Granite State Clean Cars Program
When purchasing a new car, smart consumers look for vehicles with the Granite State Clean Cars label for higher fuel economy and lower emissions. Many New Hampshire car dealers voluntarily participate in the Granite State Clean Cars program to help car shoppers identify less polluting, more fuel-efficient vehicles. You’ll save money and protect your health and the environment!
Participating dealers place a special label in the window of new vehicles that meet environmentally superior performance ratings. Over 25 car manufacturers now produce more than 500 different varieties of new cars that qualify for a Granite State Clean Cars label. To qualify for the label, the vehicle must:
Have a highway fuel economy rating of 30 miles per gallon or better.
Have an emissions rating of one of the following: LEV (Low Emission Vehicle), ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle), SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle), or PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle).
The Granite State Clean Cars Program, which began in 2002, is a partnership between Granite State Clean Cities Coalition, the New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association, Breathe New Hampshire, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the New Hampshire Departments of Environmental Services and Transportation. The goal of the partnership is to inform the public about cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles and make it easier for consumers to identify these vehicles at dealerships in New Hampshire.
Granite State Clean Cars are Better for the Environment!
Since the 1970s, the automobile industry has made great progress in increasing vehicle fuel economy and reducing air pollution from vehicle exhaust. New Hampshire continues to face environmental and public health challenges, however, as more vehicles than ever are on our roads traveling more miles. Cars and trucks are a significant source of emissions that contribute to ozone pollution, air toxics and greenhouse gases. Moreover, cars and trucks consume billions of gallons of gasoline and diesel every year. The oil used to produce these fuels is a limited resource, and 45 percent of it comes from foreign sources.
Fortunately, many fuel efficient, lower emitting new cars are available. Good for consumers and good for the environment, these vehicles:
- Save money – Consumers can save over $800 or more in fuel costs each year by choosing the most efficient vehicle in a particular class.
- Protect public health and the environment – Cleaner cars emit less smog-forming emissions and toxic air pollutants, pollutants that pose potential longer-term health risks, including cancer.
- Strengthen national energy security – Improved fuel economy helps to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and protect the US economy. About 45 percent of the oil used to produce each gallon of gasoline is imported which cost $460 billion in 2011 – money that could be used for fuel our own economy.
- Conserve resources for future generations – The US uses about 18 million barrels of oil per day, over two-thirds of which is used for transportation.
What You Can Do
If you are in the market for a new car, compare fuel economy and air pollution ratings of different makes and models before you buy a car. Find a participating dealer and ask about the program and look for the "Clean Cars" label in the window of qualifying vehicles.
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