Nissan Leaf Wins the 2011 World Car of the Year Award

Nissan Leaf Wins the 2011 World Car of the Year Award. There were three finalists in the 2011 New York International Auto Show‘s World Car of the Year award: the Audi A8, the BMW 5 Series, and Nissan Leaf. What made the Leaf deserving of the win? Some say that it is because of the Leaf's Carwings system which connects every Nissan Leafs to a network, wirelessly monitoring energy consumption statistics of every Leaf. The feed is then processed so that the most fuel efficient users will be awarded with "Regional Rankings." But of course it is not only that that has caused the win for the Leaf in this year's World Car of the Year. There must be something else.



Here is what the jurors said about the Nissan Leaf:

“The Leaf is the gateway to a brave new electric world from Nissan. This 5-seater, 5-door hatchback is the world’s first, purpose-built, mass-produced electric car. Dropped onto a unique platform and body, the Leaf’s lithium-ion battery modules and electric motor generate 108hp and 206 lb ft of torque, propelling the hatch from zero to 60mph in 11.5 seconds and a top speed of 90mph. It has a range of over 100 miles on a full charge (claims Nissan), takes around 8 hours to recharge using 220-240V power supply and produces zero tailpipe emissions. Its low center of gravity produced sharp turn-in with almost no body roll and no understeer. The good news? It feels just like a normal car, only quieter.”

On the other hand, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt was named Green Car of the Year.