| Volume 12 | No. 2 | Spring 2010 |
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A New Tool for Hybrid Buyers |
A New Tool for Hybrid Buyers
The hybrid market has exploded since the first-generation Honda Insight and Toyota Prius hit America's roads 10 years ago. Today, consumers can choose from more than 30 different models, including four-wheel-drive hybrid SUVs. But as UCS analysis has shown, not all hybrids are created equal—and with our new Hybrid Scorecard feature on the UCS HybridCenter.org website, you can see firsthand which models offer the most bang for their environmental buck.
How the Hybrids Stack Up
The Hybrid Scorecard rates 31 models on three criteria. First, the Environmental Score, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 10 (best), is our measure of a vehicle's reduction in global warming pollution over its closest conventional counterpart, averaged with its smog-forming emissions performance. The 2010 Toyota Prius earns a 10 for its industry-leading 44 percent reduction in global warming emissions compared with its closest conventional counterpart, the Toyota Matrix, while the Saturn Aura Hybrid earns a zero for having the lowest (10 percent) reduction compared with the conventional Aura. In terms of smog-forming emissions, the Prius earns a 9.5 while the Aura Hybrid earns a 6.0. The Prius earns the best overall Environmental Score (9.8) and the Aura Hybrid the worst (3.0).
The Hybrid Value rating, ranging from "Very Low" to "Very High," measures the cost-effectiveness of each hybrid's global warming emissions reductions. For example, the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid SUV earns a "High" rating because its hybrid technology achieves a 25 percent reduction in global warming emissions at a cost of approximately $3,600. The same company's Chevy Malibu Hybrid achieves only a 14 percent reduction for almost the same cost, earning the Malibu a score near the low end of "Medium."
Finally, the Forced Features rating, ranging from "none" to "$$$$$," reflects how many premium or upgraded features are included as standard equipment in a hybrid vehicle but not in its base-model conventional counterpart. The ratings vary significantly among models, even within one automaker's fleet: Forced Features ratings for Lexus hybrids range from "$" for the HS 250h sedan to "$$$$$" for the LS 600h L sedan (which includes an astounding $17,120 in extras such as a power-close trunk and 19-speaker audio system).
Knowledge Is Power
Taken together, these three criteria help prospective buyers judge the seriousness with which automakers use hybrid technology to improve environmental performance, and whether the performance justifies the higher price. The benefits of a vehicle with a good Hybrid Value rating, for example, can be undermined by "forced features" that inflate the sticker price, while a hybrid priced only slightly higher than its conventional counterpart might have correspondingly low emissions reductions.
The Hybrid Scorecard's comprehensive comparison of hybrid vehicles will empower consumers not only to choose the cleanest, most fuel-efficient hybrid that fits their needs, but also to push the auto industry to improve its fleet. If dealers repeatedly hear complaints about hybrid technology not being used to its full potential, or about forced features that make hybrids too expensive, automakers could be motivated to offer hybrids that focus on providing the maximum environmental benefit at a competitive price—a win-win for consumers and the environment.
Also in this issue of Earthwise:
Dialogue
What is the potential for geoengineering to help solve global warming?
