The influx of hybrid vehicles and intensified competition among manufacturers has shuffled the annual listing of most efficient cars. For 2011, some cars are familiar, but there are a few surprises.
Compiled by editors of the web site, thedailygreen.com and published on Huffington Post.com, the Nissan Leaf, the first standard production, all-electric car on the road in the United States, shares the best “gas” of any car in the country, the equivalent of 99 mpg, with the Tesla Roadster, the limited production electric sports car.
Here’s the description of the Leaf and the list of the top-15 cars for 2011 with the best gas mileage averages:
“The first all-electric car on the road in the U.S. is the Nissan Leaf, and it’s getting a lot of positive reviews. While it’s price tag seems high, federal tax credits push the cost down to around $25,000, and several states have additional credits that can drive it down as far as $20,000.
“The batteries have long warranties, and Nissan points out that – unlike any other mass-market car – the Leaf costs almost nothing to maintain, since its electric engine doesn’t even need regular oil changes.”
2011 Nissan Leaf, 99 mpg equivalent.
2011 Tesla Roadster, 99 mpg equivalent)
2011 Toyota Prius, 50 mpg
2011 Lexus CT 200h, 42 mpg
2011 Honda Civic Hybrid, 41 mpg
2011 Honda Insight, 41 mpg
2012 Fiat 500 (U.S. debut in 2011), 40 mpg
2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (FWD), 39 mpg
2011 Mercury Milan Hybrid (FWD), 39 mpg
2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid (FWD), 39 mpg
2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid, 37 mpg
2011 Smart Fortwo Cabriolet, 36 mpg
2011 Smart Fortwo Coupe, 36 mpg
2011 Lexus HS 250h, 35 mpg
2011 Volkswagen Golf TDI, 34 mpg
To read the entire article, visit: TheDailyGreen.com.
Article Last Updated: January 14, 2011.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
What about the Chevy Volt? I thought it was 100 percent electric and available now. How dose it compare to the above mentioned cars?
I'm trying to be more green as a landscape company in California. I would like some electric truck options for my fleet of trucks. Any suggestions?