The Mercedes G-Wagen Is the Least Eco-Friendly Car on the Market, a New Study Says

Bryan Hood
·2 min read
2

Bigger isn’t always better—especially when it comes to environmental impact.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has just released its annual “Meanest List” of the least energy-efficient vehicles you can buy in 2024, according to Autoblog. And at the top, or bottom, of this year’s list is one of the most coveted luxury vehicles out there, the Mercedes-AMG G63.

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The list comes out of the group’s annual “Greener Cars” study, which attempts to determine the environmental impact of every mass-market light-duty vehicle you can buy in the U.S. each year. Unlike other similar studies, ACEEE looks at more than just fuel efficiency, and as such compares gas-, hybrid-, and battery-powered vehicles to one another. Instead, it also takes into upstream emissions generated by the electricity used by a vehicle, emissions produced by mining for battery materials, and emissions generated by producing a vehicle and its components. The higher a vehicle’s “Green” score, the more environmentally friendly it is. Conversely, the lower its score is, the “meaner” it is.

The GMC Hummer EV also made it onto ACEEE’s “Meanest List”
The GMC Hummer EV also made it onto ACEEE’s “Meanest List”

This year, ACEEE found that the “meanest” vehicle you can buy is the AMG G63, or G-Wagen. The German marque’s stylish 4×4, which also tips the scales at over 7,000, earned a rock-bottom score of 20, which was the lowest score from any of the 1,200 vehicles the group looked at. The group also found that you’d spend more than $4,200 on gas each year, even if you limited yourself to 15,000 miles. The AMG G63 is no stranger to the “Meanest List,” either. This was its seventh appearance on the list in the decade it’s been published, and it has finished with the lowest score on two other occasions.

Unsurprisingly, the AMG G63 wasn’t the only hulking vehicle to crack the “Meanest List.” The SUV was followed directly by two powerful trucks, the Ram 1500 TRX 4×4 (which scored a 22) and the Ford F-150 Raptor R (24). In total, the list’s dirty dozen consists of seven SUVs, three trucks, and just two cars. The group even includes an EV. Despite having a fully electric powertrain, the GMC Hummer EV, which tips the scales at a monstrous 9,000 pounds, scored a 29, which was bad enough for 9th worst this year.

Oh, and if you were wondering, this year’s “greenest” car was the hybrid Toyota Prius (71), which was followed by two EVs, the Lexus RZ 300e (67) and Mini Cooper SE (67).

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