Honda named 2007 Greenest Automaker
 

https://www.huliq.com/17460/honda-nam...nest-automaker

Go Honda go!

The year after discontinuing the Insight, and while putting a high emphasis on their 'trucks.' It's really sad that Honda has been doing these things in recent years, and are still the greenest.

Discontinuining the insight certainly reduced their emissions levels, :p

And regardless of where their fuel economy might go, they do continue to reduce emissions and have done so for years. Hell, they had 4 stroke scooters and motorcycles before it became a thing, and it still isn't really a thing from what I understand.

Hello -

Correct me if I am wrong, but I *think* Honda hasn't exploited the SUV emissions loophole. They could have made their SUVs as dirty as farm trucks, but their SUVs use the same emissions equipment as their normal cars.

While they may not be the MPG champion they used to be, they have gotten this part right.

CarloSW2

but look at a car like the civic, started out as a 1,700 pound car, and is something like 3,000 pounds now? they are just as bad as everyone else.

Ya, but then they came in underneath the Civic with the Fit, huh? But I see your point.

The cars weigh more because they have more to them, especially in the way of safety, and they have made more 1700 pound cars, look at the insight, hardly any bought it, not even enough to keep it in production. I don't feel like a cars weight matters when we're talking about emissions. They still have the best fuel economy of any car maker in the US, and do things like design solar cells with half the emissions during production. Obviously they care, and are developing the technology because they believe in it and not because it will look good, like every other company is.

SVOboy -

I think that "car bloat" is typical with each new generation of car. The car always has to "offer more" than the previous generation. Put a modern Civic beside an older Accord and you'll see what I mean. They're the same size.

The tiny Hondas still exist, they're just not named Civic and they're not offered in the United States. Even though the Fit is smaller, you can't tell me that the Fit is a small car. The Fit is the best "small car bang for the buck" that Honda has, uber-practical with lots of interior space, a Scion Xb without the "in your face" design aesthetic.

I think they care about emissions but are also being smart about it. One of the reasons why Honda exists today is the CVCC engine, which exceeded the new emission regulations in a time when they were just starting to regulate it. I think they are betting on an enlightened future where "life cycle emissions" will be something that all manufacturers have to deal with.

Yeah, emission control systems don't "look good", they are good.

Dude, check out that cat-converter, it totally rocks!

CarloSW2

Toyota is making a pretty good run for it. Here's the full report. Click on the "full report "PDF link. Interesting stuff.

I wonder where exactly that weight comes from.... I remember my materials professor (a few years ago) citing what appeared to be an exaggerated statistic that 80% of the steels used in vehicles 5 years ago are now obsolete in favor stronger, lighter alloys... I wonder if any of the weight is ballast to level the playing field during a collision with heavy vehicles :P

Quote:
Key Findings, by Automaker:

Honda retains its title as the Greenest Automaker. Honda has the best smog performance in four out of the five classes of vehicles it produced, and better-than-average global warming scores in every class.

Toyota is nipping at Honda's bumper. Toyota is the only major automaker to consistently improve global warming performance since 2001, thanks to hybrids and better conventional technology.

Hyundai-Kia wins bronze in its debut appearance. Hyundai-Kia's vehicles have better-than-average performance on both smog and global warming pollution.

Nissan slips from its second-place finish in our last ranking. Nissan could have made the top three had it not taken advantage of a loophole that artificially inflates fuel economy ratings for dual-fuel (gasoline/ethanol) vehicles.

Volkswagen's vehicles disappoint. VW cars are some of the dirtiest, when compared with others in the same classes. Cleaner diesel and gasoline vehicles are a key to future success.

Ford is the best of the worst. Ford could have tied for third place on global warming performance if it had matched the reductions in global warming pollutants it has achieved in its European fleet since 1997.

General Motors crawls out of the basement—barely. GM is the top peddler of vehicles rated at 15 MPG or worse in city driving.

DaimlerChrysler is Public Polluter #1, with the worst global warming performance in half the classes in which it produces vehicles. Its small pickup trucks produce more smog than any class of vehicles from any other automaker.

Bugger (only because I have a wagen) :/ I wonder what that figure was in 2000 :P