Earthcars.com Launches; Comprehensive Green Car Website for US Consumers

BURLINGTON, VT - August 1, 2007: Americans tired of rising gas prices, as well as those environmentally conscientious now have a national resource to learn more about ‘green’ transportation. Earthcars.com, the only national website providing consumers with all the tools they need to learn, browse, compare and buy their fuel efficient vehicle, launched today.

The site provides consumers with everything they need to know when buying a green vehicle. Research shows that 70 percent of new car buyers conduct online research long before ever stepping foot on a dealer’s lot. Earthcars.com provides those shoppers with a single destination geared toward education by presenting the latest research, rankings of environmentally friendly cars and even the ability to view and compare ‘green’ inventory from local car dealers in their area.

Earthcars.com incorporates a four-globe ratings system, separated by half-globe steps that rank each brand of vehicle. The ratings are measured by: fuel economy, pollution emissions, alternative energy and green factor of the manufacturer. Additionally, to be considered an “Earthcar” all vehicles must meet a prerequisite of 35mpg highway (32mpg combined) or include an advanced alternative energy technology. Consumers can use this ratings system to make better purchasing decisions when buying an earth friendly car.

In addition to educating the consumer, Earthcars.com provides a valuable service to auto dealers and manufactures by presenting those customers in the market for a new green vehicle with not just information, but also local green inventory and the ability to negotiate online. Inventory will be filtered by criteria which will ensure customers are viewing inventory of local auto dealers and that the vehicles sought out are better choices for the environment. By incorporating inventory through Earthcars.com, auto dealers will close the sales loop faster, reach local customers who are shopping for earth friendly vehicles and ultimately sell many more earth friendly cars making it a more viable and profitable business model for the future.

“People want to buy environmentally friendly vehicles, but they also want to be educated in that process. By presenting both the background research and the inventory customers feel more confident in their purchase and ultimately we are able to sell more cars, said Jodi Onoffrey, Marketing Director, Koons Tysons Toyota in Vienna, Virginia. Since making our inventory available online, our dealership has seen a substantial increase in sales. Earthcars.com will only further that number.”

Earthcars.com has been developed and launched by Dealer.com, a provider of online marketing solution for the automotive industry. The site is part of Dealer.com’s socially responsible mission to help bring environmentally sound vehicles to market while simultaneously assisting auto dealers in sales efforts.

“Our vision with Earthcars.com is to assist the public in learning about environmentally positive changes that will occur as more people begin to drive earth friendly vehicles,” said Mark Bonfigli, Chairman, CEO and President of Dealer.com. “Earthcars.com provides consumers with great research tools that allow them to become educated on the different kinds of green transportation and a rating system that evaluates each brand of vehicle and ranks them by earth friendliness. Earthcars.com will help consumers from the initial stages of research through the final stages of locating and negotiating the purchase of an earth friendly vehicle through a local dealer.

To visit the site and begin learning about the latest developments in earth friendly transportation, go to Earthcars.com. By simply entering your zip code you will be able to search and compare local earth friendly vehicles in your area. Earthcars.com wants everyone to Be Cool. Drive Green.