Chevy Volt, Featured At San Jose Auto Show, Is Car Of Year
SAN JOSE (CBS) -- The 2011 Chevrolet Volt, among the hybrid vehicles featured at the just concluded Silicon Valley International Auto Show in San Jose, got another marketing jolt Monday as it was named North American Car of the Year.
The car that runs on electricity for 40 miles before a backup gas engine kicks in beat out the Nissan Leaf, another electric, and Hyundai Sonata in the annual awards handed out at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.
This is the fourth time General Motors has won the award.
GM Product Development Chief Tom Stephens said the Volt is selling in small numbers now, but he maintained this extended-range electric vehicle has a big future.
"Right now in our industry, we're about ninety-six percent dependant on petroleum. And, going forward, I don't think that's a sustainable model," Stephens said.
Stevens said this, and other awards like Motor Trend Car of the Year, shows that the Volt is a real car, not a science experiment.
Forty-nine automotive journalists select the winner each year. The vehicles are judged on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value.
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