About Us

Choosing the right car is an effective way to reduce emissions in the U.S. but where you drive is just as important as what you drive when choosing a climate-friendly car.

Climate Central assessed a suite of 2017 model-year vehicles to produce the Climate-Friendly Car Guide, an interactive platform to explore the climate-friendly car options in your state. Plugging an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle into an electric grid that relies heavily on dirty fossil fuels can emit more greenhouse gases than simply driving a high-efficiency gas vehicle.

Since our first report in 2012, 39 states have reduced their reliance on coal burning for electricity generation, meaning emissions per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated are lower today in these states. In addition, more electric and plug-in options have also become available in recent years. As a result, more electric and plug-in cars are among the top 10 most climate-friendly cars in more states than in our first report.

Stay up to date on climate impacts.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming