This drive is cleaner than electric cars

E-cars have long been considered the saviors of mobility by large parts of politics, industry and society. When it comes to environmental protection, there is practically no alternative to the electric drive. However, the current ADAC Ecotest sees a different drive in front.

For potential buyers of an e-car, environmental protection is usually one of the decisive criteria. After all, there has long been no alternative to locally emission-free electric vehicles, at least from the point of view of many politicians and manufacturers. However, the ADAC comes to a different conclusion: the The two cleanest cars in the Ecotest 2021 run on natural gas.

Not an electric car: Seat with a natural gas engine is the ADAC Ecotest winner

winner and with it most environmentally friendly car 2021 is the Seat Leon 1.5 TGI, powered by CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). With an identical engine, the VW Golf 1.5 TGI follows in second place, which the ADAC also named the price-performance winner 2021 (on a par with the Toyota Yaris 1.5 Hybrid).

The natural gas cars convince according to ADAC with their low-emission drive and low consumption. The Seat Leon uses 4.2 kg of CNG per 100 km with just 91 g of CO2/km. The CO2 balance continues to improve the higher the proportion of biogas in the CNG mix. The calculation was based on the 40 percent biogas customary in Germany (source: ADAC).

Although e-cars are known to drive with zero emissions, the first Stromer only in 3rd place. The Hyundai Kona Electric is followed by other electric cars: Fiat 500e in 4th place, Renault Twingo Electric in 5th place and Polestar 2 in 6th place.

Like the natural gas winners, they all receive the full five stars, but differ in individual criteria. The ADAC evaluates various pollutant emissions such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and of course carbon dioxide (CO2).

Better not fall for these misconceptions about electric cars:

E-cars dominate the top 20 even without first place

But the results are no rejection of e-mobility: The top 20 are dominated by e-cars, even if particularly economical alternatives can also achieve good values ​​from time to time. Classic combustion engines with petrol or diesel engines cannot be found among the top-ranked vehicles.

Also noticeable, if not surprising: the smaller and more economical the car, the better the placement. The SUVs, which are becoming increasingly popular, and inefficient cars such as the Porsche Cayenne plug-in hybrid cavort in the worst places. Despite partial electrification the enormous consumption messes up the climate balance here.