Numerous auto of the year awards leaning to green vehicles

Auto of the year awards from numerous publications, foundations, and agencies are handed out to great acclaim. The criteria for what makes an automobile truly a vehicle of the year varies, of course. This year seems heavily tipped in favor of green vehicles.

Volt may be the automobile of the year

Many are excited to see the green automobiles as they have gotten the Automobile of the year honor. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Motors Leaf are these vehicles. Wired reports the Volt, at the LA Auto Show, won Car of the year. The honor is certainly a victory for General Motors. Also, Motor Trend and Automobile magazines gave Chevy the Volt Auto of the year honor. Performance guru and automotive legend Carroll Shelby was with Jay Leno at the Los Angeles Auto Show helping judge. The Nissan Motors Leaf and the Chevy Volt, both green vehicles, differ in the Volt is a plug-in hybrid, and the Leaf is totally electric.

Also naming the Leaf the Car of the year

The 2011 European Auto of the year was named to be the Nissan Leaf. This is what the Telegraph reports. A panel of European automotive journals are made the judges of the European Auto of the year. There were 58 judges from 23 countries. The Nissan Leaf is one of the first all-electric vehicles manufactured on the scale of a major car manufacturer (notwithstanding golf carts), and it has been in a near dead heat with the Chevy Volt in most American Vehicle of the year vote counts at auto shows. The two cars could have an epic showdown at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

The coming year auto of the world

The votes are being compiled for the World Automobile of the year, which probably will not be announced until spring of 2011. Though significant authorities are weighing in on the best vehicles of 2010, it seems the best auto of a year shouldn’t be picked until years later. The makes and models that last are the cars that ought to be recognized.

Articles cited

Wired

wired.com/autopia/2010/11/chevy-volt-wins-green-car-of-the-year/

The Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8167962/Nissan-Leaf-wins-Car-of-the-Year.html