GM's (NYSE GM) Chevrolet Volt was named the 2011 Green Car of the Year on Thursday, the same day the company held a triumphant an IPO for its return to the New York Stock Exchange.
The Volt was named the winner by the Green Car Journal, beating out Nissan's all-electric Leaf, the 2011 Ford Fiesta, 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, and 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.
The award was announced during the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Volt will hit the streets next month and is priced at $41,000 before federal and state tax incentives. It can travel 25 to 50 miles on battery power before a 1.4 liter gasoline engine kicks in to assist the electric motors. According to a Reuters article, GM withheld the details of how the gasoline engine interacts with the drive system until just recently. Critics assert that the design makes the vehicle more of a hybrid than an all-electric vehicle.
Toyota Loads the Deck
Toyota (NYSE: TM) on Thursday announced plans to launch 11 new hybrids and a plug-in version of its Prius vehicle in an effort to maintain the green car leadership position it established with the popular Prius hybrid.
Toyota said one of the new hybrids will come out by the end of 2012. The compact vehicle is expected to achieve fuel efficiency of 94 miles per gallon.
The plug-in version of the Prius will be available in early 2012 and may sell for as little as $36,000, Toyota said.
Toyota also plans to cell hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles in three markets in 2015, and is considering launching electric vehicles in China.
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