According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s annual GreenerCars rankings of the most environmentally friendly vehicles, the current Toyota Prius Prime SE plug-in hybrid tops the list.
Six of the top ten vehicles in the ratings are electric, with four being hybrids:
Rank | Make & Model | Powertrain | Green
Score |
MSRP | Estimated Annual
Fuel Cost* |
1 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | EV | 62 | $41,650 | $737 |
2 | Toyota Corolla | Gas Hybrid | 62 | $23,500 | $944 |
3 | Kia EV6 | EV | 63 | $43,975 | $689 |
4 | Toyota Camry LE | Gas Hybrid | 63 | $28,855 | $907 |
5 | Hyundai Kona Electric | EV | 63 | $34,050 | $695 |
6 | Hyundai Elantra Blue | Gas Hybrid | 64 | $26,250 | $864 |
7 | Toyota RAV4 Prime | PHEV | 64 | $43,690 | $741 |
8 | Toyota bZ4X | EV | 66 | $43,070 | $689 |
9 | Nissan Leaf | EV | 66 | $28,140 | $741 |
10 | Mini Cooper SE | EV | 67 | $30,900 | $747 |
11 | Lexus RZ 300e | EV | 67 | $55,150 | $651 |
12 | Toyota Prius Prime SE | PHEV | 71 | $32,975 | $529 |
*ACEEE analysis based on EIA statistics for the annual cost of driving 15,000 miles using gasoline, electricity, or a combination.
The Greener Choices list includes several high-scoring conventional automobiles, while the Meanest List features the worst-performing mass-market models. The Honda Accord Hybrid ranks first on the “greener” list, which the organization defines as cars “available nationwide with among the lowest environmental impacts.”
This comes as average prices for all EVs fell by 18% in 2023 due to increasing competition from traditional automakers, inventory, supply chain improvements, and lower lithium-ion battery prices.