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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

4th-gen Toyota Prius production delayed by 6 months

If you were holding off buying a new car in anticipation of the fourth-generation Toyota Prius arriving in 2015, your wait might be a little longer. Company insiders are claiming that production of the bestselling hybrid is being pushed back from spring to possibly as late as December 2015. Toyota is reportedly still making alterations to make sure everything is just right before it unleashes the all-important, efficient hatch on a waiting public.
According to unnamed sources speaking to Automotive News Europe, the main reasons for the delay aren't completely known. It's believed the engineers are still working on making the hybrid powertrain more efficient and improving the new Toyota Global Architecture modular platform. The insiders claim that the final production prototype of the Prius is still under development, and it might be November before it's finalized. From there, it usually takes around 12 months to tool up and for the first car to roll off the assembly line. It would be another year after that before the plug-in variant starts assembly. The national manager of Toyota Product Communications, Michael Kroll, told AutoblogGreen, "As you might expect, we can't comment on future product plans."
Despite the delay, some potential details have already emerged about the new hybrid. A company spokesperson recently told Autoblog via email that Toyota is engineering the next-gen Prius to have smaller, more power-dense electric motors and greater thermal efficiency. The new modular platform is also rumored reduce weight, and the changes could lead to a targeted 10 percent improvement in fuel economy.

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota to go electric with Aygo? Renault Zoe bests BEVs in e-Rallye Monte-Carlo

Toyota could sell the Aygo hatchback as an EV. Toyota Europe CEO Johan van Zyl says that the A-segment city car could be a candidate for all-electric power. "We see a stronger growth of that type of thinking in cities where they're saying, 'We'd rather have emissions-free vehicles so it should be a plug-in or a pure-electric vehicle,'" he says. As the Aygo is produced alongside and shares most components with the Peugeot 108 and Citroen C1, it's possible those cars could see a plug-in version in the future as well. Read more at Hybrid Cars. The Renault Zoe took first and second place in the battery electric category of the 2016 e-Rallye Monte-Carlo. Defending Renault's title for a third year, two of the updated Zoes with improved range topped the category, taking second and third place overall. A hydrogen powered Toyota Mirai bested the Renaults by taking first place overall. 34 crews entered the competition, which took them from Fontainebleau, France to Monaco over four days. Read more from Renault. Teslarati talks to Youseph Tanha (AKA Yoshi) about his Tesla Transformer comic art project. Tanha, who cohosts the TransMissions podcast, commissioned artist Brendan Cahill to sketch a comic book cover featuring the Tesla Model X as a Transformer. The result is the Voltic (a name borrowed from Grand Theft Auto 5), an impressively reimagined Tesla Transformer that launches missiles from its falcon wing doors. While it doesn't necessarily fit into IDW's Transformers storyline, the commissioned piece does capture the imagination of comic fans and Tesla enthusiasts alike. Read more at Teslarati. Singapore is launching an EV carsharing program. The nation's Economic Development Board and Land Transport Authority have commissioned Bollore Group's BlueSG to operate the fleet of 1,000 EVs and 2,000 charging points by 2020, with 125 cars and 250 charging points available by the middle of next year. The program – sort of similar to the BlueIndy program in Indianapolis – is part of an effort to reduce pollution. "The future of transport in Singapore will look very different from today," says Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Khaw Boon Wan. "Most people will not see the need to own a car." Read more at Wards Auto.