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These are the 'Greenest' and 'Meanest' cars in 2015

As has become tradition, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has come up with a ranking of what it refers to as the "greenest" cars of 2015, and, by way of contrast, a list of the so-called "meanest" cars, so those who value eco-friendliness over all else can choose which vehicles they should or should not consider buying. As you may expect, electric cars make up the majority of the greenest cars on the list, but, perhaps surprisingly to many, the Tesla Model S didn't make the cut. It's worth noting, too, that where the electricity an owner uses to charge their electric vehicle has a big impact on its overall environmental impact. "A car that is charged using electricity generated from natural gas or renewables is going to have significantly less impact on the environment than one charged on a coal-heavy grid," says ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan. The ACEEE's list for 2015 looks very different than it did in 2014. It's an interesting collection, though – and we're sure this goes without saying, really – we'd recommend doing a bit more research into each vehicle and how it might fit into your daily life before making any purchase decisions. Click here to see the ACEEE's list of the Greenest and Meanest vehicles sold in the United States in 2015. Green Bugatti Chevrolet Fiat GM GMC Mercedes-Benz Nissan RAM smart Toyota greenest greenest cars

Smart #1 revealed as tiny EV with surprising amount of power

The Smart #1 electric crossover has officially been revealed, along with its specifications. In addition to looking extremely similar to the concept of the same name, it packs quite a bit of horsepower and can hold a lot of electric power. It's all wrapped in a package that we could see in America, but likely won't come to our shores. Visually, the Smart is virtually unchanged from the concept. It still has the floating roof, contrasting colors and curvy body. The only changes seem to be some extra little detailing in the front and rear bumpers and the addition of door handles, which are flush to the body. They pop out when someone needs to get in. The doors also have frameless glass. The whole car is still fairly small, but not quite as small as some past Smarts. Its 168-inch length makes it similar in size to the Nissan Kicks, Hyundai Kona and other subcompact crossovers. Even the interior looks basically the same with the accent lighting, flowing center stack and prominent center screen, which measures 12.8 inches. Added to the interior is a low and wide 9.2-inch instrument screen, and the car has an available 10-inch head-up display. Perhaps most interesting is the powertrain. This tiny car has an electric motor making 268 horsepower, enough to scare GTI owners. That motor is also mounted in the rear and powering the rear wheels. It's a tad heavy, though, at 4,012 pounds. That's partly because it has a battery with a 66-kWh capacity. On the WLTP test cycle, that's good for between 260 to 273 miles. The Smart also supports DC fast charging with a peak charging speed of 150 kW. From 10% to 80%, it should charge in less than 30 minutes. The Smart #1 is expected to go on sale later this year, and will be built in China. It's also a joint venture between Mercedes and Geely. Although it's the first Smart model we could see being a genuine success in the U.S., we're not expecting it to appear here. Not just because it would need to be homologated for our market, but the fact that the whole Smart brand left, along with the dealer network. Restarting all that would be a big investment for one car that may or may not be a success. Related Video:

Florida Man parks Smart car in kitchen to save it from Hurricane Dorian

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It started as a lighthearted challenge between a Florida couple: Can their Smart car fit into their kitchen? The answer: Yes it can. Patrick Eldridge parked his car inside to protect it from the high winds of Hurricane Dorian — and just to prove that he can. Jessica Eldridge said her car was already parked in the garage. But to secure other things in the garage, her husband proposed to park the car in the house. “I said there was no way he could. He said he could,” Jessica said. “So he opened the double doors and had it in. I was amazed that it could fit. He had it in with no problems.” Dorian skirted FloridaÂ’s coast Wednesday, narrowly missing Jacksonville. On Thursday, Dorian was lashing the Carolinas as a Category 2 storm and was headed to the Outer Banks. Earlier in the week as a Category 5, it devastated the Bahamas, where rescue crews have only begun taking the full measure of the damage. With the car in the middle of the kitchen, Jessica Eldridge had to move around it to cook and serve dinner. “IÂ’m hoping he will pull it out pretty soon once the wind dies down,” she said. “There is room, and itÂ’s not in the way, but my dogs are confused by it.”