Some people buy green cars to save money, and others buy green cars to save the world. With the recent trend toward 40 mpg in many of our cars today, it’s easy to let our wallets do the thinking for us. However, some automakers are taking strides to be more environmentally conscious with the production of their new models, too. The new Ford Escape, for example, uses soy foam in its seats and recycled plastic bottles for the manufacturing of its floor mats. Chevrolet is taking it one step further with its new Ecologic score cards for the 2013 Malibu.
Chevrolet claims that “environmental friendliness” is either “very” or “extremely important” to 63 percent of Malibu buyers. That number raises to 78 percent for shoppers considering the Malibu Eco.
The new Ecologic scorecard can be found next to the car’s window sticker at dealerships, and it lists several of the green techniques developed to manufacture the Malibu. The Malibu lives up to its claim, too. The majority of transmissions produced for the car come from GM’s Toledo, Ohio plant, which is landfill-free and uses solar energy to help keep the lights on. The engine is produced in New York, where wildlife habitats have been developed on the plant’s land. And the Fairfax, Kansas plant , where most Malibus are assembled, received a Pollution Prevention Award for its recycling efforts just last year.
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu earns up to 37 MPG on the highway if you choose the Eco model, but consumers can be sure to feel good about more than just their financial savings if they’re looking at this midsize sedan.
