The Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf–electric vehicles scheduled to hit the streets in December–were both selected as finalists for the 2011 Green Car of the Year award, by Green Car Journal.
The other three finalists are the 2011 Ford Fiesta, 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, and 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.
The award will be announced during the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.
This is the first time primarily electric-drive vehicles have been on the list of finalists, which includes only vehicles available to the public.
“These five 2011 Green Car of the Year® finalists reflect an auto industry in transition,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “It wasn’t long ago when electric drive was a novelty. Now, it’s expected that auto manufacturers will include electric drive in some form among their model offerings.”
While four of the five Green Car of the Year® nominees do incorporate electric drive, the Ford Fiesta nominee underscores that internal combustion continues to evolve in important ways. The Fiesta hatchback achieves up to 40 EPA estimated highway fuel economy, running on conventional gasoline.
Along with vehicles incorporating electric drive, a new generation of internal combustion gasoline and clean diesel models are expected to push efficiencies ever higher in the coming years.
Dozens of potential nominees weighed in during the selection process. Green Car Journal editors considered vehicles employing all fuels and technologies in the effort to raise the bar in environmental performance, including high efficiency gasoline internal combustion, advanced diesel, hybrids, electrics and vehicles capable of running on alternative fuels.
Jurors include leaders of the nation’s top environmental organizations, including Carl Pope, chairman of the Sierra Club; Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society and Matt Petersen, president of Global Green USA.
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