2015 Green Car Of The Year Award Goes To…. BMW i3
The all-electric car by BMW, the i3, won the highest degree of respect among all other nominees and was chosen the "2015 Green Car of the Year" by the Green Car Journal.
BMW, the renowned luxury car maker, is heading in the right direction with its all-electric efforts. Continuing the annual tradition of awarding the best green car of the year, Green Car Journal honored BMW i3 with the 2015 Green Car of the Year award. The victory is an honor for the German automaker given its closest competitors during the final selection round were Audi A3 TDI, Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel, Honda Fit, and VW Golf.
Green car of the year award is held at great value in the automobile industry, which was started with the publication's launch in 1992. Marking its tenth anniversary this year, Green Car Journal handed the prestigious environmental award during the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, where car aficionados from around the industry are gathered for the week-long exhibition.
"BMW's i3 is a milestone vehicle in many respects and illustrates the automaker's expansive vision of future motoring," Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com, said in a press release, Thursday. "It is purposefully designed with a small environmental footprint and zero emissions, offering the best features of an electric vehicle with the functionality of an available on board engine-generator that nearly doubles its battery electric range."
In 2011, Nissan Leaf went close to winning but lost to Chevrolet Volt. BMW i3's victory marks the first time an all-electric car has taken the trophy. The i3 EV has EPA range rating of 81 miles and comes with a $41,350 price tag. For better range, buyers can opt for an optional small gasoline engine at $45,200. The car is light and strong, thanks to the carbon fiber used in the passenger cell structuring.
BMW i3 is powered by a 22 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, which received the Green Car Journal's praise for its futuristic construction.
"BMW rethought the whole process of building a car from the ground-up, using new materials and techniques," famous TV personality Jay Leno, who is also one of the jurors of Green Car Journal's Green Car of the Year since 2005, said appreciating the car maker's efforts.
