Sierra Club -Huron Valley Group

The Huron Valley Group
of the Sierra Club

Representing Lenawee, Monroe and Washtenaw counties


News from the roadway: The Current 'Clean Car' Scorecard

Our 'clean car' road tester, Alan Richardson, decided to purchase and drive a Honda Civic GX fueled by natural gas to lessen his impact on the environment. These scorecards track the running total of the economic and environmental consequences of his decision.

The current scorecard

By Alan Richardson
Winter 2009

Period covered: Purchase date (18 October 2000) to 15 July 2010

Distance driven:	127,307 miles
Fuel purchased:	4088 gallons gasoline equivalent (GGE)
Fuel economy:	32.5 miles/GGE
Fuel cost of CNG used:	$5529
Average fuel cost:	$1.353 per GGE
Cost economy:	24.0 miles per dollar
Savings over gasoline:	$3032 ($1092 over payback amount)
Payback mileage*:	86,905 miles
Payback date*:	15 April 2006 (Payback complete!)

* Payback of $4500 purchase premium for natural gas fuel option reduced by $2000 Clean Cities rebate and $2000 federal income deduction at 28% marginal tax rate.

The environmental impact:
Estimated exhaust emissions of different passenger vehicles driven 127,307 miles (in pounds)

	Average car	California LEV**	Civic GX
Hydrocarbons	819	22.0	0.88
Carbon Monoxide	6117	995.1	46.8
Oxides of nitrogen	407	58.5	5.85
Total	7343	1075.6	53.53

** Standard for a 'Low Emission Vehicle' passenger car required by California starting in 2001.

Past scorecards
Back to the 'Clean Car' index

Last updated July. 2010

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