Skip to main content

Green Car 2010: Audi’s Diesel-Powered A3 TDI

Audi-A3-TDI-Green-Car-of-the-Year-2010It was an Academy Award-esque shocker at the Green Car Journal’s 2010 Green Car of the Year awards on Thursday. The award, bestowed at the LA Auto Show each year, honors the vehicle that had the greatest positive impact on the environment. The 50 mpg third-generation Prius, in the eyes of many observers, certainly seemed a shoe-in for such honors.

However, when the award was announced, it was Audi, not Toyota accepting the honors. The 2010 Audi A3 TDI, a vehicle with a clean diesel engine, took home the trophy. The sporty, yet economical car features 42 mpg highway and 32 mpg city fuel economy on a 2.0L 140-horsepower inline-4 diesel engine.

Recommended Videos

Priced from $29,950, the vehicle retails for a bit more than the Prius, but features some additional luxury touches.

The award demonstrates a logical shift in thinking for the green community that has long been missing. The thought is that while hybrids and electric vehicles, which feature smaller sales, are good, mass market vehicles are better. That sentiment was echoed in the enthusiasm green car advocates showed for small fuel-efficient vehicles at the LA Auto Show, including the Chevy Cruze, the Hyundai Sonata, Volkswagen Golf TDI, and the Ford Fiesta.

Jake Fisher, senior engineer at Consumer Reports, comments, “Cars like the Cruze and the Fiesta will certainly have a bigger impact on the environment because they will be high-volume vehicles.”

Mass market appeal seems the best way to make the largest impact. Johan de Nysschen, Audi of America’s president, who once called buyers of GM’s Chevy Volt “idiots”, emphasized this in his acceptance speech. He stated, “”Green is no longer progressive. Green is expected.”

With the new generation of fuel-efficient gasoline and diesel engines coming online, combined fuel economies in the 30 mpg to 40 mpg range can finally will be realized. If these vehicles can comprise the majority of sales, displacing vehicles with traditional fuel economies of around 20 mpg, this will lead to a third less fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

What’s great, though, is that many of these cars like the Audi A3 TDI and the Ford Fiesta seem fun to drive as well. For that reason, the 2010 Audi A3 TDI seem a befitting recipient of its Green Car of the Year honors. As Ron Cogan, the editor and publisher of Green Car Journal sums up, “The love of cars and the love of the environment are not mutually exclusive.”

Dena Cassella
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Haole built. O'ahu grown
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Tesla just scrapped the Cybertruck range extender
Tesla CEO Elon Musk behind the wheel of a Cybertruck.

The writing was pretty much on the wall for the Cybertruck range extender last month when Tesla removed the option from its website. Now, it’s officially scrapped it and is refunding the $2,000 deposits that customers put down for the $16,000 battery pack. 

“We are no longer planning to sell the range extender for Cybertruck," Tesla said in a message to customers on Wednesday, adding, "As a result, we will be refunding your deposit in full.”

Read more
Zoox recalls robotaxis after Las Vegas crash, citing software fix
zoox recall crash 1739252352 robotaxi side profile in dark mode

Amazon's self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, has issued a voluntary safety recall after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a minor collision in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in April 2025, led the company to investigate and identify a software issue affecting how the robotaxi anticipates another vehicle’s path.
The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
Zoox’s robotaxis, which operate without driving controls like a steering wheel or pedals, are part of Amazon’s entry into the autonomous driving space. According to Zoox’s safety recall report, the vehicle failed to yield to oncoming traffic while making an unprotected left turn, leading to a low-speed collision with a regular passenger car. While damage was minor, the event raised flags about the system’s behavior in complex urban scenarios.
Establishing safety and reliability remain key factors in the deployment of the relatively new autonomous ride-hailing technology. Alphabet-owned Waymo continues to lead the sector in both safety and operational scale, with services active in multiple cities including Phoenix and San Francisco. But GM’s Cruise and Ford/VW-backed Argo AI were forced to abandon operations over the past few years.
Tesla is also expected to enter the robotaxi race with the launch of its own service in June 2025, leveraging its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. While FSD has faced heavy regulatory scrutiny through last year, safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration.
Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.

Read more