With more eco-friendly vehicles sprouting up on the market, green cars are becoming more popular with consumers — at least, in the U.S.
Each year, the editors at Kelley Blue Book in the U.S. compile a list of the 10 green vehicles that dealers can sell to their eco-conscious car buyers.
Topping the list is the all-electric BMW i3 for a second consecutive year.
The list includes a variety of price ranges and powertrains, with a mix of efficiency, practicality and price.
The editors said that with so many options available, choosing the top 10 best among the pack is becoming increasingly more difficult.
Here are the 2015 models that made the top 10, according to rank:
- BMW i3
- Volkswagen e-Golf
- Nissan LEAF
- Toyota Prius
- Honda Accord Hybrid
- Tesla Model S
- Chevrolet Volt
- Toyota Camry Hybrid
- Ford C-Max Hybrid
- Volkswagen Jetta TDI
But it’s a different story in Canada.
Recent autoTRADER research has shown that Canadians are not yet fully on board with the green car revolution.
The most popular green cars accumulated for only 0.1 per cent of all searches in the past month, said autoTRADER, making it tough for Canadian dealers hoping to push green vehicles.
“With more options to choose from, gas-powered vehicles are usually cheaper to buy than their hybrid or electric equivalents,” said Jonathan Yarkony, Senior Editor, autoTRADER.ca, in a written release.
“Conserving fuel or reducing greenhouse gas emissions have to be a top priority in order for people to choose hybrid and electric vehicles.”
Canadian dealers might have more luck with millennials, who are increasingly favouring green vehicles. About 39 per cent of people that autoTRADER surveyed between the ages of 17-24 said they would likely drive a hybrid or green car within the next five years.
The Toyota Prius is the most commonly searched environmentally friendly car on autoTRADER.ca, followed by the BMW i8.
The top battery electric vehicles in Canada include the Nissan LEAF, Ford Focus Electric and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, while top plug-in hybrid electric vehicles include the Ford C-MAX Energi, Chevrolet Volt and the Toyota Prius Plug-in.
