Chevrolet Volt Named 2011 Green Car Of The Year
The 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric car with extended-range capability today was named Green Car Journal's Green Car of the Year®. The Volt is the first electric vehicle to win the award.
"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."
The Volt runs purely on electricity for 25 to 50 miles on a single charge before a 1.4-liter gasoline engine/generator seamlessly engages to create electricity to drive the wheels for an additional 300 miles on a full tank of gas. The Volt's extended-range capability addresses the range anxiety concerns associated with battery-only electric vehicles.
Other finalists for Green Car honors were: the Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, and Nissan LEAF. The Green Car of the Year® jury was comprised of six environmental and automotive experts along with Green Car Journal editors.
In addition, Motor Trend magazine recently named the Chevrolet Volt the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year.
"We expected a science experiment, but this is a moon shot," Motor Trend editors wrote for the January 2011 issue. "The Volt delivers on the promise of the vehicle concept as originally outlined by GM, combining the smooth, silent, efficient, low-emissions capability of an electric motor with the range and flexibility of an internal combustion engine. It is a fully functional, no-compromise compact automobile that offers consumers real benefits in terms of lower running costs."