ACEEE crowns Mitsubishi i-MIEV the greenest

Enlarge Image

The 2012 Mitsubishi IMEV was named the greenest car in the U.S. by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released Tuesday its 14th annual ranking of the greenest cars on the market, crowning the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MIEV with its greenest honor.

The Mistsubishi electric car's 2012 model year unseated the Honda Civic Natural Gas car, which had held the top spot for eight years in a row.

The i-MIEV earned a score of 58, the highest given since the the rankings began in 1998.

The car boasts a fuel economy of 112 miles per gallon equivalent and by ACEEE's calculations it outpaces all others sold in the U.S.

"Even taking into account the emissions generated from the electricity used to power the i-MIEV, it still handily outscores other vehicles on the market today," said Shruti Vaidyanathan, ACEEE's lead vehicle analyst, in a press release.

The Mistubishi electric car, also one of the most affordable all-electric vehicles on the market, will be available in Oregon as one of the test markets for the vehicle. In 2010, Oregon signed a partnership with Mitsubishi on electric vehicles.

Rounding out ACEEE's greenest vehicle list for 2012 are:

• At No. 2, the Honda Civic Natural Gas.
• At No. 3, the Nissan Leaf.
• At No. 4, the Toyota Prius.
• At No. 5, the Honda Insight.

The full list, along with ranking details, is available on the GreenerCars.org website.

@SustainableBzOR | 503.219.3438 | christinawilliams@bizjournals.com