Green Car Buying Guide

You might have heard that the winner of the 2011 Green Car Award is the Chevy Volt.

But what is a “green car?” Let’s take a quick look at the different types of green cars.

Electric Cars have an electric motor (or multiple electric motors) powered by batteries that get charged at home or a charging station. The cost per mile is much lower than any other alternative fuel.

Hybrids combine a gas-powered engine and an electric engine. Most of the hybrids you see charge a battery every time the car breaks. Hybrids are quieter, get better miles per gallon, and have lower emissions. Plug-in Hybrids have the same advantages, but they have a larger battery and can be recharged at an electrical outlet.

Hydrogen vehicles use hydrogen to produce electricity in hydrogen fuel cells, emitting nothing more than water vapor and oxygen. When hydrogen burns in an internal combustion engine, it has almost zero emissions.

Natural Gas is the fossil fuel that burns the cleanest. It is produced domestically, and can be cheaper than gasoline and diesel.

Alternative Fuels include biodiesel and ethanol. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from sources including waste vegetable oil and biomass. It’s typically designed for use in diesel engines. Ethanol is an alternative fuel made out of biomass such as corn or sugar cane. You’ll often see a form of ethanol called E85, and it can be used in flex fuel engines.

So what should you, as a consumer, look for when buying a new car?

Purchase Price – Some of the new technologies will be out of the typical car buyer’s price range for a few years to come. As the technology progresses and the demand increases, the price will come down. In the meantime, seek the best option at the price you can afford.

Lifetime Cost – You have to be smart about figuring the lifetime cost of a car. That means not just the purchase price but also the cost of its power source (whether alternative fuel or electricity) and other operating costs for as long as you will own the car.

Availability of Power Source – Are there E85 fueling stations near your home? How about electric charging stations? Can you collect waste vegetable oil from nearby restaurants? You’ll need to think through these kinds of questions when making a green car purchase.

Taking Green to the Next Level – Green is much more than just fuel economy. Before you drive your new car even one mile, it already has an effect on the environment from the manufacturing process. The extraction, processing, and manufacturing of the raw materials that make plastics, fabrics, and metals all have an impact on the environment. Look for the cars of the future to be made from more renewable resources and sustainably produced materials.

To learn more about the various green vehicles available for purchase visit your local dealer. To find a dealer click here. To learn more about the future of alternative fuel visit the EcoCity at the 2012 Saint Louis Auto Show, January 26-29.