Greenest Cars at the L.A. Auto Show

An electric Mini Cooper sounds like an oxymoron. After all, Minis are fun to drive and electric cars...well...they’re good for you, let’s leave it at that. So the idea of the 2010 Mini E is a little weird, true. However, at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show, Mini assured us that this all-electric version of its car will provide the best of the Mini driving experience despite running purely on electrons. With 0-60 mph times in the 8.5-second range, a top speed of 95 mph and a range of 156 miles on a charge, the Mini E offers up realistic driving range and performance. Mini also promises it’ll handle well, although with a bunch of lithium ion batteries on board, we’re not so sure. Still, 500 customers divided between Los Angeles and New York will be able to report in starting early next year.

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Bet you didn’t know that it was Honda, and not Toyota, that had the first hybrid for sale in the U.S. Honda lost its crown when the Prius came along, and it stung. So at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show, Honda unveiled the Honda Insight Concept, a car that is a lot closer to reality than concept. Using Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) drive, the production version of this concept – which will look very similar – will deliver fuel economy in the same range as the Civic Hybrid, but in a practical five-door package. It will also cost less than the Civic Hybrid, making it the lowest-priced hybrid available in the U.S. when it goes on sale early next year.

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The new 2010 Ford Fusion has its hands full challenging the Japanese and Korean competition, but it has an ace: the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. Receiving its world premiere at the 2008 L.A. auto show, the Fusion gasoline/electric hybrid hits some pretty high highs: a 700-mile range on a tank of gas, 39 miles per gallon in the city, and the ability to run up to 47 mph by battery alone. The 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid uses a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine in tandem with the battery power. Ford claims that the 2010 Fusion hybrid is the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan in the U.S. It arrives in Ford showrooms this spring.

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Lexus introduced the world to the idea of a luxury crossover with the original RX, then with the second generation, introduced the first luxury hybrid with the 2005 RX 400h. Upping one’s own ante is never easy, but at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show, Lexus showed it’s willing to try with the all-new 2010 Lexus RX 450h. With more power from its 3.5-liter Atkinson-cycle V-6, but better fuel economy, it’s definitely headed in the right direction. With a smaller, more powerful electric inverter, it’s even closer. The RX also uses other tricks, like a new exhaust gas recirculation system to help reduce emissions and improve fuel economy further. Lexus promises economy in the range of a four-cylinder mid-size sedan; we’ll have to wait until sometime in the middle of next year to put that to the test.

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Normally, giant four-door luxury sedans aren’t considered very green. That changed when Lexus unveiled the LS 600h, which taught rich people that they could still have a big honkin’ sedan and feel good about themselves at the same time. Not wanting to be left behind, the BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid Concept was unveiled at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show. Based on the new BMW 7 Series that goes on sale early next year, the Active Hybrid uses a 20kW electric motor to augment starts, resulting in roughly 15 percent better fuel economy. OK, that won’t change the world by itself, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

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The BMW X6 is one of the most controversial vehicles the company has ever produced. It offers up stellar handling, a reasonably sized rear seat despite the sloping roofline, and lots of power from its V-8 engine. On the other, it looks pretty darn weird, and doesn’t do anything significantly better than other BMWs. Now BMW is putting the same hybrid drivetrain into the X6 in the form of the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid Concept, with the same 20kW electric motor as the BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid Concept. Whether the hybrid will change our opinion of the X6 as a whole remains to be seen, but we have to admit that we at least like the idea of the fuel-swilling X6 having a greener side appealing.

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Volkswagen is clearly on to something with its new push toward diesels. The new Jetta TDI, for example, has blown past sales expectations, with Volkswagen reporting that uptake on the Jetta SportWagen has been 80 percent diesel. So the time is clearly right for the 2009 Volkswagen Touareg V-6 TDI that was unveiled at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show. The Touareg V-6 TDI isn’t the first diesel Touareg of course, that title goes to the V-10 TDI that has been available since the Touareg’s introduction. However, the V-6 is something to crow about, with significantly better fuel economy than the regular V-6 model, and 50-state legal emissions. Expect another run on diesels at the VW dealership.

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This isn’t the first glance we’ve had of the CR-Z Concept, but we like the little hybrid coupe so much that we just have to keep posting it. Every auto enthusiast who was alive in the 80s or 90s knows about the Honda CRX; this is that car, but with a hybrid powertrain. At the 2008 L.A. Auto Show, Honda reiterated that this car itself is not slated for production, but it does give us a glimpse into the future of a hybrid sports car from the company. Our only thought: Hurry up already!

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We really like the FC Sport Concept that Honda unveiled at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show, we really do. The idea of a mid-engined, fuel-cell powered three-place sports car gets our blood pumping. We aren't thrilled with the rear end styling on Honda’s concept though, which landed it a heartbreaking spot on our duds list. But the rest of the car is sound, and we hope that as fuel cell technology matures, we see something like the FC Sport on our roads. Just without the big, weird tail.

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The Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) unveiled at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show concept is a runner. As in, drove across the country runner. As a participant in a U.S. government-sponsored marathon of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles, the Tucson FCEV had a range of about 185 miles, and managed the 4,300 mile trip without breaking a sweat. Fuel cells still hold great promise for the future, but as development continues, that future seems less and less distant.

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The 2009 Audi Q5 TDI unveiled at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show isn’t even on sale in the U.S. yet, but it's already making news. Thanks to its 3.0-liter V-6 TDI clean diesel engine, it boasts 406 lb.-ft. of torque, certainly more than enough to move this compact luxury crossover. Yet on a recent mileage marathon hosted by Audi and featuring its diesel vehicles, the Q5 TDI managed a high average of 38.5 mpg. Audi is understandably proud of its new baby ‘ute, and we admit it’s a good looking little car regardless of what's under the hood. When the 50-state legal TDI goes on sale early next year, we don’t expect diesels to be sitting idle on lots.

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