greenliving Green Car Buying Tips
Fuel Economy Plus Sales Incentives Equal Big Savings
by Jim Motavalli
W
hile some carmakers are filling showrooms with ever-larger gas-guzzling sport
utility vehicles (SUV) thanks to lower gas prices, some car buyers want to do just the opposite and go greener with their wheels. Fortunately, more eco-friendly options exist than ever before—many of which come with surprising personal benefits in addition to a cleaner, greener planet. The green share of the U.S. auto
market, combining battery electrics, hybrids and plug-in hybrids, peaked at 3.8 percent in 2013, according to the Automotive News Data Center. Despite a record 59 models available now, the share was just 2.87 percent in 2016. As Millennials—the generation that could be buying 40 percent of all new vehi- cles by 2020—fully emerge into the marketplace, eco-car numbers could zoom, although some think it’s possible they’ll by shunning car purchases for
42 NA Triangle
www.natriangle.com
car-sharing services. “The market has continued to shift
to crossovers and big SUVs, and there aren’t many hybrid models available in those categories,” says Sam Abuel- samid, senior research analyst at Navigant Research. “We expect that to change in the next couple of years, when vehicles like the hybrid Ford Explorer reach the public.” Navigant projects only 3.4 percent annual compounded growth in hybrid sales
by 2025, but a much more robust 31 percent rise in battery-run electrics. “Conventional hybrids without
a plug no longer have the halo they once had,” says Bradley Berman, founder of
HybridCars.com. “The cut- ting edge has moved to electric cars with ever-bigger battery packs and longer electric range. With gas prices at relatively low levels, the green car market remains a small niche.”
Audi A3 e-tron
Getting a Green Bargain Many of the greener choices are now a tremendous bargain for consumers. The federal government currently offers a tax credit of up to $4,500 for electrified vehicles, and many states kick in with added subsidies. High- lights include maximums available for electric vehicles (EV) with big batteries: California, $1,500 in rebates, plus single-occupant use of the high-occu- pancy vehicle lanes; Colorado, $5,000;
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