ACEEE evaluates the vehicles on tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions which contribute to climate change, among other factors, and scored the all-electric Mitsubishi i 58 in its ranking system – the highest mark ever recorded.

The score is an even larger achievement for Mitsubishi, given that this year’s list was compiled taking manufacturing and energy production into account.

‘Earning a spot on the 'Greenest' list is proving to be a real challenge for automakers given the variety of technologies on the market and the proliferation of highly efficient conventional vehicles,’ said ACEEE lead vehicle analyst, Shruti Vaidyanathan.

‘Just using the latest technology does not guarantee a top spot. Even taking into account the emissions generated from the electricity used to power the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, it still handily outscores other vehicles on the market today.’