Is the e-car as clean as its reputation suggests? Or maybe a plug-in hybrid? And what about the diesel? A large ecological test with 61 cars provides the answers from an environmental point of view.
Markus Abrahamczyk / t-online
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Ecology is becoming increasingly important: for more than two thirds of car buyers in Germany, sustainability is now an important aspect of the purchasing decision. This is shown by an investigation by the management consultants at Capgemini.
Only: Which model is clean, which is not? Customers shouldn't trust the efficiency label in the car dealership when it comes to this question. And of course much less the manufacturer advertising full of green meadows and healthy forests. Green NCAP's eco-check, on the other hand, provides good answers. Here are the current test results.
In addition to petrol, diesel, electric cars, hybrids and plug-in hybrids (PHEV), models that are fueled with natural gas (CNG) were also evaluated. There are three main points:
Pollutant emissions, fuel and energy consumption, climate-damaging greenhouse gases
A total of 61 cars were tested – selected with a view to different drive types, body shapes and sales figures in Europe, among other things.
Euro NCAP stands for New Car Assessment Program. The initiative tests the safety of new cars in crash tests, but also their environmental impact (Green NCAP). The members of the NCAP include the General German Automobile Club (ADAC) and the Federal Ministry of Transport.
These are the best
The examination of the cars leads to an award of points. This in turn results in a rating in stars. The best cars can achieve a maximum of ten points and five stars – in the current test, only seven models achieve this top rating, all of which are equipped with a purely electric drive. The Fiat 500, Hyundai Kona and Renault Zoe are at the top with the highest scores.
The test winner: Fiat 500 Electric.
The Fiat 500 consumes an average of just 20.9 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per 100 kilometers, giving it a realistic range of 230 kilometers (km).
Rank 2: Hyundai Kona
The consumption of the Hyundai Kona Electric is only slightly higher (22.2 kWh/100 km). However, with the 39.2 kWh standard battery in the test car, the realistic range is only 202 kilometers. Optionally, however, there is a significantly larger battery with 64 kWh, which offers a correspondingly longer range.
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In the Renault Zoe, low power consumption of 22.3 kWh/100 km and the test car's optional 52 kWh battery (basic version: 41 kWh) result in a realistic range of 319 kilometers.
All results at a glance (mobile users? scroll to the right to see all data in the table)
PHEV = plug-in hybrid, CNG = natural gas vehicle.
This is how plug-in hybrids perform
The test proves once again: by no means all cars with plug-in hybrids are environmentally friendly. Toyota Prius (four stars), Kia Niro, Renault Captur (each 3.5 stars) perform better than most cars with combustion engines. But they are a long way behind the clean e-cars. And a heavy SUV like the Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 PHEV (1.9 tons) just generally consumes too much. The receipt: bad two stars.
Diesel at most mediocre
The controversial diesel engine is likely to disappoint some of its advocates. Volvo XC60 and Land Rover Discovery Sport – two also heavy SUVs – lose points due to high fuel consumption. And for the CO2 emissions of the Jeep Renegade, the ADAC involved in the test found only three words: "no longer up-to-date". The Kia Sportage also has a high level of emissions of other pollutants. With only 1.5 points, it is also one of the worst in the test.
The best diesel in the test is the Skoda Octavia Combi with a 2.0 liter TDI engine and 110 hp that is popular throughout Europe. Among other things, a modern exhaust gas cleaning system earns it 3.5 stars.
The results broken down by exhaust emissions, energy consumption and greenhouse gases
Mobile users? Scroll right to see all the data in the table.
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