There were a total of 34 hybrid vehicles manufactured from 2011 to 2012 tested for their fuel efficiency, environmental impact, value-for-money and their so-called “forced-feature premium,” the last mentioned meaning that the features don’t improve fuel efficiency but probably make cars more appealing to consumers.
The worst rated was the Volskswagen Touareg Hybrid, which compared, cut emission by a small 10%. As foreseen, the Toyota Prius retained its top non-luxury hybrid crown with 40% less greenhouse emissions. Also a high scorer was the Lincoln MKZ followed close by Lexus CR200h, as did the hybrid Ford Fusion, Honda Civic and Toyota Highlander.
Chevrolet was absent from the study, as the Volt couldn’t be tested anyway due to the fact that the UCC lacks proper metrics to measure the environmental impact of plug-in-hybrid vehicles at this time.
“While the Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid, does have a conventional model against which to compare it (the Chevy Cruze), there are a variety of factors that affect a plug-in hybrid's environmental performance. For example, the resources used for generating electricity (to charge the vehicle) vary widely in their environmental impact; electricity generated from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas have higher global warming and smog-forming emissions than electricity generated from renewable resources such as wind and solar," the statement from The Union of Concerned Scientist read.
"Driving habits also affect a plug-in hybrid's emissions performance. We are developing a new tool that will allow us to give a more accurate environmental assessment of the Chevy Volt and other plug-in vehicles, and hope to have that available to consumers soon.”
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