A lot of conversation about hybrids and the push towards the use of alternative fuel is centered on fuel efficiency and the associated savings in gas expenditures. However, there is more to green motoring than simply getting 40+ miles per gallon. The fueleconomy.gov website, run by the United States Department of Energy, offers consumers a thorough search tool to look beyond fuel efficiency when shopping for a hybrid vehicle.

The website provides consumers with the official EPA mpg rating, the average cost to drive 25 miles, the amount of fuel needed to drive 25 miles and the estimated annual fuel cost per vehicle (based on 45% highway, 55% city driving with 15,000 annual miles at $3.48/gallon). In addition to the “Fuel Economics”, the site also lists the annual petroleum consumption for the vehicle, the carbon footprint as measured in annual tons of CO2 produced and an overall EPA Air Pollution Score.

Let’s start with the 2009 Toyota Prius; the official EPA mpg rating for the 2009 model is 46 combined, 48 city and 45 on the highway. The cost to drive 25 miles is $1.89, which takes .54 of a gallon. The annualized fuel cost is $1,133. The Toyota Prius has an annual petroleum consumption rating of 7.4 barrels per year and a carbon footprint of 4 tons of CO2 per year. This leads to an overall EPA Pollution Score of 8/10.

The 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid is rated at 40 mpg in the city, 45 on the highway and a 42 mpg combined score. The cost to drive 25 miles is $2.07 and it takes .6/gallon to do so. The annualized fuel cost is $1242 and the energy impact score is 8.2 barrels of petroleum per year. The carbon footprint is a bit higher than the Prius at 4.4 annual tons of CO2 emissions. However, the overall air pollution score is a 9/10.

No details were available on the 2009 Honda Insight, due out in spring. The Civic rates higher than the Prius as far as overall air pollution is concerned so it will be interesting to see where the Insight falls on the clean car spectrum.

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Filed Under: honda, toyota

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