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Green car buying advice
- What you can buy depends on where you live. Many automakers make one version of a car for the 11 "green" states, and another for the rest of the U.S.. For example, in Arizona you may not be able to buy that low-emissions version of the Mercury Milan; at the very least, you may have to special order it.
- Foggy smog index. New car stickers typically show a confusing smog index that compares the vehicle's emissions to others in its class. A simpler sticker (similar to the EPA's SmartWay label) that features smog and global warming scores, debuts in 2009.
- Learn the LEV. California classifies vehicles in six different emission categories, from LEV (Low Emission Vehicle) to ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle.) Starting in 2007, all cars sold in the 11 " green" states must meet the stricter LEV II standards.
- Find that LEV! The LEV rating is rarely on the sticker. Dig into the automaker's literature or pop the car's hood and locate the Vehicle Emissions Control Information label. You'll see something like "LEV II SULEV" (the California rating) and "Tier 2, Bin 3" (EPA's equivalent rating). Better yet, go to the California Air Resources Board site, click the model year link on the right, and check the "Emissions Standard" column.
- Get lazy. "Buy the most fuel-efficient car in the size class you want," says Green Car Journal's Ron Cogan. "Chances are this will also be a very clean car when it comes to emissions."
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