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We are constantly bombarded with the message that we should be going green, whether it’s in recycling or car use. Every part of our lives is about saving the planet but probably the most vital aspect to get across from the green campaign is the ability to save money also. That’s the benefit for most.
Rather than target businesses on the whole, the Australian government and others around the world try to change the perception of the customers. The government’s Green Vehicle Guide does its best to present factual information on every car on the market in a bid to help you buy into green cars.
What are the top family green cars that are currently on the market? Well it goes without saying that if you want to get top marks in the green car eco class then you need to go electric. The Mitsubishi iMiEV and Nissan Leaf are both pure electrical family green cars with top ten out of ten ratings but the iMiEV wins hands down on power consumption.
There is one big problem with the Australian government’s Green Vehicle Guide, it fails to truly compensate for the creation of the electrical energy. So while it’s quite correct that there is little or no CO2 release from the car, there quite possibly was in the creation of the electricity.
This would probably put their pure electric green car ratings on the same level as the Hyundai i45 for example. Probably… we don’t know but we do know the car’s CO2 burn is not exactly 10/10 due to the origination of the power source.
The top family green cars are without a doubt the aforementioned pure electric vehicles, and next in place would be the hybrid engines of the Lexus CT200h and the Toyota Prius but again without taking into account the power source creation the ratings could be again equal to the Hyundai i45 or i20.
There are a variety of other ways, aside from buying a car that has top family green car credentials, that you can ensure you lower your effect on the damage of the planet and your pocket, saving both fuel and money. You should drive in high gear whenever possible and keep speed within the limits and lower. This is a juggle for even a pro-driver to consider, so automatic makes that goal easier.
Keeping your car’s weight down is important too. Long journeys require a full tank but during the week and on short journeys, consider holding less fuel and reducing any additional baggage in the rear or remove roof racks. Taking off roof racks lessens aerodynamic drag, as does keeping the windows closed, ensuring less resistance at speed thus less fuel used.
Most family cars in the top twenty are green cars that have similar ratings, you’d need a butter knife to separate the pure electrics, hybrids and petrol-powered family cars especially when calculating the electrical power creation at source.
Mentioning the Hyundai i45 five seat sedan alongside the Hyundai i20 five seat hatchback is a great comparison on how the Australian government’s Green Vehicle Guide differentiates between vehicles. They are both top family friendly green cars, rated highly on fuel consumption, CO2 burn, greenhouse rating and air pollution rating.
