From the “what were they thinking?” catalog: greenwashing the Chevy Tahoe

(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

There are many greenwashing efforts for gas guzzling McSUVs, seeking to put a green shine on polluting behemoths.  Normally, these come from well-paid hacks and company publicity machines.  Sometimes, however, you have to ask yourself, “What were they thinking?”  

This is truly the case with the naming of the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid as the Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year.  Amid the overall absurdity of naming a 20 mpg, 5500 pound, $50,000+ light-duty vehicle that will mainly end up in suburban drive-ways (typically with just one person in them when driven) somehow green, one has to wonder at the “names” associated with the award. These include Carl Pope, Sierra Club’s executive director; Christopher Flavin (Worldwatch Institute), Jonathan Lash (World Resources Institute), and Jean-Michel Cousteau (Ocean Futures Society).  

Let’s be clear, the Tahoe Hybrid is less bad for the environment and less problemmatic for America’s oil addiction than the traditional Tahoe behemoth, but ‘less bad’ doesn’t mean “green”.

Take a look at some of the language and claims around the Tahoe Hybrid.

“GM promised they would use hybrid technology, and use it where it would make the most difference – on their biggest vehicles. They have delivered with the Chevy Tahoe,” says Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, pointing out that this vehicle ends the argument that efficiency and vehicle choice are incompatible. He adds that automakers should now make their entire fleets fuel efficient as fast as they can retool.

Is Carl somehow jumping up and down excited with 20 mpg personal vehicle transportation?

And, it seems, Carl is so desperate to offer pain-free answers to global warming and oil dependency that he is ready to suggest that a 20 mpg vehicle is somehow choice for “efficiency”. (Okay, if we were talking truck or school bus, 20 mpg would be something to cheer.)

“This is a milestone in many respects,” says Green Car Journal editor and publisher Ron Cogan. “People don’t think ‘green’ when SUVs are concerned, and for generally good reason since SUVs often get poor fuel economy compared to most other vehicles. Chevrolet’s Tahoe Hybrid changes this dynamic with a fuel efficiency improvement of up to 30 percent compared to similar vehicles equipped with a standard V-8.”

Wow, Ron, “a standard V-8” is the standard against we should judge green cars?  

What’s … eye-opening is that the Tahoe’s 21 mpg city fuel efficiency rating is the same as that of the city EPA rating for the four-cylinder Toyota Camry sedan.

Actually, what is eye-opening (in a sad sense) is that the Camry has such lousy fuel efficiency.

Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. “We’ve felt that the Tahoe Hybrid represents the best of both worlds – the great utility you’d expect from a Tahoe with fuel economy on par with today’s mid-size cars. It’s satisfying to receive this validation from such an authority on environmentally-friendly vehicles.”

You mean greenwashing, don’t you Ed?

It’s a different challenge to achieve meaningful mpg increases on large vehicles of greater weight where substantial cargo hauling and towing may be needed, and larger engines are required for the job. For instance, the Tahoe Hybrid features seating for up to eight passengers, a 60 cubic foot cargo volume with the second and third row seats folded, the ability to carry up to 1400 pounds of cargo, and a tow rating of up to 6,200 pounds.

1400 pounds of cargo, 8 passengers, towing 6,200 pounds … okay, just how many Americans need that capacity on anything like a frequent enough basis that an occasional rental wouldn’t be enough?

For a ‘greener’ look at cars at the LA Show, I suggest spending a moment with EcoGeek.