Hawaii No. 4 in nation in green car sales

Hawaii ranked fourth in the nation for green car sales in 2017.

The percent of green vehicles sold was 4.2 percent in Hawaii, higher than the 2.6 percent national average, according to iSeeCars, an automotive research firm.

The firm said it reviewed more than 22.5 million new and used cars sold in 2017 to determine the states with the highest percentage of green cars — hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.

Hawaii also was third among the states for green car adoption growth between 2014 and 2017, increasing to 4.2 percent from 1.9 percent.

“Hawaii’s growth shows the strength of the state’s sustainability plan. It shows that Hawaiian residents are committed to being environmentally friendly and also could be the result of high gas prices,” said spokeswoman Julie Blackley. “It’s important to be sustainable wherever you live. In Hawaii it’s increasingly important to ensure a more resilient and sustainable future.”

California was No. 1 for eco-friendly car sales at 7.5 percent, followed by Washington at 6.1 percent and Oregon at 5.6 percent. Louisiana had the lowest green car sales at 0.8 percent.

Auto manufacturers are producing more hybrid and electric vehicles each year.

In early 2017, there were roughly 5,000 electric vehicles in the islands, and about 50,000 new vehicles sold each year, according to Dave Rolf, head of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association.

The benefits of green cars include free parking at various airports and state and county government lots and parking meters, savings on fuel costs and federal tax credits of up to $7,500.