Green Vehicle Guide
The quickest and most reliable way to find out which are the
greenest cars on the market is to take a look at the Australian
Government’s Green
Vehicle Guide.
The Green Vehicle guide features a ratings system based on
greenhouse and air pollution emissions. Cars are given three
ratings:
Greenhouse Rating
This rating takes into account the car’s contribution to the
greenhouse effect and climate change through carbon dioxide
emissions. Cars that produce the least emissions get 10 out of
10.
Air Pollution Rating
The Air Pollution Rating is determined by the vehicle’s carbon
monoxide, hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emission levels. Again,
the cars with the lowest emissions get a 10 out of 10 rating.
Overall Star Rating
The overall rating of the car is based on a 1 to 5 star system. The
Greenhouse and Air Pollution Rating scores are added together to
produce a Green Vehicle Guide score out of 20. Cars with a score of
16 or higher get five stars; cars with scores less than five get
only one star.
Fuel Consumption Label
Another handy tool for researching green cars, the Fuel
Consumption label appears on the front windscreen on all new
vehicles (up to 3.5 tonnes) showing you the car’s fuel consumption
and CO2 emissions. The lower the numbers are, the greener the
car.
