Ford Fusion Energi and Toyota Highlander Hybrid Named Green Fleet Car and Truck of the Year

Bobit Business Media Reveals Winner During LA Auto Show® Press & Trade Days

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Nov 21, 2014, 09:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Bobit Business Media today named the Ford Fusion Energi and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid winners of the Green Fleet Car and Truck of the Year awards, respectively, live from the LA Auto Show®. These awards recognize the most environmentally-friendly cars and trucks for fleet use and emphasize the auto industry's expanding efforts to offer new vehicles with higher fuel efficiencies and a smaller environmental impact.

The Green Fleet Car of the Year winner, the Ford Fusion Energi Plug-In Hybrid, has a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery and an electric motor with a gasoline engine for added efficiency. The car also features a next-generation SmartGauge® with EcoGuide, providing real-time information to help users drive more efficiently. The Ford Fusion Energi is also equipped with regenerative breaking, a standard feature that captures 90 percent of the kinetic energy and uses it to recharge the lithium-ion battery. The two runner-ups for Green Fleet Car of the Year were the Nissan LEAF and the Honda Civic Natural Gas.

The Green Fleet Truck of the Year winner, the all-new Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV, can accommodate up to seven passengers comfortably while providing a seamless gas-to-electric driving experience. In addition to being a market leader in fuel economy, it includes features such as electronic on-demand 4-Wheel Drive, Hybrid Synergy Drive® and 280-hybrid system net horsepower. The runner-ups for Green Fleet Truck of the Year were the Ram 1500 Eco Diesel and Ford Transit T150 Wagon FFV.

All fleet model nominees for the Green Fleet Car and Truck of the Year awards were self-nominated by each OEM. These are the models recommended to corporate fleet customers to help them meet corporate sustainability goals in fleet applications.

"This year we had a record number of Green cars and trucks to choose from, but ultimately we chose the two models that were the most innovative, environmentally friendly and offered the best value for your investment," said Mike Antich, editor of Automotive Fleet Magazine. "The Ford Fusion Energi's unique rechargeable battery and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid's outstanding fuel efficiency are what led us to crown these two models as this year's Green Fleet car and truck winners."

The finalists for the Green Fleet Car and Truck of the Year were chosen through online voting by readers of Green Fleet, Automotive Fleet, Work Truck and Business Fleet magazines. Winners were selected based on a strategic evaluation of performance and contributions to the environment, as well as a numerical score that is calculated based on fuel economy, petroleum displacement, EPA air pollution score, EPA greenhouse gas emissions, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Association ratings and passenger capacity for cars and payload capacity for trucks. To develop the award criteria and identify the finalists, Bobit Business Media collaborated with, and received technical assistance from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratory, which support the U.S. Department of Energy's National Clean Cities program.

About Bobit Business Media
Bobit Business Media was founded in 1961 with the launching of Automotive Fleet in Glenview, Ill. For more than 50 years, the company has grown to publishing over 20 various trade publications covering 5 different markets and is the world's largest fleet publisher.

About the Los Angeles Auto Show and Connected Car Expo
The Los Angeles Auto Show was founded in 1907, and is the first major North American auto show of the season each year. Press and Trade show days for the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show will be held on Nov. 18-20. The show will be open to the public Nov. 21 – Nov. 30. The Connected Car Expo (CCE) is the automotive industry's most authoritative showcase of new mobility solutions and will take place on November 18, and continue in conjunction with the 2014 LA Auto Show® Press & Trade Days. The LA Auto Show is endorsed by the Greater L.A. New Car Dealer Association and is operated by ANSA Productions. To receive the latest show news and information, follow the Los Angeles Auto Show on Twitter at twitter.com/LAAutoShow or via Facebook at facebook.com/LosAngelesAutoShow and sign up for alerts at www.LAAutoShow.com. For more information on CCE please visit http://connectedcarexpo.com.

Hashtag: #LAAutoShow

Media Contacts:
Sanaz Marbley/Ashley Anderson
JMPR Public Relations, Inc.
(818) 992-4353
[email protected]
[email protected]

SOURCE Los Angeles Auto Show