Celebrities take a green ride to award ceremonies. Airport limos and business fleets go green. States offer car pool lane and tax incentives to hybrid owners. Now the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has released “The Greenest Vehicles of 2007.” Its top 12 are the Honda Civic GX; Toyota Prius; Honda Civic Hybrid; Nissan Altima Hybrid; Toyota’s Yaris, Corolla, and Camry Hybrid; Honda Fit; Kia Rio/Rio 5; Hyundai’s Accent and Elantra; and Honda Civic.

Even better, Yahoo’s Green Center ranks the eco-friendliness of almost everything we’re driving, from the cleanest to the meanest. Scoring models from 1 to 100, Green Center ratings reflect the total impact of manufacturing and operating a vehicle, from raw steel to tailpipe emissions. “This is the most rigorous and environmentally sound calculation you can do,” says Dr. John DeCicco, a senior fellow with the Environmental Defense group responsible for this public service.

While the Environmental Protection Agency moves to ensure that mileage-per-gallon claims are realistic, hybrid owners already find that hefty upfront premiums are paying off in long-term savings. More, Business Week reports that Toyota is promising a third generation of lighter, more powerful hybrids with lithium-ion batteries in 2008-2009. Fuel-efficiency should rise while sticker prices close in on that of traditional cars. Detroit is on notice.

Look up America’s “Top 100 Cars” at www.autos.yahoo.com/green_center.