Celebrating the Inaugural Green Car of the Year
By Ron Cogan, General Manager, GreenCar.com
By Ron Cogan
The "green car" field has substantially matured since we began publishing this magazine nearly three years ago, and the Green Car Journal newsletter some 12 years before that. Then, the most notable vehicles addressing environmental imperatives were battery electric prototypes, methanol-fueled flexible-fuel vehicles, and the odd hybrid and hydrogen concepts. Over the years, we've seen battery electric vehicles from major automakers come and go, hybrid vehicles evolve from curiosities to mainstream product, and hydrogen vehicles become a great hope for the future.
With this progress comes an all-new program to honor the vehicle — and its manufacturer — that most exemplifies environmental leadership in the current model year. We are proud to announce the first-ever Green Car of the Year award. This award has been five years in the making, considered an integral part of the Green Car Journal magazine launch, but slated for a time when the auto industry's product mix could support such a program. This is that time.
This year, five finalist vehicles were selected by Green Car Journal after evaluating a field of dozens of 2006 model year vehicles offering varying levels of improved environmental performance. Gasoline-electric hybrids, near-zero emission gasoline models, advanced diesels, and an array of vehicles capable of operating on alternative fuels were among those considered. While hybrids are just one type of vehicle expected to be among finalists in future Green Car of the Year award programs, they clearly dominate the field at this point in time and represent all five of the 2006 nominees. You can read more about these vehicles in our Green Car of the Year coverage that begins on page 24 of this issue.
After careful consideration, the Green Car of the Year honor was bestowed on the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, Lincoln-Mercury division's first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle. The award was presented to Mariner Hybrid marketing manager Eric Peterson at this year's 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Mariner Hybrid was tapped in a majority vote by a high-profile jury of auto and environmental leaders. Votes for Green Car of the Year were cast by jurors including auto icons Carroll Shelby and Mario Andretti, along with Paul MacCready, president of the efficiency-focused firm AeroVironment. Environmental leaders on the jury included Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; and Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Four Green Car Journal jurors rounded out the 11 member Green Car of the Year jury.
It is by design that such a strong mix of automotive and environmental icons were charged with selecting the inaugural Green Car of the Year. It's Green Car Journal's goal that with the combined efforts of environmental groups and automotive leaders, this annual award program will become one of the most important in the auto industry and one that encourages environmental performance from the industry as a whole. Clearly, it's off to a great start.
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