Treehugger’s Best of Green Transit
One of our favorite websites, Treehugger.com, is asking readers to vote on the best in Green Transportation. Three of their categories strike close to home for Automopedia writers (and our fanbase) – The Best Electric Car, The Best Future Electric, and Best City of Bicycling.
We’ll give you the nominees, then explain our choices.
1. The Best Electric Car Available Today
Right now, there aren’t too many fully electric cars available. Of course, that will change in the next couple of years.
Here are TreeHugger’s nominees for best electric car on the market today:
Tesla Roadster
Nissan LEAF
Chevrolet Volt
Mitsubishi i MiEV
Automopedia’s choice: The Nissan LEAF
We chose LEAF for a number of reasons – reliability of Nissan models, popularity (the auto maker sold out of its initial run via reservations, i.e.: before the car was actually available), price (LEAF is relatively inexpensive, in at $25,280 after federal/state tax incentives), and a realistic mileage of 99 miles per charge.
2. The Best Electric Car Coming Soon
There are a slew of new electric cars headed to dealership lots in the coming years. Foreign and domestic brands alike are producing green autos.
Treehugger’s nominees for best future electric ride are:
Ford Focus Electric
Coda Electric Sedan
Fisker Karma
Renault Fluence Z.E.
Tesla Model S
BYD E6
Bolloré Blue Car
Automopedia’s choice: Tesla Model S
We’ve always been huge fans of Tesla, supporting them through good times and bad. We love the Model S because it’s American made, but not by a major auto maker (no disrespect Ford), and it looks like a luxury sports sedan. Good Luck Tesla!
3. The Best City For Bicycle Transit
Finally, what do YOU think is the best bike city in America? It was a hard choice. Some have been cycle friendly for years, while others are only starting out. Treehugger’s choices:
San Francisco
New York City
Boulder
Portland
Minneapolis
Seattle
Chicago
Automopedia’s choice: New York City
Now that Bloomberg has painted a bike lane on every avenue, one would think biking becomes easier in the most congested city in the U.S. (yeah, NYC recently beat out LA for that honor). But with more people biking incorrectly, the police cracking down on everyone without a front brake, and general frustration (or, being a New Yorker) riding in Manhattan is not simple. But if it was were easy, would it be fun? Heck no. New York is one of the most gorgeous cities in the World, and riding its streets is a joy everyone should experience once, if not every day.
Honorable Mention: Philadelphia – Sure, the roads are a nightmare, and those Jersey drivers…yikes. But we haven’t witnessed a city this passionate about two wheels since Portland, OR got into bicycle commuting. Keep it up Philly, you’re gonna go far!
Let us know what you think of our picks by commenting below. If you like or dislike, we want to know “how come?” And be sure to head over to Treehugger.com and vote for yourself!
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