LOS ANGELES — In what was probably the most anti-climactic “sealed envelope” award announcement, the Chevrolet Bolt EV was named 2017 Green Car of the Year.
That despite four solid contenders, but as has been said of the Bolt countless times, “it’s a game-changer,” and game-changers take home the hardware.
The Bolt and its 383-kilometre, full-charge range beat out the BMW 330e, the Chrysler Pacifica, the Kia Optima and the Toyota Prius Prime. Last year’s winner was the all-new, second-generation Chevrolet Volt. So, count that two in a row for Chevy, having won last year’s award with the Volt.
It’s been a good week for the Bolt, as it picked up 2017 Motor Trend Car of the Year on Monday to add to a handful of other big time honours the little electric vehicle has garnered since its release just over a month ago.
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“Our 2017 Green car of the year is a milestone, a harbinger of things to come, and proof that electric vehicles can be produced for mass consumption,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of award sponsor Green Car Journal.
The award is selected through a majority vote by a jury that includes celebrity auto enthusiast Jay Leno, as well as leaders of noted environmental and efficiency organizations including Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Matt Petersen, board member of Global Green USA; Dr. Alan Lloyd, president emeritus of the International Council on Clean Transportation; Mindy Lubber, president of CERES; and Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy.
The Green Car of the Year award was established in 2006, with the Mercury Mariner hybrid taking the honour. Since then, winners include the natural gas-powered Honda Civic GX n 2012, the entire Ford Fusion and Honda Accord lineups in 2013 and 2014 respectively, plus the BMW i3 in 2015.
