Most of us realise that there is nothing remotely ‘sustainable’ or ‘envir­on­mentally friendly’ about the mass-​​market auto industry. Still, these global businesses are they’re doing their utmost to convince consumers that they are doing there bit to save the planet. Some are brazenly faux pious, but others have a sense of humour (of sorts) Here are a few of our faves.

This Honda Civic hybrid ad from 2006 is a classic of the happy, hipster illus­trated flowers genre

For a full forty seconds, this looks like an ad for God’s creation…

Former Japanese F1 pilot Takuma Sato sends mixed messages in his Hybrid.

Ands this early Prius ad helps us recall that if you take the ‘r’ out of Prius you get something that sounds like ‘pious’

Here the new Prius falls back on the car’s design, less on the exploit­ation of the beauty of mountains and rivers. But the breathy female voice is still annoy­ingly remin­iscent of a mother Mary from Midlothian…

But this contro­versial ‘harmony’ ad for Toyota is a little insulting to the intel­li­gence. And to hippies.

One for the Tea Party Neocons here, shown during the Superbowl this year. Quite amusing, though.

But this Australian Smart ad takes the piety to another level. And uses children in the process.