CHICAGO, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- With the 40th
anniversary of Earth Day approaching,
Cars.com evaluated car shopping behavior nationwide to name the
most eco-friendly cities. In the site's 3rd annual Green Cities
Index, San Francisco topped the
charts, beating out all other cities based on its interest in
hybrid vehicles as a percentage of total car shopping activity on
Cars.com.
"This Earth Day, there is a lot
for car shoppers to celebrate, including the release of the Chevy
Volt and the Nissan Leaf electric vehicles," said Cars.com Editor
in Chief, Patrick Olsen. "While
these new environmental darlings have yet to hit the market,
eco-conscious shoppers already have more hybrid options to choose
from than ever before and buying a more environmentally friendly
vehicle has never been easier. Green Cities takes a look at the
cities where these options are most engaging consumers."
Like last year, West Coast shoppers showed the greatest interest
in hybrid vehicles. Last year's winner, Eugene, Ore., dropped to fourth. The
lone cities outside of California
that made the top ten are Glendive,
Mont., Madison, Wis. and
Gainesville, Fla. The South
continues to lag behind most major cities in the country in
embracing hybrid vehicles. For the second straight year,
Laredo, Texas, had the dubious
distinction of being last on our list.
"Outside the West Coast, smaller towns across the country with
large state universities continue to show larger than normal
interest in hybrid cars," Olsen said. "Madison, Wis., home to the University of Wisconsin; Gainesville, Fla., home to the University of Florida; and Charlottesville, Va., home to the University of Virginia all appear in the top
15."
2010 Green Cities Ranking – Greatest Hybrid Shopping Activity
as a Percent of Vehicle Search on Cars.com:
|
1
|
San
Francisco - Oakland - San Jose
|
|
|
2
|
Eureka,
CA
|
|
|
3
|
Portland,
OR
|
|
|
4
|
Eugene,
OR
|
|
|
5
|
Glendive,
MT
|
|
|
6
|
Santa
Barbara - Santa Maria - San Luis Obispo, CA
|
|
|
7
|
Seattle –
Tacoma, WA
|
|
|
8
|
Madison,
WI
|
|
|
9
|
San Diego,
CA
|
|
|
10
|
Gainesville,
FL
|
|
|
11
|
Monterey –
Salinas, CA
|
|
|
12
|
Chico –
Redding, CA
|
|
|
13
|
Bend,
OR
|
|
|
14
|
Charlottesville,
VA
|
|
|
15
|
Sacramento
- Stockton – Modesto, CA
|
|
|
16
|
Salt Lake
City, UT
|
|
|
17
|
Medford -
Klamath Falls
|
|
|
18
|
Fairbanks,
Alaska
|
|
|
19
|
Missoula,
MT
|
|
|
20
|
Washington
DC (Hagerstown)
|
|
|
21
|
Denver
|
|
|
22
|
Austin,
TX
|
|
|
23
|
Rochester
- Mason City - Austin
|
|
|
24
|
Minneapolis
- Saint Paul
|
|
|
25
|
Boise,
ID
|
|
|
26
|
Los
Angeles
|
|
|
27
|
La Crosse
- Eau Claire, WI
|
|
|
28
|
Tucson
(Sierra Vista), AZ
|
|
|
29
|
Boston
|
|
|
30
|
Phoenix
|
|
|
31
|
Burlington
– Plattsburgh, VT
|
|
|
32
|
Mankato,
MN
|
|
|
33
|
Bangor,
ME
|
|
|
34
|
Helena,
MT
|
|
|
35
|
Lansing,
MI
|
|
|
36
|
Juneau,
AK
|
|
|
37
|
Raleigh -
Durham (Fayetteville), NC
|
|
|
38
|
Lexington,
KY
|
|
|
39
|
Columbia -
Jefferson City, MO
|
|
|
40
|
Butte –
Bozeman, MT
|
|
|
41
|
Portland –
Auburn, ME
|
|
|
42
|
Cedar
Rapids - Waterloo & Dubuque, IA
|
|
|
43
|
Honolulu -
HI
|
|
|
44
|
Palm
Springs, CA
|
|
|
45
|
Fresno –
Visalia, CA
|
|
|
46
|
Harrisonburg,
VA
|
|
|
47
|
Lafayette,
IN
|
|
|
48
|
Bakersfield,
CA
|
|
|
49
|
Twin
Falls, ID
|
|
|
50
|
Reno,
NV
|
|
|
51
|
Yakima -
Pasco - Richland – Kennewick, WA
|
|
|
52
|
Springfield
– Holyoke, MA
|
|
|
53
|
Syracuse,
NY
|
|
|
54
|
Roanoke –
Lynchburg, VA
|
|
|
55
|
Kansas
City
|
|
|
56
|
Rapid
City, SD
|
|
|
57
|
Las Vegas,
NV
|
|
|
58
|
Spokane,
WA
|
|
|
59
|
Green Bay
– Appleton, WI
|
|
|
60
|
Albany -
Schenectady – Troy, NY
|
|
|
61
|
Evansville,
IN
|
|
|
62
|
Albuquerque
- Santa Fe, NM
|
|
|
63
|
Idaho
Falls – Pocatello, ID
|
|
|
64
|
Cincinnati
|
|
|
65
|
Des Moines
– Ames, IA
|
|
|
66
|
Springfield,
MO
|
|
|
67
|
Tallahassee
– Thomasville, FL
|
|
|
68
|
South Bend
– Elkhart, IN
|
|
|
69
|
Birmingham
(Anniston and Tuscaloosa), AL
|
|
|
70
|
Sioux
Falls (Mitchell), SD
|
|
|
71
|
Billings,
MT
|
|
|
72
|
Anchorage,
AK
|
|
|
73
|
Richmond –
Petersburg, VA
|
|
|
74
|
Peoria –
Bloomington, IL
|
|
|
75
|
Providence
- New Bedford, RI
|
|
|
76
|
Fargo -
Valley City, ND
|
|
|
77
|
Chicago
|
|
|
78
|
Norfolk -
Portsmouth - Newport News, VA
|
|
|
79
|
Davenport
- Rock Island – Moline, IA
|
|
|
80
|
Saint
Louis
|
|
|
81
|
Milwaukee,
WI
|
|
|
82
|
Tulsa,
OK
|
|
|
83
|
Jonesboro,
AR
|
|
|
84
|
Nashville,
TN
|
|
|
85
|
Omaha,
NE
|
|
|
86
|
Charlotte,
NC
|
|
|
87
|
Indianapolis
|
|
|
88
|
Wilmington,
NC
|
|
|
89
|
Columbus,
OH
|
|
|
90
|
Dallas -
Fort Worth
|
|
|
91
|
Champaign
& Springfield – Decatur, IL
|
|
|
92
|
Panama
City, FL
|
|
|
93
|
Fort
Wayne, IN
|
|
|
94
|
Orlando -
Daytona Beach – Melbourne, FL
|
|
|
95
|
Grand
Rapids - Kalamazoo - Battle Creek, MI
|
|
|
96
|
Fort Myers
– Naples, FL
|
|
|
97
|
Fort Smith
- Fayetteville - Springdale – Rogers, AR
|
|
|
98
|
Colorado
Springs – Pueblo, CO
|
|
|
99
|
Youngstown,
OH
|
|
|
100
|
Salisbury,
MD
|
|
|
101
|
Lincoln
& Hastings – Kearney, NE
|
|
|
102
|
Knoxville,
TN
|
|
|
103
|
Baltimore,
MD
|
|
|
104
|
Dayton,
OH
|
|
|
105
|
Cheyenne –
Scottsbluff, WY
|
|
|
106
|
Watertown,
NY
|
|
|
107
|
Binghamton,
NY
|
|
|
108
|
Louisville,
KY
|
|
|
109
|
Topeka,
KA
|
|
|
110
|
Columbia,
SC
|
|
|
111
|
Greensboro
- High Point - Winston-Salem, NC
|
|
|
112
|
Jacksonville,
FL
|
|
|
113
|
West Palm
Beach - Fort Pierce, FL
|
|
|
114
|
Chattanooga,
TN
|
|
|
115
|
Tampa -
Saint Petersburg (Sarasota), FL
|
|
|
116
|
Johnstown
– Altoona, PA
|
|
|
117
|
Jackson,
TN
|
|
|
118
|
Rockford,
IL
|
|
|
119
|
Atlanta
|
|
|
120
|
Oklahoma
City, OK
|
|
|
121
|
Hartford
& New Haven, CT
|
|
|
122
|
Mobile -
Pensacola (Fort Walton Beach), AL
|
|
|
123
|
Greenville
- Spartanburg - Asheville – Anderson, SC
|
|
|
124
|
Lubbock,
TX
|
|
|
125
|
Wausau –
Rhinelander, WI
|
|
|
126
|
Philadelphia
|
|
|
127
|
Presque
Isle, ME
|
|
|
128
|
North
Platte, VA
|
|
|
129
|
Cleveland,
OH
|
|
|
130
|
Greenville
- New Bern – Washington, NC
|
|
|
131
|
Terre
Haute, IN
|
|
|
132
|
Harrisburg
- Lancaster - Lebanon – York, PA
|
|
|
133
|
New
York
|
|
|
134
|
Saint
Joseph, MO
|
|
|
135
|
Pittsburgh
|
|
|
136
|
Rochester,
NY
|
|
|
137
|
Great
Falls, MT
|
|
|
138
|
Parkersburg,
WV
|
|
|
139
|
Little
Rock - Pine Bluff, AR
|
|
|
140
|
Detroit
|
|
|
141
|
Grand
Junction – Montrose, CO
|
|
|
142
|
Joplin –
Pittsburg, MO
|
|
|
143
|
San
Antonio, TX
|
|
|
144
|
Toledo,
OH
|
|
|
145
|
Duluth –
Superior, MN
|
|
|
146
|
Wichita –
Hutchinson, KS
|
|
|
147
|
Houston
|
|
|
148
|
Paducah -
Cape Girardeau - Harrisburg - Mt Vernon, KY
|
|
|
149
|
Utica,
NY
|
|
|
150
|
Buffalo,
NY
|
|
|
151
|
Huntsville
- Decatur (Florence), IL
|
|
|
152
|
Traverse
City – Cadillac, MI
|
|
|
153
|
Dothan,
AL
|
|
|
154
|
Charleston,
SC
|
|
|
155
|
Miami -
Fort Lauderdale
|
|
|
156
|
Marquette,
MI
|
|
|
157
|
Minot -
Bismarck – Dickinson, ND
|
|
|
158
|
Wichita
Falls & Lawton, KS
|
|
|
159
|
Beaumont -
Port Arthur, TX
|
|
|
160
|
Columbus -
Tupelo - West Point, MS
|
|
|
161
|
Bowling
Green, KY
|
|
|
162
|
Memphis,
TN
|
|
|
163
|
Casper –
Riverton, WY
|
|
|
164
|
Tyler -
Longview (Lufkin & Nacogdoches), TX
|
|
|
165
|
Amarillo,
TX
|
|
|
166
|
Flint -
Saginaw - Bay City, MI
|
|
|
167
|
Sherman –
Ada, TX
|
|
|
168
|
Elmira,
NY
|
|
|
169
|
Augusta,
GA
|
|
|
170
|
Ottumwa –
Kirksville, IA
|
|
|
171
|
Savannah,
GA
|
|
|
172
|
Columbus,
GA
|
|
|
173
|
Sioux
City, IA
|
|
|
174
|
Waco -
Temple – Bryan, TX
|
|
|
175
|
Lima,
OH
|
|
|
176
|
Zanesville,
OH
|
|
|
177
|
Yuma - El
Centro, AZ
|
|
|
178
|
Biloxi –
Gulfport, MS
|
|
|
179
|
Wilkes
Barre – Scranton, PA
|
|
|
180
|
Baton
Rouge, LA
|
|
|
181
|
Macon,
GA
|
|
|
182
|
Tri-Cities,
TN-VA
|
|
|
183
|
Montgomery
(Selma), AL
|
|
|
184
|
New
Orleans
|
|
|
185
|
Florence -
Myrtle Beach, SC
|
|
|
186
|
Clarksburg
– Weston, WV
|
|
|
187
|
Quincy -
Hannibal – Keokuk, IL
|
|
|
188
|
Abilene –
Sweetwater, TX
|
|
|
189
|
Albany,
GA
|
|
|
190
|
Charleston-Huntington,
WV
|
|
|
191
|
Alexandria,
LA
|
|
|
192
|
Odessa –
Midland, TX
|
|
|
193
|
Wheeling –
Steubenville, OH
|
|
|
194
|
San
Angelo, TX
|
|
|
195
|
Bluefield
- Beckley - Oak Hill, KY
|
|
|
196
|
Erie,
PA
|
|
|
197
|
Monroe -
El Dorado, AR
|
|
|
198
|
Lake
Charles, LA
|
|
|
199
|
El Paso,
TX
|
|
|
200
|
Meridian,
MS
|
|
|
201
|
Harlingen
- Weslaco - Brownsville – McAllen, TX
|
|
|
202
|
Lafayette,
LA
|
|
|
203
|
Shreveport,
LA
|
|
|
204
|
Corpus
Christi, TX
|
|
|
205
|
Jackson,
MS
|
|
|
206
|
Hattiesburg
– Laurel, MS
|
|
|
207
|
Alpena,
MI
|
|
|
208
|
Victoria,
TX
|
|
|
209
|
Greenwood
– Greenville, MS
|
|
|
210
|
Laredo,
TX
|
|
|
|
|
Producer's Note
Broadcast news outlets will now have access to Cars.com's expert
editorial staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week through
Cars.com's new broadcast studio. To book one of Cars.com's
editors for an interview, contact Steve
Nolan at (312) 601-5163 – snolan@cars.com, or Jackie Brennan at (312) 601-6229 –
jbrennan@cars.com. To book the shot please contact VideoLink
Operations at (617) 340-4300.
About Cars.com
Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers,
offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers
and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where
to buy and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive
pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo
galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection
of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car
buyers in control of their shopping process with the information
they need to make confident buying decisions.
Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is
a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading
media companies, including Belo (NYSE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc.
(NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and
The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).
SOURCE Cars.com