Being bored at work (need another coffe to start working). I was looking at good environmental cars at epa when I to my suprise found that the stick shift insight scores very low on the "air pollution" score... see this link . How come?

I must confess I was suprised by this as I assumed the insight was the greenest car around, and it is as long as you pick the automatic.... something just doesn't seem right.... the automatic is the greenest car and the stick shift is quite a pollutant? How come the automatic is that good?

 

it has to do with the lean-burn on the standard ... the CVT's don't have it, get less mileage, but run clean.

More detail will come from the senior members or run a search through the threads and I am sure something will come up

 

The 5-speed Insight produces less greenhouse gases than any vehicle in production, however the lean-burn has more NO2 gases.

I'm not certain about this, but California and four other states either don't sell the 5-speed Insight or don't give hybrid credits because of the NO2 gases.

 

The lean-burn manual tranny 2004 HCH also scores low (2 or 3) on the EPA pollution score. Gets a 10 on GHG though !!!!

 

I agree that the green house gasses are important but so are smog and other pollutants (and this is the problems with disels). I think I would rather see a car burning slightly more gas and polluting less cancerogenic and smog producing particles but I'm not sure what has the greatest environmental impact though smog and other particles affect you and your local environment more directly I think so in a city environment that is probably a bad thing

That they don't sell the stick shift in CA is also another sign I guess.

To me it was a suprise to see how much cleaner a CVT runs.

For me the hybrid is less about gas mileage and more about a statement about the environment (I want car manyfacturers to realize there is a market for clean cars and more people to realize they can drive a more environmentaly sounder car with very little sacrifice).

 

One way to improve this would be using an HCCI engine. If perfected, it would yield about 20% more fuel economy, have very low NOx, not need a cataytic converter.

 

First of all, the 5-speed Insight IS, I believe, sold in CA. I have heard 2 recent reports of such purchases. One was a new 2006 at a San Diego Dealer.



Secondly, the referenced EPA "pollution score" is PER GALLON OF GAS. The MT Insight may have a relatively low score; but is uses FAR fewer gallons than other cars. I would conclude that is is quite "green" indeed.........