Lowest Emission Vehicles
The 2020 BMW i3 leads at 22 g/mi, followed by the Toyota Prius Prime at 50 g/mi.
Tailpipe CO2 tracks fuel burned almost exactly, so this ranking mirrors fuel economy — with one exception: battery-electric vehicles emit nothing at the tailpipe and sit at zero.
| # | Vehicle | Tailpipe CO2 | City / Hwy | Fuel cost/yr | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2020 BMW i3 | 22 g/mi | 30 / 31 | $2,450 | Premium Gas or Electricity |
| 2 | 2023 Toyota Prius Prime | 50 g/mi | 53 / 51 | $1,200 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 3 | 2025 Toyota Prius | 50 g/mi | 53 / 51 | $1,200 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 4 | 2023 Ford Escape | 52 g/mi | 42 / 37 | $1,550 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 5 | 2025 Kia Sportage | 55 g/mi | 36 / 35 | $1,750 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 6 | 2020 Honda Clarity | 57 g/mi | 44 / 40 | $1,450 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 7 | 2020 Karma Revero | 70 g/mi | 27 / 25 | $2,900 | Premium Gas or Electricity |
| 8 | 2021 Karma GS-6 | 70 g/mi | 27 / 25 | $2,900 | Premium Gas or Electricity |
| 9 | 2023 Kia Niro | 71 g/mi | 49 / 47 | $1,300 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 10 | 2025 Toyota RAV4 | 72 g/mi | 40 / 36 | $1,600 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 11 | 2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime | 72 g/mi | 40 / 36 | $1,600 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 12 | 2022 Hyundai Ioniq | 74 g/mi | 52 / 51 | $1,200 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 13 | 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class | 84 g/mi | 23 / 28 | $3,050 | Premium and Electricity |
| 14 | 2022 Lexus NX | 87 g/mi | 38 / 33 | $2,100 | Premium and Electricity |
| 15 | 2025 Lexus RX | 89 g/mi | 36 / 33 | $2,150 | Premium and Electricity |
| 16 | 2020 Polestar 1 | 93 g/mi | 22 / 31 | $2,900 | Premium and Electricity |
| 17 | 2020 Kia Optima | 97 g/mi | 39 / 44 | $1,500 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 18 | 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander | 97 g/mi | 27 / 27 | $2,300 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 19 | 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class | 99 g/mi | 21 / 26 | $3,300 | Premium and Electricity |
| 20 | 2023 Volvo S60 | 99 g/mi | 30 / 33 | $2,450 | Premium and Electricity |
| 21 | 2023 Volvo V60 | 99 g/mi | 30 / 33 | $2,450 | Premium and Electricity |
| 22 | 2020 Ford Fusion | 99 g/mi | 43 / 40 | $1,450 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 23 | 2022 Hyundai Tucson | 100 g/mi | 35 / 35 | $1,750 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
| 24 | 2025 Land Rover Range Rover | 102 g/mi | 21 / 22 | $3,600 | Premium and Electricity |
| 25 | 2024 Kia Sorento | 105 g/mi | 35 / 33 | $1,800 | Regular Gas and Electricity |
Source: EPA fuel economy test data via fueleconomy.gov, model years 2020 and later. One row per model, using its best-performing configuration.
How the tailpipe co2 figures compare
Across the 25 vehicles ranked here, tailpipe co2 runs from 105 g/mi for the 2024 Kia Sorento up to 22 g/mi for the 2020 BMW i3 — a spread of -83 g/mi, or about -79% between the bottom and top of the list. The midpoint sits at 84 g/mi, so anything above that figure is in the upper half of what this dataset covers.
Toyota places 4 models on the list, the most of any brand, ahead of Kia with 4 and Ford with 2. In total 13 manufacturers are represented, which is a useful read on how widely this level of tailpipe co2 is available rather than being confined to a single badge.
Estimated annual fuel cost across these entries ranges from $1,200 to $3,600 on the EPA's standard 15,000-mile driving assumption — a difference of $2,400 a year, or roughly $12,000 over a typical five-year ownership period. Read the ranking column alongside that figure: the highest-rated vehicle is not automatically the cheapest to run once fuel type and tank size differ.
Powertrains on this list break down as Regular Gas and Electricity (14), Premium and Electricity (8), Premium Gas or Electricity (3). Every figure comes from EPA laboratory testing of the specific model year shown, so comparisons hold between rows; real-world results move with climate, terrain, load and driving style.
What this list doesn't tell you
Tailpipe output excludes emissions from producing the fuel or electricity. For an EV, the upstream figure depends on how your regional grid generates power.