Although some argue production points, most EVs are much greener than gas-powered cars. That said, not all EVs make it to the top of the list of green cars.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), which is a nonprofit research organization, recently calculated the overall environmental impact caused by more than 1,200 vehicles. These models include EVs, hybrids, PHEVs, gas-powered vehicles, and diesel-powered machines. Their studies show us which cars are the greenest and which models negatively impact the environment we live in. If you’re concerned with how your vehicle affect your world, you’ll want to keep reading.

We like things bigger, bolder, and brawnier

It must be an American thing to spread out as much as we can. We are one of the few countries in the world with oceans on both sides and vast open areas to spread out. Over the past few years, our vehicles haven’t gotten smaller; they’ve gotten much bigger. If you placed a Ford F-150 from today next to one from 30 years ago, the size difference is staggering. What’s more staggering is the environmental impact of building the larger F-150 compared to smaller vehicles.

The ACEEE definition of environmental damage

Among green cars, your electric car might not be that green. If you drive a GMC Hummer EV, you can boast that you’re driving a vehicle that runs entirely on electricity, but it can be expensive to recharge, and it was extremely costly to the environment to build. The environmental damage factor is a combination of carbon emissions and air pollutants emitted by a vehicle over its entire lifespan. That big Hummer might not expel tailpipe emissions, but it certainly took a lot of carbon and air pollution to build that giant GMC truck.

When it comes to green, go lean

Do you really need to drive a big truck? If you’re not carrying a heavy load or pulling a trailer every day, the answer is that you don’t need that truck. Smaller vehicles use fewer materials and are instantly greener. Toss in the benefits of an EV, and you’ll understand why the top five greenest vehicles are EVs. These green cars are:

• Mini Cooper SE Hardtop 2 Door
• Nissan Leaf
• Mazda MX-30
• Toyota bz4X
• Subaru Solterra AWD

The next five models on the ACEEE list are all hybrids. Although these cars use a gas engine, they are small, affordable, efficient, and more eco-friendly than the Rivian R1T or Ford F-150 Lightning. These green hybrids are:

• Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Blue
• Kia Niro FE
• Toyota Camry Hybrid LE
• Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Blue
• Toyota Crolla Hybrid

After this top ten, the green cars listed are the Lexus NX450h+ AWD, which is a plug-in hybrid, and the Hyundai Kona Electric, which is an EV. The greenest cars are small, relatively affordable, and produce the least emissions on the road.

Can you still have a green car without being the greenest?

Sure, the ACEEE continues its list with what they call the “Greener Cars,” which are a bit heavier but still offer a mostly positive environmental impact compared to some of the worst vehicles for the environment. The Greener Cars are:

• Honda Accord Hybrid
• Mitsubishi Mirage
• Lexus ES 300h
• Honda CR-V FWD
• Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD
• Ford Maverick HEV FWD
• Kia Soul Eco Dynamics
• Audi A3
• Toyota Sienna
• Toyota Highlander Hybrid AWD
• BMW Z4 sDrive30i
• Mercedes-Benz GLA 250

From this list, you can see one truck (Ford Maverick), a sports car (BMW Z4), and a minivan (Toyota Sienna). This greener cars list also includes a three-row SUV (Toyota Highlander) and a few different compact SUVs that could give you the green feeling and the desired drive.

When you want green cars, what should you avoid?

There are more vehicle options in the market than you can shake a stick at. When you’re not sure if you want to drive one of the green cars, but you absolutely must avoid the vehicles that are the worst for the environment, these are the models to avoid:

• Ram 1500 TRX 4WD
• Ford F-150 Raptor R 4WD
• Cadillac Escalade V AWD
• Dodge Durango SRT AWD
• Jeep Wrangler 4 door 4WD
• Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4WD
• Mercedes-Benz G550 AWD
• BMW X5 M 4WD
• Ford Bronco Raptor 4WD
• Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 4WD
• BMW X6 M 4WD
• Dodge Charger SRT Widebody AWD

What will your next vehicle be?