Honda offers greenest car in U.S. and it's a (natural) gas

With the ever-increasing debuts of green cars, Honda, not Toyota, Nissan nor Chevy is still at the industry forefront. But Honda’s marketing division just hasn’t done the PR spin as well as the manufacturers touting the Prius, Leaf and Volt.

Nonetheless, the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, formerly known as the Civic GX NGV, costs about half the price to operate that gasoline cars.

And for eight straight years, the Civic GX NGV has named “Greenest Vehicle” by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

According to a report on Forbes.com via the Mother Nature Network, there are estimated 117,000 CNG vehicles on the road in the U.S., although the majority are commercial trucks.

The Honda Civic Natural Gas, the only passenger vehicle of its kind available in the United States, is the cleanest car on the road — via several considerations.

According to article author Jim Motavalli:

“There are big emission advantages in CO2, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and more. It’s available only in sedan form, with a 1.8-liter engine. A five-speed automatic is the only choice.

“Fuel economy is 27 city/38 highway, which is a lot better when the natural gas price advantage is factored in. A new feature is also available: satellite navigation, which includes a searchable database of CNG stations (important under the circumstances).”

Forbes reports the unheralded Honda offering is about to get better exposed. The manufacturer has hired the California firm of Gladstein, Neandross and Associates to promote the Civic Natural Gas in 19 states in the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. It’s currently available in 33 states, with five states set to offer the car by the end of the year.

To read the complete article, visit: Honda Civic Natural Gas