America's Greenest EV Is Also One Of The Most Expensive

Jul. 08, 2022 2:59 PM ET by Jarryd Neves Electric Vehicles / 1 Comment

It's no surprise the GMC Hummer EV didn't win this award.

Many consumers in the market for an EV believe that all battery-powered vehicles are equally kind to the environment. Choosing an environmentally conscious car isn't as easy as simply buying an EV; factors such as battery size, range, and efficiency all have to be taken into account. Using these metrics, Bloomberg Green has released a list of the greenest electric vehicles currently for sale in America.

According to the 2022 Electric Car Ratings, it's the Lucid Air Dream Edition Range that comes out on top. The limited-edition, $169,000 luxury car attained the highest score of 71.1 out of 100 and was followed closely by the Grand Touring (71 points) and several other derivatives. This compares very well to equally plush EVs. The Mercedes EQS, for example, attained just 48 points but managed to beat out the Audi e-tron GT (39.4) and the Porsche Taycan (39).

The Tesla Model 3 Long Range was awarded second place, with a final score of 66.7. It's worth noting the Performance derivative didn't do quite as well with an overall rating of 60. Interestingly, the Model S (which placed third) received a score of 61.8 for the Plaid - remarkable for a performance-oriented electric sedan. Overall, Musk's company rated strongly; the Model Y Long Range (58.8) and Model X (51.9) ranked in fifth and 10th place, respectively.

Hyundai and Kia's efforts are also to be commended. The Kona Electric (58), Niro EV (53.3), and EV6 (52.3) are all present in the top 10, reinforcing their ambitions to lead the electric car segment in the near future. Chevrolet's Bolt EV and EUV also put on an impressive show, eclipsing the other General Motors offering on the list in a big way.

2017-2022 Tesla Model 3 Front View Driving

2017-2022 Tesla Model 3 Side View Driving

With a curb weight of 9,063 lbs, it comes as no surprise that the excessive GMC Hummer EV is rated dead last. As we've previously reported, the large electric truck is needlessly inefficient and that's reflected in a score of just 27.4. Unsurprisingly, other poor performers include the Rivian R1T (30.8) and the Ford F-150 Lightning (33). It's the Audi e-tron Sportback that is the most disappointing, though. With a final score of 33.3, it trails behind similarly priced rivals.

If you're wondering how Bloomberg Green has come to this conclusion, allow us to explain. As mentioned earlier, the "Green" score is calculated by using key metrics such as driving economy and battery size. The former makes up 70% of the score while the latter accounts for the rest. "Our model doesn't directly account for the carbon cost of actually bolting together the parts and panels of a vehicle." The publication also notes the weighted score is calculated with a mathematical formula; (range ÷ curb weight) + battery size.