based on fuel economy and emissions, as well as how they estimate the emissions will impact one’s health and the global environment.

The ACEEE shares their information regarding green vehicles at the website Greenercars.com. They analyze automakers’ US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board reported test results for fuel economy and emissions, as well as other specifications reported by the car maker themselves. They then estimate the pollution from vehicle manufacturing, from the production and distribution of fuel and from vehicle tailpipes.

The air pollution, including nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, fine particles and other pollutants are all counted and analyzed according to the health problems that could be caused by each pollutant. Next the ACEEE factors in the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases with the emissions estimates to calculate a Green Score that is scaled from 0 to 100. The higher then number the “greener” the vehicle. In 2005 their top vehicle scored a 57, the average was 27 and the worst vehicles scored only a 10.

ACEEE’s Greenercar.com is not the only web page in which one can find a green vehicle guide. The US EPA has also compiled a green vehicle guide for American car consumers to search through. This Green vehicle guide gives information about the environmental performance of vehicles. Like the ACEEE’s green vehicle list, the EPAs green vehicle guide has a scale of numbers where the larger the number the more environmentally friendly the vehicle. Their scale goes from 0-10.

To properly compare the environmental performance of a vehicle class or type, use the fuel economy numbers along with the 0-10 scores. Using this information, one can compare any vehicle to any other vehicle, no matter what types of vehicle you are comparing. The site indicates the vehicles with the best environmental performance with a SmartWay or SmartWay Elite designation. The EPA certifies that these vehicles have exceeded environmental limits on the air pollution and greenhouse gas scores.

Using the EPA green car guide, which can be found at www.epa.gov/greenvehicles, you can look up your vehicle version or perhaps the car you are thinking of buying to find their green rating score. You can search for a specific vehicle, by type of vehicle or search for a greener vehicle in general instead of specific type.

The term “green vehicle” might be new to some Americans but it is important for all people to know what it is and how to obtain it. Even the most efficient vehicle, one that is considered the cleanest and most fuel efficient, will still pollute the air and thus cause harmful affects or damage to the environment. While buying a greener vehicle may not stop pollution altogether, driving one can help diminish the pollutants in the air and bit by bit make our air quality better across the nation and hopefully effect the environment worldwide.

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