No big surprise here, this little car looks cool and has some impressive green numbers to match! The all-electric Volt beat other electric vehicles, hybrids or fuel-efficient petrol models to take the prize, which is awarded by Green Car Journal and considered one of the most prestigious prizes of the year.
Other nominees included the 2011 Ford Fiesta, 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and the 2011 Nissan LEAF.
“This has been a long time coming,” Green Car Journal’s Ron Cogan said of the Volt. “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 11-member jury panel includes some of the most prominent green figures, including Sierra Club chairman Carl Pope, Jay Leno, automotive legend Carroll Shelby and Ocean Futures Society President Jean-Michel Cousteau.
For the past two consecutive years, the prize has gone to clean diesel cars – the Audi A3 TDI won in 2009 and the VW Jetta TDI took the prize in 2008. I really look forward to seeing what is coming down the pipe in the next couple of years as this technology matures and goes mainstream.
