(October 14, 2014) SAN ANTONIO — Green Car Journal has announced its five finalists for the prestigious Green Truck of the Year award that will be presented at the 2014 San Antonio Auto & Truck Show on Nov. 6. The five 2015 model pickups that rose to the top include the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford F-150, GMC Canyon, Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, and Ram 1500 HFE.

"The significant efficiency and environmental improvements being made in the truck segment signal an important change in the industry," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the award-winning Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com.

"Better environmental performance has been a high-profile part of the auto industry for some time, but trucks have not enjoyed the same attention as passenger cars. These five finalists show that environmental improvement in the truck world is changing in a very big way."

The Chevy Colorado is an all-new mid-size pickup featuring the attributes and functionality desired by truck enthusiasts with the added benefit of easy maneuverability in urban driving, plus notable fuel efficiency. Ford's completely redesigned F-150 breaks new ground by using a significantly lighter all-aluminum body and high-strength steel frame to shave 700 pounds from the pickup, while introducing an efficient 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine.

Also all-new is the GMC Canyon, which shares the same platform as its Chevy counterpart but is differentiated with its own unique design elements, features, and functionality along with its inherent fuel efficiency.

The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel brings highly efficient and powerful clean diesel power to the light truck segment along with exceptional functionality and performance. Its gasoline counterpart, the high efficiency Ram 1500 HFE, features conventional gasoline internal combustion power with important efficiency measures to achieve notable fuel economy.  Each offers its own solutions to increasing efficiencies, lessening CO2 and tailpipe emissions, and reducing environmental impact.

All pickups are considered for the Green Truck of the Year program. During the vetting process, Green Car Journal editors evaluate both a truck's 'green' achievements as well as its all-important functionality since the latter is a crucial touchstone for truck buyers. Trucks running on all fuels and technologies are considered. In additional to significant environmental achievement, market significance, 'newness,' and other important criteria are weighed to narrow the field to five deserving finalists.

"These finalists confirm there's very positive and diverse environmental improvement occurring in the all-important truck space," said Pam Crail, president of San Antonio Auto Dealers Association. "With South Texas being the heart and soul of truck country, there's no better place to recognize these achievements than at the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show, where those discriminating consumers will come to shop for their next truck purchase."

The Green Truck of the Year award recognizes trucks that raise the bar in environmental performance and are available to consumers in January of the award year.