New York Times Article-Text By CLAUDIA H. DEUTSCH Published: December 11, 2006 "REMEMBER the dueling beer drinkers in the Miller Lite commercials? Tastes great! No, less filling! Honda’s latest campaign stresses its commitment to the environment." Now the automotive world is doing its own take...in the spring, Americans were terrified that gas prices would soar past $5 at the pump, car companies promoted the fuel efficiency of their models — or at least came up with ways to make the gas consumption more palatable. In May, General Motors began offering prepaid gas cards to buyers of S.U.V.’s and midsize cars in California and Florida. Honda began referring to itself as Small Oil. Gas prices have come down, and the panic has subsided. Car companies, however, are still emphasizing fuel efficiency — not just as a way to spare the wallet this time, but also as a way to save the planet. Or, to paraphrase that Miller Lite ad: Less costly! No, fewer greenhouse gas emissions! The signs are all around. In late August, the Chevrolet division of G.M. sent a fleet of 60 ethanol-compatible S.U.V.’s to transport people and equipment to and from the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall. Never mind that ethanol is not particularly easy to find in Manhattan, or that S.U.V.’s in general are not particularly fuel-efficient vehicles. It was a strike for green-ness. As Ed Peper, Chevrolet’s general manager, put it at the time, “Going green never looked so good.†The Ford Motor Company’s Focus car was recently granted the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay seal, which the E.P.A. grants to vehicles that spew forth relatively low levels of both regulated pollutants and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that, while generally considered safe to breathe, are thought to contribute to global warming. In its advertisements, Ford still stresses fuel efficiency, but it is highlighting the SmartWay designation in the brochures that dealers give out. “It isn’t that we are changing course from gas mileage to concern for the environment,†said Kristen Kinley, who handles environmental communications for Ford. “But the two go hand in hand, and the E.P.A. designation for the Focus was a good fit for marketing and point-of-sale materials.†Honda, too, is going for harmonic messages. Honda used to run one series of ads on the fuel efficiency of its cars and a separate series lauding how cleanly they run. One ad, for example, played on the concept of air bags, in this context meaning lungs, while another showed Mr. Clean (with Procter & Gamble’s approval) standing in front of a Honda Accord. “Drive one,†the ad challenged, “and see what the neighbors call you.†But Honda’s current campaign, called Environmentology, tries to position Honda as the “most fuel-efficient auto company in America†as well as one that is “committed to developing environmentally responsible technology.†Environmentalism “is not just the flavor of the week with us,†said Jeffrey Smith, vice president for corporate communications at American Honda Motor. “But we recognize that climate change and sustainable fuel are both important global issues, so the Environmentology campaign is addressing our holistic approach to both.†Auto makers do not have a lock on the holistic approach. Oil companies and rental car companies are jumping on the bandwagon, too. Exxon Mobil ran full-page newspaper ads in November that claimed that the company was developing engine and fuel systems that could improve fuel economy by 30 percent while significantly reducing emissions. And Hertz recently inaugurated its “Green Collection.†For an extra $3 to $5 a day, environment-conscious drivers can reserve a Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Buick LaCrosse or Hyundai Sonata, all family-size cars that are rated by the E.P.A. as getting at least 28 miles to the gallon. About half the cars in the green fleet carry the SmartWay seal. “Customers that don’t want small cars keep telling us they still want cars that are fuel-efficient and environmentally sound,†said Richard D. Broome, vice president for corporate affairs. Of course, Hertz already had thousands of such cars in its fleet, and Mr. Broome knows that the additional charge for reserving one could raise eyebrows. But since Hertz guarantees the availability of a green car, he said, it must buy more of them, and devise better ways to allocate them among Hertz locations. “Normally, if a car you reserve isn’t available, a rental car company upgrades you to the next-highest vehicle class,†which could mean an S.U.V. or other gas guzzler, he said. “We have to make sure these cars are available, and the extra fee covers the logistics of doing that.†Paradoxically, those car companies that have traditionally trumpeted their environmental good citizenry are muting that message, at least temporarily. Subaru, for example, has often been praised for its environmentally sensitive manufacturing and printing methods and its large roster of green vehicles. Subaru recently won a SmartWay designation for its Outback S.U.V., and many Subaru dealers put a sticker noting that on showroom Outbacks. But Subaru’s ads still stress fuel efficiency, not environmental correctness. The reason is that all-wheel drive, which Subaru was one of the first to use, has become so common on S.U.V.’s that the company fears that drivers will erroneously associate all-wheel drive with gas guzzlers. “We’ve got a limited budget, so it comes down to, How many messages can we afford to send out?†said Lee Garfinkel, chairman and chief creative officer of DDB New York, Subaru’s ad agency. “Maybe down the road we’ll talk more about the environment, but right now we’ve got to stay focused on fuel economy.†That is fine with the E.P.A., which cares only that more cars are running clean enough to earn the SmartWay designation; whether they make promotional hay with it is immaterial. “Probably less than 20 percent of new cars meet this standard, and next year it’s going to get even tougher,†said Margo T. Oge, director of the agency’s office of transportation and air quality. “So we’re going to be pleased when any organization is going after the SmartWay label, and using it in any way. It shows they realize that people really do care about cleaner, more sustainable transportation choices.â€
