The most environmentally friendly car in the world is a plug-in hybrid

If you want to do something good for the environment, you don’t buy a combustion engine, you buy an electric car. However, a new ranking published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) paints a different picture. Although almost all the cars in the ranking are electric, the frontrunner is a plug-in hybrid from Japan.

Ranking sees Toyota Prius at the top

The ACEEE is a non-profit organization based in the USA. As the name suggests, it has set itself the task of ensuring that road traffic is as energy-efficient as possible. To this end, the organization has now taken a close look at many different vehicles and compiled a ranking. Unlike many other compilers of such rankings, the focus was not exclusively on electric cars. Alternative drive systems such as plug-in hybrids were also scrutinized. The big surprise: the Toyota Prius Prime SE outperformed the competition and took first place. The other four models in the top 5 are all-electric cars.

Environmental factors considered in the broadest sense

The organization took a close look at a total of 1,200 models. The result is an exciting top 12, in which pure combustion engines are nowhere to be found. But there are hybrids. Of course, you have to ask yourself how this result can come about. According to its own information, the ACEEE did not only take into account the direct environmental impact of the cars while driving when compiling its ranking. The additional pollution caused by vehicle production and disposal was also relevant. Here, electric cars did not score exclusively positively due to the subsequent battery disposal.

In particular, models with a very large battery were considered by the organization to be a greater burden than their smaller counterparts. Of course, the losers are at least as exciting as the winners of the ranking. Here, too, the ACEEE compiled a top 12, which is hardly surprising: these are almost exclusively large-engined combustion engines. But only “almost”. With the Hummer EV SUV, a fully electric car actually made it into the negative ranking.

• Of course, Toyota can also go fully electric: Toyota presents a brand new brand with the bZ4X

German ranking sees e-car at the top

Of course, there are also rankings for the environmental friendliness of vehicles in Germany. The ADAC has compiled a top list. However, the result is different to that of the US organization. The winner was the Hyundai Ioniq 6, a fully electric car. However, indirect environmental impacts were not taken into account in this assessment. Only the direct emissions while driving were taken into account.