10 most Eco-Friendly Cars
As the world embraces cleaner air and less pollution, the need for eco-friendly cars becomes the smartest decision and new order.
Currently, pure-electric vehicles or all-electric vehicles (AEVs), plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), and hybrid EVs are very popular eco-friendly cars. This is because these vehicles produce zero to very low carbon emissions and do not cause as much environmental pollution as the all-petrol vehicles.
However, buying an eco-friendly car doesn’t mean you have to buy an EV –that isn’t a bad move though. There are lots of gas/petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles that are eco-friendly by all standards.
With eco-friendly cars, you’re not only saving the environment but you’re also saving your pocket as you won’t have to pay road tax or congestion charge (if you’re in London).
Purchasing an environmentally-friendly car is a smart decision but also a serious investment as the eco-friendly car market is still in its infant stage – though growing steadily.
So you need to ensure that the “eco-friendly car” you’re purchasing indeed has a history and positive review of environmental-friendliness and is generally respected in the car industry. If you love eco-friendly lifestyle, here is a list of 20 most eco-friendly cars in 2021 you can choose from:
2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid
Practically, Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid offers about 140 miles combined and an electric-only range of about 30 miles between charges in real-world driving. Once the battery is out, this car falls behind on fuel economy, returning to about 45 to 50mpg – which is still economical
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid has an electric economy of 5.4 miles per kWh and a fuel economy of 256.8mpg. 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid has a green score of 65 and an environmental damage index (EDI) of 0.74.
Compare to the Tesla Model X, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric has an increased range and uses only half as much electricity. According to official figures, this vehicle boasts as the most efficient e-car on the market and is spacious enough to accommodate your family.
Toyota Prius Plug-in
The Toyota Prius plug-in is a plug-in electric car with a fuel economy of 283mpg and an electric-only range of about 25 to 30 miles. When the battery runs out on a long journey, you can expect between 60-70mpg. This makes the car very efficient.
Thanks to the smooth shape of the car that reduces wind resistance and the gearbox that’s tuned for efficiency rather than performance.
2020 Honda Civic
Eco-friendliness is not only about electric motors and high-capacity batteries but also about an efficient internal combustion engine. You won’t find a better case of an efficient internal combustion engine than the Honda Civic, a venerable compact and eco-friendly car.
Its eco-friendliness makes it one of the permitted gasoline engine vehicles in the US.
Toyota Prius Eco Hybrid
With over two years of experience in manufacturing eco-friendly cars, Toyota’s expertise in the hybrid car industry is very clear. The latest Toyota Prius Hybrid is not only spacious and offers a smooth ride, but also has excellent fuel economy.
The official mileage is 94.1mpg. Though you can forget this and target the 70mpg, which is more realistic if you’re driving in town. Toyota Prius Eco Hybrid has a green score of 65 and environmental damage index (EDI) of 0.73
Read Also: Importance of Driving Eco-Friendly Cars and Vehicles
Toyota Yaris Hybrid G
This is another amazing eco-friendly car from Toyota. Toyota Yaris Hybrid has a small size but powerful hybrid system, which makes it an extremely efficient car. Though it has an official fuel economy of 85.6mpg, you’re likely to get 70mpg from the car in urban driving.
However, when driving at higher speeds and over longer distances, the hybrid system tends to get weak, reducing the fuel economy to about 45mpg – similar to the standard all-petrol Yaris models.
Lexus CT200h
Lexus CT200h is a luxury hybrid model. It also uses Toyota’s hybrid system for excellent efficiency, having a fuel economy of 78.5mpg.
Peugeot 508
This eco-friendly car comes with the same 1.5L BlueHDi engine as the Peugeot 308. With an official fuel economy of 74.3mpg, but 50mpg is roughly what you can expect.
2020 Honda Clarity
This car delivers an impressive all-electric range of 47mile. Another impressive fact about the 2020 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid is that it remains an efficient performer even when its battery has been depleted, running at an estimated 40/44/42 mpg highway/city/combined.
2020 Honda Clarity has a green score of 62 and an environmental damage index (EDI) of 0.83.
Honda Clarity PHEV is not only eco-friendly and efficient, but it has other amazing features. The car is quiet on the highway, its acceleration is smooth and predictable with a good brake-pedal feel, and the steering is also responsive.
The car has a spacious interior with a large trunk. All these make the car comfortable enough for a family of four.
2020 Tesla Model 3
The Tesla Model 3 is one of the most efficient EVs on the market, especially the rear-wheel-drive version of the car. The car is rated 141mpg and only the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric with a rating 133mpg-e, comes between it and the Standard and Long-Range Model 3 versions with ratings of 131mpg-e and 130mpg-e respectively.
Peugeot 308
As stated above, the Peugeot 308 has a new 1.5L BlueHDi diesel engine just like the Peugeot 508 model. The amazing fact is that the diesel engine meets the Euro 6.2 standard with low carbon emission.
The car is compact and clean with an official fuel economy of 78.5mpg. However, the Peugeot 308 can’t live up to the official fuel economy figure. According to the independent Equa Index, expect an mpg of about 51 in normal driving.
Conclusion
As stated above, EVs are not the only eco-friendly cars. There are many petrol/gas- and diesel-powered cars out there that also claim to be eco-friendly.
Eco-friendly cars will not only ensure low emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) but also offer excellent fuel economy, which will save your spending. Aside from the reduction in CO2 emission, eco-friendly cars also release low levels of tiny soot fragments called particulates and the toxic gas nitrogen oxides (NOx), which have been linked to early deaths.
Most eco-friendly cars are hybrid vehicles. Some hybrid cars have a petrol or diesel engine with batteries and a motor. Some are plug-in models, fitted with larger batteries that can be charged to provide about 20miles of all-electric driving before the engine is engaged.
This post discussed the latest eco-friendly cars – with great fuel economy and low emissions – above. Read through to find the best environmentally-friendly car to compliment your eco-friendly lifestyle. If you need any advice on buying an eco-friendly car, don’t hesitate to contact us.
