LOS ANGELES (Nov. 19, 2010) — The 2011 Chevrolet Volt has been named Green Car Journal's 2011 Green Car of the Year.
The magazine, which made the announcement prior to the opening of the L.A. Auto show, said General Motors Co.'s Volt stood out in a stellar field of hybrid, electric and low emission vehicles that all feature exceptional efficiency and innovation in their approach to reducing the automobile's impact on the environment.
The Volt is the first-ever electric vehicle to take top prize.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “The electric vehicles that were test marketed in the 1990s tantalized us, but were without a solid business case. What a difference a decade makes. Now, Chevrolet has stepped up with an all-encompassing package in its Volt extended range electric car—a car deserving of the title 2011 Green Car of the Year.”
The Volt's revolutionary Voltec propulsion system is capable of delivering 25 to 50 miles of all-electric driving on a single charge before a gasoline-powered on-board generator provides electricity to power the wheels for an additional 300 miles, according to GM. The ability to allow extended electric drive range after the car's batteries are exhausted is an important element that helps address the 'range anxiety' that some fear with battery-powered electric cars, the car maker added.
“The Green Car of the Year award validates the Chevrolet team's promise to deliver a practical electric vehicle,” said Joel Ewanick, vice president, U.S. marketing for GM. “The Volt's a transformational technology that will lead our industry into a new age of vehicle electrification.”
The Green Car of the Year jury comprises six environmental and automotive experts along with Green Car Journal editors. They selected the 2011 Chevrolet Volt from a field of five finalists that also included the Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, and Nissan LEAF.