2012 Green Car of the Year finalists announced (photos)
Green Car Journal today announced its five finalists for the 2012 Green Car of the Year award. The winner will be announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show press day on November 17.
Suzanne Ashe
Suzanne Ashe has been covering technology, gadgets, video games, and cars for several years. In addition to writing features and reviews for magazines and Web sites, she has contributed to daily newspapers.
According to Ford, the all-electric Focus is capable of fully recharging in 3 to 4 hours at home using the available wall-mounted 240-volt charge station–-charging in half the time of the Nissan Leaf.
2 of 5 Honda
The 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas (formerly known as the Civic GX), the only dedicated natural-gas-powered passenger vehicle manufactured and sold in the U.S, became available at Honda dealerships earlier in October.
3 of 5 Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi i boasts a 112 MPGe rating, beating out the Nissan Leaf, which was ranked at 99 MPGe.
4 of 5 Toyota
The silent-running Prius v is a midsize hybrid-electric vehicle that boasts 80 horsepower and 153 pound-feet of torque.
5 of 5 Volkswagen
The VW Passat TDI uses a special catalyst and urea-injection system that Volkswagen says reduces NOx emissions by up to 95 percent. Filled by a 4.9-gallon tank located inside the trunk, the injection system delivers a range of about 15,500 miles.
