I was reading how the Honda Civic Hybrid (a car I enjoyed driving for 3 years) was rated as the best green car in Germany. This is surprising because the much more fuel efficient Prius or natural gas version of the Civic tend to wind most of the awards. The Civic Hybrid won because of its combination of handling and fuel economy.

Also on the list are the Citroën C1, Peugeot 106 and Toyota Aygo, three cars not available in the U.S. These cars and many others including those with diesel engines are not available for sale in the U.S. for 3 reasons: differing standards for emissions and safety make it too costly to redesign vehicles for the U.S., and auto makers believing that smaller cars and diesels won't sell here.

We're seeing that fuel economy is of growing importance to American drivers who would welcome the opportunity to choose from many of the 40-50 mpg cars that are sold today in Germany, France, and Brazil. I don't envy Ford, GM, et al who have to spend millions designing specific models for each major market.

It is long overdue for the EPA, the California Air Resources Board (which sets the tone for the states) and NHTSA to sit down with their peers from around the globe and hash out common standards so that the same model (with minor modification) can be sold internationally. This could reduce the cost of vehicles (my guess is a few hundred dollars each) and make it easier for our flailing auto companies to make a profit.