The natural gas-powered Honda Civic is the greenest car in the land, according to Green Car Journal who recognized the Civic as “Green Car of the Year” this morning at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Civic topped a highly competitive field that included two electric vehicles (the Ford Focus Electric and Mitsubishi i, one traditional hybrid (the Toyota Prius V wagon that is just arriving in showrooms) and the turbo-diesel Volkswagen Passat TDI.
Read: 2012 Honda Civic review
If this year’s award proves anything, it’s that no one green technology dominates the Green Car of the Year winner’s podium. Here is a quick breakdown of past winners:
- 2011 – Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid (read: 2011 Chevrolet Volt Named Green Car of the Year)
- 2010 – Audi A3 turbo diesel (read: 2010 Green Car of the Year: Audi A3 TDI)
- 2009 – Volkswagen Jetta TDI turbo diesel
- 2008 – Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid
Past winners don’t return for the next year’s competition, so vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt weren’t eligible to compete this year. I spoke with Green Car Journal editor Ron Cogan yesterday who said it makes sense that past winners don’t automatically return because it’s quite likely they wouldn’t win two times in a row anyway due to the rapid pace of technological change.
In Utah where natural gas is plentiful and cheap, we know lots of happy owners of the natural gas-powered Civic who spend very little each month to fill up their cars and drive. If the Green Car of the Year victory has any impact, we expect those numbers of natural gas civic drivers to rise quickly in 2012.
Related posts:
- HF Model Joins Honda Civic Line For 2012
- 2012 Natural Gas Civic GX to be Sold in All 50-States
- Fuel Prices Driving New Interest In Natural Gas
- Green Car Vision Award to be Announced at Washington Auto Show
- Sounds of Civic Song Contest Goes Social
- CVCC – The Little Honda That Could
- Ford Focus Electric Wins 2011 Green Car Vision Award
- Review – 2011 Honda Civic is a Great Solution to High Gas Prices
Tags: 2012 Chevrolet Volt, 2012 Chevy Volt Review, 2012 Ford Focus, 2012 Ford Focus Review, 2012 Honda Civic, 2012 Volkswagen Passat, Chevy Volt, ford focus electric, green, green car, Honda Civic natural gas, natural gas
Though it doesn’t have fabulous exterior lining, it has very comfortable interior and engine that gives great output. I’m so fond of its simplicity.