2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Our readers are nothing if not consistent.
When we asked our Twitter followers last week to choose what they consider a "green car," a solid majority said nothing but a pure electric car qualifies.
Under a picture of a gas-guzzling Dodge Challenger SRT8, literally painted green and parked in a spot marked "reserved for green vehicles," we asked the question, "What does a green car mean to you?"
What’s does “green car” mean to you?— Green Car Reports (@GreenCarReports) June 11, 2018
The choices were, "One with lower emissions," "Any one that plugs in," "Only a pure electric," and "Other."
The 52 percent of respondents who chose "Only a pure electric" almost outnumbered those who chose the next two options combined.
A sizeable 24 percent agreed that any car that emits fewer pollutants than standard cars qualifies as green. That could include standard hybrids or even cars with particularly clean emissions systems.
Another 20 percent allowed that any car that plugs in and enables its driver to cover the majority of their daily mileage on electricity should count as green, even if it allows its owner to use gasoline occasionally to drive farther than an electric car.
Only 4 percent chose Other, probably referring mostly to fuel-cell vehicles, which can run on hydrogen produced from renewable hydrolysis. "Other" could also encompass biofuels and a host of other options.
As we always note, our Twitter polls are not scientific, because of low sample size and the fact that our respondents are self-selected.