Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver recently announced the winners of the Government of Canada’s 2012 ecoENERGY for Vehicles Awards, recognizing automobiles that help owners do their part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while cutting their motoring fuel costs.
Natural Resources Canada
(NRCan) rated the most fuel-efficient vehicles sold in Canada in 10 different categories with the winners
of the ecoENERGY Awards for 2012 being: the Honda CR-Z
and the smart fortwo
in the two-seater category; the Mitsubishi i-MiEV
in the subcompact segment; the Chevrolet Volt
as top compact-car; the Nissan LEAF
in the mid-size car sector; the Hyundai Sonata
in the full-size car category; the Toyota Prius v
in the station wagon segment; the Toyota Tacoma
as the top pickup truck; the Ford Escape Hybrid
best in the special purpose vehicle segment; the Mazda5
as top minivan; and the Ford Transit Connect Van
the best in the large van category.
“These manufacturers are developing the latest vehicle technologies to help Canadians reduce their greenhouse gas emissions,” Oliver said. The list of fuel consumption ratings for all 2012 vehicles is available at the NRCan website.
“The fuel consumption ratings for vehicles provide Canadians with the right tools to help make informed decisions to lower their fuel costs while reducing their environmental impact,” the minister said.
Transportation is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, and personal vehicles account for over half of this energy use. The ecoENERGY Efficiency for Vehicles
program supports the government’s commitment to reduce Canada’s total greenhouse gas
emissions by 17 percent by 2020.
Consumers can use NRCan’s online ratings tool to compare the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of new cars and light-duty trucks sold in Canada. At the website, Canadians can search for vehicles by class, manufacturer, transmission or fuel type and display the results sorted by model, fuel efficiency or carbon dioxide emissions.
The Fuel Consumption Guide
lists fuel consumption information for new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada and is available at most new vehicle dealerships, motor vehicle licence agencies, participating Canadian Automobile Association
(CAA) offices and participating credit union offices across Canada.