Environmental Business Resources
Library

For those who think that the ideal “green” car is a small, quirky, electric run-around, the winner of the 2012 World Green Car of the Year might come as a surprise. Announced at the New York International Auto Show, the luxurious Mercedes-Benz S-Class took the prestigious honour, fending off more typical “green” offerings from Ford and Peugeot.

Two other Mercedes-Benz models made the list of 23 entries deemed eligible for the award, and this is the second time a Mercedes-Benz has taken the top award, recognising the company's efforts to produce environmentally low-impact vehicles across it's impressive model range.

The successful model, the S250CDi “BlueEfficiency,” emerged the winner after it joined the Ford Focus Electric, and the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid, in the final three. While the award has gone to a car powered by a conventional Internal Combustion Engine, the engine in question is certainly not a conventional S-Class Power plant. In a car more commonly associated with large capacity 8, and 12 cylinder engines, the 4-cylinder Turbo-Diesel - a first in the model's 60 year history - has already raised a few eyebrows.

Speaking at the introduction of the car, former Mercedes-Mclaren Formula One driver David Coulthard admitted he had been sceptical of the choice of engine for such a significant vehicle, but added, “Now that I've driven it, I'm a believer.”

That the Mercedes-Benz S250Cdi BlueEfficiency can return over 41mpg is simply astonishing, given that it is one of the largest saloons on the market, and with an option list that compares in value to another Mercedes-Benz, there is no scrimping on luxury either.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, Board of Management, responsible for Group Research&Mercedes-Benz Cars Development observed that, “The highly efficient gasoline and diesel engines in the S-Class show that our customers can drive a luxury vehicle with a clear conscience. The S250 CDI is the most impressive example: with a fuel consumption of only 5,7 l per 100 km, the S250 CDI is the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in the world."

The World Green Car Award, presented by Bridgestone Corporation, required a panel of experts from across the world to assess the various complex dimensions of each the vehicles in this category. On the winning car, they commented, “Powered by a 204hp diesel turbo producing 500Nm, this S-Class develops ample power from the world"s cleanest diesel, while the incorporation of a start-stop system means that this car produces an outstanding 149g/km of CO2.”

To be eligible for the 2012 World Green Car award, a vehicle had to be all-new, or substantially revised, in production and introduced for sale or lease to the public in quantities of at least 10 in at least one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2011 and ending May 30th, 2012. Exhaust pipe emissions, fuel consumption, and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine componentry), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle's environmental responsibility, were all taken into consideration.

Ryoji Yamada, General Manager of Brand Management at Bridgestone said, “We are very pleased and honoured to sponsor the 2012 World Green Car award. The environment is everyone's responsibility. And throughout our global family of companies, we take this responsibility very seriously. We believe it is our mission to serve society with superior quality... not just with eco-friendly products but also in the way we produce those products and the way in which we support our many communities with environmentally-friendly activities such as wildlife habitats and our Lake Biwa initiative in Japan”.

Previous World Green Car winners were
 the Chevrolet Volt in 2011,
 the Volkswagen BlueMotion in 2010,
 the Honda FCX Clarity in 2009,
 the BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics in 2008,
 the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec in 2007
 and the Honda Civic Hybrid in 2006