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The other day I was viewing the latest NASCAR race and I began to wonder how much atmosphere polluting emissions a stock car puts out in a race. While in search of that answer, I happened across the most polluting street legal autos. Of course, these autos are direct from the factory with no modifications. It would be hard to include older autos that have been on the road for years and surely have malfunctioning emission systems. Nevertheless, I was quite shocked to find out how toxic some of these new autos are to our atmosphere and, potentially, to our health. Let’s take a look at the list.
The Green Score
Before we delve into the list of the most polluting autos on the road today, it is necessary to discuss how the autos were judged. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) Green Book, a consumer guide to environmentally friendly autos, is released on a yearly basis (the following autos are from the 2008 guide). In order to gauge an auto’s polluting numbers, the ACEEE Green Book uses data from the automaker in concern to fuel mileage and emissions that are reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Also used are estimates of pollution released into the environment from the manufacturing of the auto, estimates of pollution from the production and distribution of fuel and readings from the auto’s tailpipes. A number between 0 and 100 is calculated for a given auto. The lower the number, the more pollution an auto releases. For example, the lowest number on the following list of autos is 14, while the highest number is 57 on the least polluting auto list. Let’s find out what are the most polluting autos of 2008.
The List
In order to be as dramatic as possible, I will start at the bottom of the list and move my way up to the most polluting auto.
10. GMC Yukon 2500 (12 mpg city, 16 mpg highway, total green score: 18)
9. Hummer H2 (12 mpg city, 16 mpg highway, total green score: 18)
8. Mercedes Benz G55 AMG (11 mpg city, 13 mpg highway, total green score: 18)
7. Mercedes Benz ML320 CDI (18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, total green score: 18)
6. Lamborghini Murcielago (8 mpg city, 13 mpg highway, total green score: 18)
5. Mercedes Benz R320 CDI (18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, total green score: 17)
4. Jeep Grand Cherokee (17 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, total green score: 17)
3. Mercedes Benz GL320 CDI (18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, total green score: 17)
2. Bugatti Veyron (8 mpg city, 13mpg highway, total green score: 17)
1. Volkswagen Touareg (15 mpg city, 20mpg highway, total score: 14)
Pricey And Damaging
The first thing that many will notice from the list is the fact that a vast majority of these autos are of the expensive variety. Autos like the Bugatti Veyron and the Lamborghini Murcielago are legitimate supercars that cost hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars, hence there are not that many on the road, which is a plus for the environment. Others that include the GMC Yukon, the Hummer H2 and the Jeep Grand Cherokee are relatively common sights on the roads in both Canada and the U.S., which may or may not put severe strain on the environment around us.
Mercedes
Mercedes Benz has four autos on the list, which is by far the most of any auto manufacturer. Depending on where you live, you may see more of these autos than the others on the list, but for the most part, the vast majority of Mercedes Benz autos can be found throughout Europe.
The Most Polluting Auto
Finally, the most polluting auto of 2008 is the Volkswagen Touareg. Personally, I found this quite surprising due to the fact that Volkswagen is known for making fuel-efficient autos, but what kills the mid-sized SUV is the fact that Volkswagen includes a few mammoth engines with the Touareg. These engines include the 4.2L V8 and the 5.0L W12 (yes, twelve cylinders) in the gasoline category and 5.0L V10 in the diesel category. For most that purchase a Touareg, an R5 (inline five cylinder) or V6 is more than sufficient for day to day use, but the inclusion of the above-mentioned gas guzzlers truly makes the Touareg one of the most harmful autos on the road today.
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