Green Car Journal has selected Ram’s ProMaster City as its inaugural 2016 Commercial Green Car of the Year™ and Ford’s F-150 as its 2016 Green Truck of the Year™. The awards were presented at a press conference held at the 2015 San Antonio Auto & Truck Show in San Antonio, Texas.

Nominees for Commercial Green Car of the Year™ also included the Chevrolet City Express, Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Metris, and Nissan NV200, while finalists for Green Truck of the Year™ included the Chevrolet Colorado Duramax, GMC Canyon Duramax, Nissan Titan XD, and Toyota Tacoma. While hard-working functionality remains a cornerstone for models like these aimed at business and personal use, the added benefit of higher fuel economy, lower carbon emissions, and greater environmental compatibility is crucial to a more compatible motoring future.

Ram’s award-winning ProMaster City is a new addition to the growing compact van field that champions increased efficiency and urban maneuverability. It comes in wagon and cargo versions with the ability to tow up to 2000 pounds. Power is provided by an efficient 178 horsepower, 2.4-liter aluminum block Tigershark engine already well-proved in Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models. Offering a base price of $23,130, the ProMaster City’s EPA rating of 21 city/29 highway mpg is enhanced by the first-ever use of a nine-speed transmission in a commercial van.

The ProMaster City carries up to 1,883 pounds or 131.7 cubic feet of cargo and features a cargo-friendly 48.8 inches between interior wheel wells. A Uconnect 5.0 audio and multimedia system featuring a five-inch touchscreen, integrated voice command with Bluetooth, and steering wheel audio controls is available.

Ford’s F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in America for well over three decades. In its new generation it shed a considerable 700 pounds through the use of a military-grade all-aluminum body and high-strength steel chassis, improving both fuel efficiency and overall performance while offering a reasonable base price of $26,430. Its 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 allows this pickup to achieve up to 26 mpg on the highway. The F-150 also offers a gaseous fuel prep package that allows running on cleaner burning natural gas or propane.

The F-150 features SYNC 3, Ford’s newest communications and entertainment system that delivers enhanced voice recognition and a capacitive touch screen. With the F-150’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist technology,  a driver steers a trailer instinctively by turning a knob left or right to indicate direction, then backs up as the truck controls its steering and limits vehicle speed.

As part of its finalists vetting process, Green Car Journal evaluates the environmental achievement of pickups and light-duty commercial vehicles along with their all-important functionality. Vehicles running on all fuels and technologies are considered. Market significance, ‘newness’, and other important criteria are weighed as the field is narrowed to five finalists for each award.

The 47th annual San Antonio Auto & Truck Show was presented by the San Antonio Automobile Dealers Association at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Each year, the show highlights the auto industry’s newest innovations and is recognized as South Texas’ premier automotive event.

A variant of the highly functional and efficient NV200 cargo van will be sourced by GM as a Chevy product offering for the 2015 model year. This is in response to the need for a small van in the Chevy lineup to fill increasing fleet needs in that segment.

The current Nissan vehicle’s cost of ownership is among the lowest in the class due to low running costs, high engine efficiency, and a safety structure that helps to minimize crash damage. It’s powered by an efficient 2.0-liter, 131 hp four-cylinder engine rated at a combined 24 mpg.

The NV200 is currently sold in worldwide markets by Nissan and is an important commercial product for the company. Designed to be ‘right size’ for small business owners and fleet operators desiring more efficient work vans, the compact cargo van is said to be an easy transition for business owners transitioning from passenger vehicles.

Called the Chevy City Express, the new GM van will be differentiated from the Nissan product upon which it’s based with Chevy-specific design cues. The new model will begin sales in the U.S. and Canada in the fall of 2014. A target prices has not yet been announced.