The Eco Friendly Automotive Market Race

By: James Hand

Eco friendly cars are all the rage in today's economic turmoil. General Motors and Chrysler both wagered heavily on the fuel thirsty, big horsepower inefficiency of large vehicles and have since found themselves, as we all know near collapse. Ford on the other hand has followed behind the eco friendly footsteps of both Honda and Toyota and have seemingly secured themselves within the environmentally conscious hearts of the North American car buying public. Both Honda and Toyota have long been the fuel sipping masters of the automotive industry and still are able to hold the crowns of eco friendly cars.

Toyota launched into the fuel miser, eco friendly car market more then forty years ago with the introduction of the Corolla. Honda followed suit in North America with the CCVC which is also known as the Civic. Both of these eco friendly cars have continually allowed drivers fuel consumption of approximately 5.5 litres of fuel being burned per 100 kilometers of driving. Both manufacturers have maintained this level of fuel consumption even with the ever increasing size of their cars. They have also both been able to deliver phenomenal fuel consumption from their larger vehicles, Camry and Accord, as well. Both vehicles have survived an approximate 6 litres per 100kms even with their substantial increase in size.

Honda took the first steps in the next generation of environmentally friendly cars with the introduction of the first mass produced hybrid vehicle for North America, the Honda Insight. The eco friendly Insight was based on the Honda J-VX concept which was unveiled at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, and these eco friendly cars hit the market in December 1999. It featured an optimized blend for fuel economy from aerodynamics, a lightweight aluminum structure and Honda's IMA (Integrated Motor Assist). The car remained the most fuel efficient machine available in the U.S. while it was produced and is still the leader of any current mass market car. The Insight earned an EPA fuel efficiency estimate of 70 miles per US gallon or 3.4 L/100 km which equals 84 mpg. The Honda Civic Hybrid was introduced in the 2003 model year to compliment Honda's commitment to eco friendly cars and environmental sustainability

Toyota entered into the Hybrid market of friendly cars with the introduction of the Prius. It was first introduced in Japan in 1997 and then went on sale worldwide in 2001. The Prius is sold in more than thirty five countries, with the largest markets being Japan and North America. As a top seller, the U.S. Toyota Prius made up more than half of the 1.2 million Prius' sold around the world by early 2009. The Prius is rated to get 3.7 litres per 100 kms on city streets and 4.0 litres per 100kms on the highway. Even with its higher price tag it is a benchmark for the hybrid eco friendly car market.

For the 2010 model year Honda challenged Toyota for the benchmark hybrid crown with the introduction of the second coming of the Insight. The second generation of the Insight has taken a shot at the environmentally friendly cars thrown with a less expensive yet similarly designed vehicle. The Insight which now shares its platform with the Honda Fit has an estimated fuel economy of 4.8 litres per 100 kms in the city and 4.5 litres of fuel burned for every 100 kms driven on the highway.

The undisputed winner is still yet to be decided and will inevitably change constantly. Eco friendly cars are with no doubt the future of the automotive industry and with an ever increasing selection of cars designed to save fuel, the champion of the environment is still up for grabs.

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