MEDIA RELEASE PR41814
2011 Green Car of the Year Finalists Revealed
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Winner to be Announced at the LA Auto Show Nov. 18
Green Car Journal announced today its five finalists for the 2011 Green
Car of the Year(R), including the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, 2011 Ford Fiesta, 2011
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and the 2011 Nissan LEAF. For
the sixth consecutive year, this increasingly important award will be
announced during a press conference at the LA Auto Show Press Days on Nov.
18.
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The Green Car of the Year(R) award is a program that honors environmental
leadership in the automobile field and recognizes vehicles that become
available to consumers during the award year. For the first time, the Green
Car of the Year(R) finalists include two primarily electric-drive vehicles in
addition to two hybrids and a high mile-per-gallon, gasoline internal
combustion engine.
"These five 2011 Green Car of the Year(R) 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(R) nominees do incorporate
electric drive, the Ford Fiesta nominee underscores that internal combustion
continues to evolve in important ways. This 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. In
the Green Car of the Year(R) program, nominees must stand out as exemplary
models that forward environmental performance in meaningful and quantifiable
ways. Market significance and "newness" are also factors. All nominees must
be on sale by January 1 of the award year.
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. Also,
Jay Leno, noted auto enthusiast and host of the "Tonight Show," as well as
automotive icon Carroll Shelby join Green Car Journal editors in rounding out
the 2011 jury.
About Green Car of the Year(R)
The GCOY award is an important part of Green Car Journal's mission to
showcase environmental progress in the auto industry. Founded in 1992, Green
Car Journal is considered the premier source of information on high fuel
efficiency, low emission, advanced technology, and alternative fuel vehicles.
Subscription information, along with a downloadable sample issue, can be
found at GCJUSA.com. Green Car of the Year(R) is a registered trademark of
Green Car Journal and RJ Cogan Specialty Publications Group, Inc.
About the LA Auto Show
As the first major North American Auto Show of the season, the 2010 LA Auto Show will host approximately 50
World and North American debuts. Press Days, Nov. 17 and 18, will feature more than 25 press conferences from
manufacturers around the globe. Join the LA Auto Show conversation by following the Show at
Twitter.com/LAAutoShow, Facebook.com/LosAngelesAutoShow and sign up for alerts at LAAutoShow.com.
SOURCE: LA Auto Show
CONTACT: Jessica Schmidt, The Rogers Group
+1-310-552-4177
LAautoshow@rogerspr.com
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