5 Very Cool Eco-Friendly Cars

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Chevrolet Spark

You’ll never be alone when you’re driving the Spark because Apple’s Siri is along for the ride. General Motors is planning to offer this new mini-electric car for only $25,000, although initially it will only be sold in California (where it will be eligible to drive in high-occupancy-vehicle lanes) and Oregon. Auto Trader notes that the car “offers one clear advantage over the competition: very fast recharging time. The Spark EV is equipped for SAE Combo DC fast charging that allows an 80 percent recharge in just 20 minutes.”

Photo: AFP/Getty

Tesla Model S sedan

This American-made, all-electric car can travel between 140 to 265 miles on a single charge depending on the size of its battery pack, and with a 240-volt outlet you can fully charge the battery in four to six hours. Plus, it also goes from zero to 60 in less than five seconds. That’s why the Christian Science Monitor reported this week that, “As year-end automobile awards arrive, the vehicle that's revving ahead of the pack is a car that can't rev at all. The all-electric Tesla Model S won ‘car of the year’ from Motor Trend magazine, Automobile Magazine, and Yahoo Autos.”

Photo: Noah Berger/Reuters

Fiat 500e

It’s hard to argue with a tagline that says, “Ugliness is the Worst Form of Pollution.” And that’s exactly how Fiat bills its new electric vehicle which it says will take “the Electric Vehicle market by storm . . . Gorgeous Cinquecento design frames a remarkable blend of performance (0-to-60 mph in 9.0 sec+) in a battery-electric powertrain with a sub 4-hour recharge.” In a slightly less dramatic, but equally compelling manner, Green Ideal states, “The all-new 2013 Fiat 500e promises to be stylish and an environmentally responsible zero-emissions design.”

Photo: Staff/Getty

Ford Fusion

It may be in its eighth year as part of Ford’s lineup, but the 2013 Fusion beat out the Dodge Dart Aero, Mazda’s CX-5 SkyActiv, and Toyota’s Prius for the “Green Car of the Year award” at the just concluded Los Angeles Auto Show. Car and Driver notes that, “An electronically controlled continuously variable transmission sends the power to the wheels. Lighter, more powerful lithium-ion batteries replace the previous Fusion hybrid’s nickel-metal hydride batteries, packing enough of a punch to increase the fully electric top speed from 47 to 62 mph.”

Photo: AFP/Getty

2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid

Honda is introducing a new hybrid drive system with the 2014 model year, and the Accord will offer both a gas-electric hybrid and a plug-in hybrid model. Treehugger reported this week that the “plug-in hybrid scored an impressive 115 MPGe in the EPA's tests.” They added that it’s the “first production car in America to meet the more stringent new LEV3/SULEV20 emissions standard.”

Photo: Bloomberg/Getty

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Texting while driving is illegal in 38 states. Many of us have done it, but the fine that comes with being caught isn’t something you’ll LOL at.

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Lawrence Karol is a writer and editor who lives with his dog, Mike. He is a former Gourmet staffer and enjoys writing about design, food, travel and lots of other stuff. @WriteEditDream | Email Lawrence | TakePart.com