The Mitsubishi iMiEv tops the official Green Vehicle Guide rankings ahead of the Prius and all those high-profile Toyota-group hybrids, as well as the latest clean-burning European diesel cars, because it runs entirely on battery power than is renewed from plug-in sockets. It doesn't even have an exhaust pipe.
Yet, even with more than 16 million vehicles on our roads and the national fleet growing by more than two percent each year, there are less than 150 iMiEVs in action and those are basically just test cars in the hands of academics and public servants.
The number will grow when the iMiEV goes fully public in Mitsubishi showrooms next month, with an expected sub-$50,000 price tag, and the Australian plug-in fleet now also includes the narrow-focus and costly Tesla Roadster with the impressive Nissan Leaf - just crowned as World Car of the Year - to follow in 2012.
The tiny numbers prove electric cars are a long way from taking over from petroleum power and the iMiEV has fatal flaws in the real world, from its tiny-tinny body and less-than-ideal safety rating to a range that makes a Sydney-Parramatta-Sydney round trip marginal on a single charge. It's also charged in a country where dirty coal, not clean solar or wind or hydro or thermal power, provides the majority of our electricity.
And that's the really big hurdle for any large-scale move from oil to electricity in a country where cars are essential, not just a luxury. There will be a day when electric cars - either with batteries or onboard fuel cells running on hydrogen - rule the roads, but every time an expert makes a prediction the end game moves further into the future.
There was a time when gasoline was tagged for a 2010 departure, but that quickly became 2020 and most futurists now say it's likely to be 2050 before a significant proportion of new cars move away from internal-combustion engines. So that leaves new-car shoppers in 2010 with some tough choices.
There are green or green-tinged cars in most prices and size classes, usually hybrids - from the Honda Civic to the upcoming Porsche Panamera - or increasingly with diesel engines - although Japanese and Australian production is tiny - but picking the right one is not as easy as you'd think.
Carsguide favours the Ford Fiesta Econetic at the bottom end and the latest Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec diesel is a ripper at the top, but there is also the Camry hybrid made in Melbourne and even that iMiEV for people who only need a glorified golf cart for city trips.
But before we all rush into green, and potentially pay too much for too little, there are a few things to remember. It's a fact that only eight per cent of Australia's nasty CO2 emissions, the evil culprit in global warming, comes from passenger vehicles.
The country's annual 543 million tonnes of emissions is also only about 1.5 per cent o f the global total, although still equal to the pollution produced by Indonesia and Britain. Tailpipe emissions in Australia have also fallen by an average of 12 per cent over the past six years, thanks to the rapid development of new technologies for internal-combustion engines. That includes everything from electric power steering and on-demand alternators to stop-start engine controls and low-drag bodywork, without worrying about 'mild' hybrid support systems like regenerative braking.
So where do you go if you want a real car that makes a real contribution to the greening of Australian roads? The no-brainer answer is the Toyota Prius, or one of the other members of the growing petrol-electric hybrid family from the world's largest carmaker.
But, even if hybrids can run at low speeds on clean electric power from on-board sources, the reality shows they are petrol powered once you get to freeway cruising speeds.
So it's a diesel, then? Yes, but, diesels make more of the nasty nitrogen oxides, there are particulate emissions and the extra cost of a diesel powerplant means you generally have to cover - even with more range from each litre and a close price parity with petrol - around 30,000 kilometres a year to get in front.
Getting the answers for the right cars starts with the official Green Vehicle Guide ratings, and carmakers have also been forced to provide more information.
"Motorists are well informed when buying a new vehicle with a sticker displayed o n the windscreen of every new car advising of its carbon emissions per kilometre," says Andrew McKellar, head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
So, here's the bottom line - or lines - from the Carsguide perspective.
In the baby-car class, our choice is the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic. It gets four stars in the Green Vehicle Guide and is a surprisingly fun drive, once you remember it has a small-capacity turbodiesel engine that works best when you upshift early and often. The downside is the price - it's far from cheap at $24,990 in a class where you can get a (very) basic Chinese Chery J1 from $10,990 driveway - and it's also only available with a manual gearbox. There is also a Volkswagen Polo which makes a solid case, but the ECOnetic scores with fuel economy of 3.7 litres/100km, CO2 emissions of 98 grams/kilometre, a greenhouse rating of 9 and air pollution rating of 5. And it is fun to drive with a good looking body.
Moving up to small cars, Carsguide goes for the very latest Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion. It's another newcomer with a turbodiesel engine, fitted to the 2009 Carsguide Car of the Year, rated with 4.5 stars at the Green Vehicle Guide thanks to a combination of 3.8 litres/100km, 99 grams/km, 9 for greenhouse and 6 for air pollution. That's even better than the ECOnetic, with more size and refinement, but again it means a big spend. Some people will happily pay $28,990 for the fuel economy, cruising range and the VW badge, but it's our tip because it's a better car than a Prius priced from $34,990.
So how can we pick the Camry Hybrid in the family-car class? Some of it comes down to patriotism, but it's also a better drive than the regular Camry despite a nearly-unusable boot and no chance for towing, but mostly because its five-star ranking at the Green Vehicle Guide puts it ahead of the other local heroes, the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore. The petrol-electric Camry goes 6 litres/100km, 142 grams/ km, 7.5 for greenhouse and 8.5 for air pollution. The other smart choice if you need space for a family is the Skoda Octavia, which gets 4.5 stars in the Green Vehicle Guide with a 1.4- litre petrol turbo engine and a starting price of just $24,990.
In the SUV class, with the impressive Ford Territory diesel still not into showrooms - and only a 2.5-star car against the petrol model at 3 stars in the Green Vehicle Guide - the best bet is the Hyundai ix35 with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and five-speed manual gearbox. The ix35 - and its Kia clone the Sportage - has changed the rules for family wagons with impressive design and quality, excellent value, and now with a four-star tick from the Green Vehicle Guide built from 8.5litres/100km, 201 grams/km, a greenhouse rating of 6 and air pollution rating of 8.5.
Moving into the luxury-car classes, our choices are the Lexus CT200h and that new BlueTEC S-Class - provided you have the vast amounts of money needed for a car that costs at least $213,428. The baby Lexus is in the same league as the benchmark BMW 3-Series, but its hybrid drive - basically the same as the Prius - gives it a five-star ranking at the Green Vehicle Guide with 4.1 litres/100km, 95grams/km, a greenhouse rating of 9 and air pollution of 8.5. It's not as enjoyable to drive as a 3-Series or a Benz C-Class, but it is much nicer than a Prius and good buying from $39,990. The S-Class is, bottom line, a truly great car and a big tick from the Green Vehicle Guide - it's not rated yet, but sure to be at least 4.5 stars with that BlueTEC diesel - is expected with 7.0 litres/100km economy and CO2 emissions of 185grams/km.
Green machines ...
There are some weird and wacky cars among the predictable successes at the top of the Green Vehicle Guide. The Mitsubishi iMiEV tops the rankings and the five-star cars, but is tiny, costly and unlikely to be much more than a stepping stone to the real electric cars that will follow it.
The Tesla Roadster is rated second and is impressively quick with a proven 500-kilometre range between charges, but it's only a sports car and only a two-seater. And it costs a ridiculous $206,188. It might have completed an impressive Australian flag-waving trip including a run through Targa Tasmania, but Tesla has still only sold 1200 cars worldwide since it went to work on electrification of the car previously known only as the Lotus Elise.
Further down, the various Smart ForTwo models place well but have been rejected by all but the most green-centric Australians. There are only two seats, after all, and an odd looking car that works so well in Paris is out of place in Melbourne and Sydney.
TOP 10 'GREEN' CARS
1. Mitsubishi iMiEV
2. Tesla Roadster
3. Toyota Prius
4. Lexus CT200h
5. Smart ForTwo Cabrio
6. Smart ForTwo Coupe
7. Honda Insight
8. Suzuki Alto GL
9. Suzuki Alto GLX
10. Smart ForTwo Coupe turbo
On the other hand ...
There is nothing remotely green about the Toyota LandCruiser. The hulking four-wheel drive is a top choice for towing and serious round-Australia expeditions, but the latest 200-Series 'Cruiser is anchored near the bottom of the Green Vehicle Guide with an unimpressive two-star score. Even a turbodiesel engine, so successful for green ticks in baby cars, is no help and it actually rates lower than the 4.7-litre petrol V8.
It's a similar story at Rolls-Royce, a predictable result for a brand that puts ultimate luxury well ahead of any green work. The long-wheelbase Phantom, a car that costs around $1.25 million in Australia, only gets two stars with fuel economy of 15.8 litres/100km and a 2 for greenhouse. And Ferrari? It's not even included in the Green Vehicle Guide.
BOTTOM FIVE DIESELS
1. Volkswagen Touareg V10
2. Toyota Landcruiser 70 Series
3. Nissan Patrol Y61
4. Mercedes--Benz GL450
5. Land Rover Defender 90
BOTTOM FIVE PETROLS
1. Aston Martin One-77
2. Range Rover Vogue
3. Bentley Continental
4. Bentley Mulsanne
5. Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG
Source: Green Vehicle Guide
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