Green Vehicles - Whole of Life Assessment

I was recently checking out the Green Vehicle Guide website that is maintained by the Australian Government. We are the proud owners of a 2006 Toyota Prius and therefore I am pleased to see that this vehicle ranks as one of the top performers in the Guide. Other top performers include Smart Fortwo car, Suzuki Alto, Fiat 500, Fiat Punto and Honda Jazz.

I am also pleased to see that the Green Vehicle Guide includes greenhouse gas emissions as part of its assessment and scoring of vehicles. There is so much talk and focus in the media on fuel consumption that often the greenhouse gas emissions of the vehicle is overlooked.

However it would be interesting to see if the Australian Government will take the guide further.

As a Prius owner I often find myself in discussions about the environmental integrity of the vehicle, in particular, the lifecycle or whole-of-life economic and environmental value of the vehicle. As a hybrid electric vehicle the Prius has a significant battery system. What happens to this battery system when the vehicle is no longer required, or when the battery system has exhausted is useable life is a big question on many people's mind (including my own).

I would like to see the Australian Government take the next step with the Green Vehicle Guide. It would be good to see a rating related to value of the vehicle that can be reused and recycled, what would you like to see included in the guide?

Let us know your thoughts on the Green Vehicle Guide....