Nissan LEAF and compressed natural gas-powered Honda Civic GX topped the list of the greenest 2011 model-year vehicle, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s annual list.
The Chevrolet Volt didn’t rank as one of the top-ten greenest cars in the U.S., coming at no. 12 in the list.
The Honda Civic GX topped the list for an eighth straight year, with a score of 54, followed by Nissan LEAF with the same score.
The electric version of the Smart Fortwo would have pulled in a score of 60, but with only 250 units of the 2011 model available in the U.S. (and then only on a trial basis), the car didn’t meet sales requirements for the list.
The top 12 cars include gasoline-powered cars, plug-in cars, gasoline/electric hybrids and natural gas powered vehicles. No diesel cars made the top ranks.
Other vehicles considered to be the greenest of the crop included the Toyota Prius, smart forwto, Chevrolet Cruze ECO, the Ford Fiesta and the Hyundai Elantra.
Greenest Vehicles of 2011
| Make and Model | Green Score |
| HONDA CIVIC GX | 54 |
| NISSAN LEAF | 54 |
| SMART FORTWO CABRIOLET / SMART FORTWO COUPE | 53 |
| TOYOTA PRIUS | 52 |
| HONDA CIVIC HYBRID | 51 |
| HONDA INSIGHT | 50 |
| FORD FIESTA SFE | 50 |
| CHEVROLET CRUZE ECO | 49 |
| HYUNDAI ELANTRA | 49 |
| MINI COOPER | 49 |
| TOYOTA YARIS | 49 |
| CHEVROLET VOLT | 48 |
