Insight From Japan Could Leave Detroit In The Dirt, Says EDF

The Honda Insight, a two-door, gasoline-electric (or hybrid) powered car, entered the California market this week. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) praised the new fuel-efficient hybrid technology as one that could revolutionize the automobile industry, but noted the Insight fails to meet California’s Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) standard, one of three criteria for meeting the Clean Car Standard set by a coalition of environmental groups that includes EDF.

To meet the coalition’s Clean Car Standard, a vehicle must be 50 percent more fuel efficient than others in its class; meet California’s SULEV emissions standard; and be cleanly manufactured with non-toxic recyclable materials.

“The Honda Insight is the first contender in the race to fulfill consumer desire for cleaner, more environmentally friendly cars,” said Kevin Mills, director of EDF’s Pollution Prevention Alliance. “Its hybrid engine technology, light but strong materials, and aerodynamic body result in an affordable vehicle with impressive fuel efficiency of 61 mpg city and 70 mpg highway. Hybrids have great acceleration, use conventional gasoline, and never need to be plugged in. And the hybrid technology can be applied to any vehicle size or class.”

Yet Mills noted that while the Insight’s tailpipe emissions are substantially less than most new vehicles nationally, it fails to meet the groups’ Clean Car Standard for low emissions. “Most Californians live in areas that fail to meet federal air quality standards, so reducing tailpipe emissions as much as possible is important to protecting the public’s health. Honda has the technology to meet SULEV - and they should do so.” In addition, Honda has not provided production information to EDF, so it is not yet clear whether the Insight meets the groups’ Clean Car Standard for clean manufacturing and use of non-toxic recyclable materials.

The Toyota Prius, due to hit the US market in June and now a popular seller in Japan, is a practical four-door, hybrid sedan that Toyota has said will meet the California SULEV standard. “So far the ‘Big Three’ auto manufacturers, in a potential replay of the compact car contest of the 1970s, have hardly entered this cleaner car race,” said Mills.

“The mainstream market is ready for vehicles that are many times cleaner than today’s in terms of production, use, and disposal. Hybrid engines and the use of strong, lightweight materials offer the best near-term potential to meet this demand for cleaner cars,” said Mills.

The Clean Car Standard is supported by an on-line pledge in which individuals promise to buy the cleanest vehicle that meets their needs and challenge automakers to provide consumers with vehicles that meet the standard. Follow the green finger at http://www.cleancarcampaign.org/pledge.html on the internet to find the pledge and standard.