Environmentally Friendly Vehicles

Much has been written about environmentally friendly vehicles. We frequently have conversations with our religious order clientele about the environmentally friendly alternatives and issues pertaining to price, gas mileage, and emissions.

As an educational service to you and your community, we wanted to share our experience and thoughts regarding these matters and encourage you to get in on the discussion.

Essential Terms:

Super Ultra-Low Emitting Vehicles (SULEV)—These vehicles have engines that are powered by both gasoline and electric power and are commonly known as "Hybrids." The Toyota Prius is one of the most popular Hybrid cars on the market. Honda and Ford are also in the Hybrid market. Honda’s production models include the Civic and Accord, while Ford has the first SUV Hybrid in the Escape.

Ultra-Low Emitting Vehicles (ULEV)—The engines in these vehicles are specifically designed to control and minimize harmful emissions. The Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cavalier, Chevrolet Malibu, and other vehicles are ULEV and available on the market today.

Partial Zero Emitting Vehicles (PZEV)—These vehicles are produced specifically and exclusively for the California marketplace and in 12 so-called "border states." The border states include: Arizona, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The PZEV cars are not sold as new vehicles in other parts of the country. However, we have access to pre-owned (or program) PZEV cars nationwide.

Price:

The Toyota Prius is priced between $24,000 and $26,000 depending on options selected. There is a very limited supply, a long wait for delivery (6 to 8 months), and no manufacturer rebates or incentives. Other Hybrid models have prices that are relatively similar. Pre-owned Hybrid models can often command new car pricing.

The Focus, Cavalier, and Malibu are priced much lower than the Prius. In some cases, you would pay half the price you would pay for a Prius and receive a car that is very environmentally friendly, is readily available for purchase, and provides significant value for the money spent.

Gas Mileage:

The advertisements from the manufacturers of Hybrid vehicles state an impressive gas mileage figure. Under certain conditions, Hybrids can achieve as much as 60 miles to the gallon.

However, the achievable miles per gallon is significantly reduced if the driver uses air conditioning, defrost/defogger, or is not driving in ideal conditions. In some cases, gas mileage for Hybrids is as low as 22 miles per gallon. It is estimated that under normal driving conditions, a typical Hybrid would have to be driven significant miles in order to justify its purchase price based upon fuel savings.

The gas mileage for the ULEV and PZEV alternatives can be more than that achieved by Hybrids, generally running between 28 and 35 miles per gallon.

Emissions:

The most environmentally friendly vehicles available for purchase are the PZEVs. As mentioned above, they are available as new vehicles in California and 12 border states. They are also available as program cars throughout the rest of the country.

Conclusion:

Given the cost, and low supply of the Hybrids on the market today and the environmentally friendly focus of lower priced, readily available ULEV and PZEV alternatives, the value of the Hybrid, from a monetary point of view, is in question in our minds. The alternative vehicles offer nearly as much or more emission’s control at a much lower price and, therefore, offer what we consider to be a better economic value.

We will stay informed about this subject as it evolves and will continue to facilitate discussions in this area with the automobile industry and with our religious clientele.

Learn more about Zielinski Companies' car purchasing and fleet management programs