2012 Green Car of the Year finalists announced (photos)

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.

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.

The Mitsubishi i boasts a 112 MPGe rating, beating out the Nissan Leaf, which was ranked at 99 MPGe.

The silent-running Prius v is a midsize hybrid-electric vehicle that boasts 80 horsepower and 153 pound-feet of torque.

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.