A newly released version of the gasoline-electric hybrid Honda Insight has seized the position of "the year's greenest vehicle," says the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), publisher of ACEEE's Green Book(TM): The Environmental Guide to Cars and Trucks.

According to the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization, Honda's advanced CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) version of the Insight took the crown spot for all Model Year 2001 vehicles during the latest update to GreenerCars.com, the online home of ACEEE's Green Book(TM). The release of this new version of the Insight also marks another milestone -- the first time a gasoline-powered vehicle has topped the charts alone in ACEEE's Green Book(TM).

"Honda has one-upped itself with the release of the CVT Insight," says Jim Kliesch, co-author of ACEEE's Green Book(TM) and manager of the GreenerCars.com website. "When we released the Green Book in February, there was a tie for the greenest vehicle between Honda's manual transmission Insight and their natural gas-powered Civic GX. The CVT Insight, now with Super-Ultra-Low-Emission (SULEV) tailpipe emissions [the most stringent exhaust emissions standard in the world], has topped both of those."

The Insight CVT is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in America with an automatic transmission, with an EPA fuel economy rating of 57 mpg in the city, 56 mpg highway. It is also the second most fuel-efficient vehicle overall -- behind only the Insight equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission,with an EPA rating of 61 mpg city and 68 mpg highway. The Insight CVT carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $21,180.

The CVT is an automatic transmission that provides a nearly infinite number of gear ratios for smooth and efficient shifting. Honda's CVT design was first introduced on the 1996 Civic HX and received significant improvements for the introduction of the all-new 2001 Civic HX and Civic GX natural gas vehicle, as well as the Insight CVT model.

"Automatic transmissions are not as efficient as manuals," says Kliesch. "However, the CVT Insight's efficiency is still among the best on the road and, with the cleaner tailpipe emissions, that was enough to push it over the top."

"Use of a CVT allows for increased efficiency over conventional automatic transmissions, yet retains the automatics' ease-of-use," says Therese Langer, ACEEE's Transportation Program Director. "During this time of high gasoline prices, the continuously variable transmission should make the Insight appeal to even more consumers."

Sales of the Honda Insight reached record-breaking levels in May, pushed in part by record gas prices. Insight sales were up 137.6 percent compared to year-ago numbers, and topped the previous one-month record set in April.

The Insight features Honda's exclusive Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system that merges the world's lightest 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline automobile engine with a thin and lightweight electric motor for improved efficiency and added power when needed. The electric motor also acts as a generator during deceleration and braking to recharge the IMA batteries. The Insight's battery pack never needs to be recharged by an external power source and, in fact, cannot be "plugged in."

The Insight has earned four star ratings in both frontal and side impact crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The two-seat Insight features a lightweight, rigid and aerodynamic body design. It is made primarily of aluminum and its 0.25 coefficient of drag is one of the lowest of any mass-produced automobiles in the world.

ACEEE's Green Scores are comprehensive environmental vehicle ratings that account for both tailpipe pollution and global warming impacts -- including "upstream" emissions from auto factories, petroleum refineries, and, for electric vehicles, power plants.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is an independent, nonprofit research group dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of protecting the environment and strengthening the economy. For more information, go to -- www.aceee.org.