California is arguably the cradle of the green movement and, consequently, the Los Angeles Auto Show is North America’s premier green car event.
To wit, L.A. is where the recipient of the "Green Car of the Year" award is announced (for 2010, it’s the Audi A3 TDI Clean Diesel). Journalists also have the opportunity to test-drive a number of environmentally-friendly concepts and production models.
Thus, I was able to sample Honda’s widely-publicized FCX Clarity, while my colleague Mathieu Saint-Pierre had fun behind the wheel of a VW Polo Diesel and Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell, among others.
Several automakers chose the Los Angeles Auto Show to unveil their biggest achievements with regard to everything green, including a bunch of technologies that will likely shape the future of the auto industry.
Without further ado, here are the top 10 green cars at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show (in no particular order):
1 - VW Up! Lite
Both the Up! and One have made headlines in the past, the latter with an extremely-efficient 1.0L engine. Now, Volkswagen strikes once more with the Up! Lite, a mini hatchback with room for four that foreshadows a new family of eco-friendly cars. Under the hood is a diesel-electric hybrid system consisting in a 51-horsepower, 800-cc twin-cylinder mated to a 10-kW (14 hp) electric motor and a 7-speed DSG transmission. Fuel consumption is rated at a meager 2.44 L/100 km by the automaker. The Up! Lite also features an active front grille that opens or closes depending on the engine cooling needs.
2 - Chevrolet Volt
The green car everybody’s talking about is on hand at the L.A. show, of course. As a pioneer of extended-range EVs, the Volt easily makes our Top 10. Since most technical specifications have already been announced, GM came here to tell the media that the Volt will first be sold in the Golden State and then in the rest of the country. They never mentioned Canada, though. Some 80 units are currently hitting the streets, including around the L.A. Convention Center where the show is held.
To wit, L.A. is where the recipient of the "Green Car of the Year" award is announced (for 2010, it’s the Audi A3 TDI Clean Diesel). Journalists also have the opportunity to test-drive a number of environmentally-friendly concepts and production models.
Thus, I was able to sample Honda’s widely-publicized FCX Clarity, while my colleague Mathieu Saint-Pierre had fun behind the wheel of a VW Polo Diesel and Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell, among others.
Several automakers chose the Los Angeles Auto Show to unveil their biggest achievements with regard to everything green, including a bunch of technologies that will likely shape the future of the auto industry.
Without further ado, here are the top 10 green cars at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show (in no particular order):
1 - VW Up! Lite
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Both the Up! and One have made headlines in the past, the latter with an extremely-efficient 1.0L engine. Now, Volkswagen strikes once more with the Up! Lite, a mini hatchback with room for four that foreshadows a new family of eco-friendly cars. Under the hood is a diesel-electric hybrid system consisting in a 51-horsepower, 800-cc twin-cylinder mated to a 10-kW (14 hp) electric motor and a 7-speed DSG transmission. Fuel consumption is rated at a meager 2.44 L/100 km by the automaker. The Up! Lite also features an active front grille that opens or closes depending on the engine cooling needs.
2 - Chevrolet Volt
 |
The green car everybody’s talking about is on hand at the L.A. show, of course. As a pioneer of extended-range EVs, the Volt easily makes our Top 10. Since most technical specifications have already been announced, GM came here to tell the media that the Volt will first be sold in the Golden State and then in the rest of the country. They never mentioned Canada, though. Some 80 units are currently hitting the streets, including around the L.A. Convention Center where the show is held.