The Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car, the centerpiece of General Motors’ comeback, was named North American Car of the Year Monday. Ford Motor Co.’s latest incarnation of its Explorer sport utility vehicle was named 2011 Truck of the Year, edging out the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango.
The Volt, which already won the 2011 Green Car of the Year and Motor Trend Magazine’s Car of the Year, edged out the Nissan Leaf and the Hyundai Sonata to win the award.
It was the third year in a row that Ford claimed the truck award.
A panel of 49 automotive journalists voted in the competition.
The Volt, really? Who’s judging this? The car costs three times as much as competing vehicles in the segment and performs worse. The proof will be in the sales numbers.
What a joke..What average American family wants this piece of junk ? The battery alone costs thousands …. and the car can only go for about 50 miles on the electricity….. Only in America can we design something as bad as this…most of us will continue to buy foreign products because they are made better and they last alot longer..
Its the technology of the car, in this day & age of high gas prices, here we have a somewhat of solution to this, though its not perfect and not exactly practical or affordable, its the huge first step in the right direction.
These car awards are for the most impressive, innovative and awe inspiring new car. Not for the grocery getter most of us drive.
The car isn’t even on the road yet, how did it win car of the year?!?!
Jeff-There are no competing vehicles in this segment.
Jimbo-Take a look at today’s Trib that states Chicagoans pay the highest prices for gas. That’s who.
Joe- Car awards are for the newest cars.
You will actually spend MORE by getting the Volt:
MSRP: 40,280. With 20% down and 5% APR, you’re still looking at $677/mo + home charger (not included in price) + electricity.
I pay roughly $300 a month for a car which gives me 25MPG…about $120/month in gas.
Difference: an extra $257 per month.
I’ll keep my gas “guzzler” until the price of a Volt hits 20k.
The competing vehicle is the Nissan Leaf. It claims tohave sold 20,000 which will be released soon and they won’t sell more until the first group has been out a year. It supposedly has a range of 100 miles.
The volt has a gas powered generator and says using both gives 375 mile range. The price is kind of high right now but there are pretty big tax credits (~ $8000). You would to do this because of the envronment- right now you certainly won’t do it because it is the cheapest solution. I was very interested in these two cars but couldn’t wait for the Nissan and not willing to spring for the Volt so bought a hybrid- again, you pay more but gets about 50 miles to the gallon and is often running on the battery and not gas so less pollution.