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2016 Green Truck of the Year, Commercial Green Car of the Year finalists

Not only are commercial-grade haulers getting more green love lately, they're getting more different kinds of green love. The 2016 Green Truck of the Year, the second time the award has been handed out, is being decided by judges from Green Car Journal and the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show. This year the award is joined by the new 2016 Commercial Green Car of the Year, which crowns one of the little vans increasingly used by small business as cargo and delivery vehicles. The Green Truck of the Year finalists are the Chevrolet Colorado Duramax (pictured), Ford F-150, GMC Canyon Duramax, Nissan Titan XD, and Toyota Tacoma. The first three of those were on last year's list, but since they are completely new or upgraded for 2016 - Ford with its all-aluminum body, the General Motors twins with the new diesel Duramax engine - they qualify for entry again. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel won last year. The Commercial Green Car finalists are the Chevrolet City Express, Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Metris, Nissan NV200, and Ram ProMaster City. You can read more details in the presser below, and the awards will be announced in San Antonio sometime during the show from November 19-22. San Antonio Auto & Truck Show Announces 2016 Green Truck of the Year and Commercial Green Car of the Year Finalists SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Car Journal and the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show have announced finalists for the 2016 Green Truck of the Year™ and 2016 Commercial Green Car of the Year™ awards. The Green Truck of the Year™ nominees are the Chevrolet Colorado Duramax, Ford F-150, GMC Canyon Duramax, Nissan Titan XD, and Toyota Tacoma. Vying for the all-new 2016 Commercial Green Car of the Year™ award are the Chevrolet City Express, Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Metris, Nissan NV200, and Ram ProMaster City. "Over the past few decades, new car models have benefitted from design and technology improvements that have brought higher fuel efficiency and greater levels of environmental compatibility," said Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com Editor and Publisher Ron Cogan. "With models like these ten deserving finalists, we're witnessing the pickup and light commercial vehicle field enjoying the same attention." The new Commercial Green Car of the Year™ award is part of an expanded awards program presented at this year's 2015 San Antonio Auto & Truck Show.

These are the 'Greenest' and 'Meanest' cars in 2015

As has become tradition, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has come up with a ranking of what it refers to as the "greenest" cars of 2015, and, by way of contrast, a list of the so-called "meanest" cars, so those who value eco-friendliness over all else can choose which vehicles they should or should not consider buying. As you may expect, electric cars make up the majority of the greenest cars on the list, but, perhaps surprisingly to many, the Tesla Model S didn't make the cut. It's worth noting, too, that where the electricity an owner uses to charge their electric vehicle has a big impact on its overall environmental impact. "A car that is charged using electricity generated from natural gas or renewables is going to have significantly less impact on the environment than one charged on a coal-heavy grid," says ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan. The ACEEE's list for 2015 looks very different than it did in 2014. It's an interesting collection, though – and we're sure this goes without saying, really – we'd recommend doing a bit more research into each vehicle and how it might fit into your daily life before making any purchase decisions. Click here to see the ACEEE's list of the Greenest and Meanest vehicles sold in the United States in 2015. Green Bugatti Chevrolet Fiat GM GMC Mercedes-Benz Nissan RAM smart Toyota greenest greenest cars

GM Defense shows Hummer EV-based military truck concept

GM Defense wants to convince the U.S. military that it has even more of what the military needs. During this week's Modern Day Marine 2023 exposition in Washington, D.C., GM Defense showed a new tactical vehicle concept based on the GMC Hummer EV platform. Called the Electric Military Concept Vehicle (eMCV), it uses the same Ultium platform and drivetrain as the retail Hummer EV. That means a 200-kWh battery (usable) powering three motors making 1,000 horsepower, with the two motors in back capable of torque vectoring, the single motor in front fitted with a locking diff. Upgrades over the dealership version include Fox shocks working larger 37-inch tires and heavy-duty brakes. The redrawn front and rear bumpers improve approach and departure angles. The tube chassis and lack of body panels would shed some of the Hummer's prodigious weight, nevertheless, range is reduced as a result of the other mods that reduce aerodynamic efficiency. Among said mods to the six-seater is a 46-inch gun ring and a swing side-arm mount when it's time to clock in. The estimated range drops to 300 miles from the 329 on the retail Hummer EV. Being mostly electric – more on that in a moment – the eMCV has features Silent Drive and Silent Watch driving modes could get fighters on-station with minimal noise.Plugged into a fast charger capable of 350 kilowatts, GM Defense says 12 minutes gets 100 miles of range. But when silence isn't a necessary factor, this is a series hybrid. GM Defense added a 12-kW diesel generator that can provide "limited charging and propulsion," which could also help charge "mission-critical equipment." A while back, the Army purchased a commercial Hummer EV for evaluation. The military didn't request this new concept, a GM Defense spokesperson telling Defense News it was built as a sign of potential. "We're trying to showcase what is in the realm of the possible just so we can get the discussion going and help shape [the military's] future requirements," the spokesperson said. "They get to see the different sizes and how to customize it, the different options." The eMCV sat on the trade show floor next to GM Defense's All-Electric Military Concept Vehicle, a Chevy Colorado-based Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) powered by a 60-kWh battery juicing an e-crate motor with 200 hp and 266 pound-feet of torque. The eISV was also built as a demonstrator without military input.