The BMW i3 electric vehicle is one of five finalists for the 2015 Green Car of the Year Award. The award is offered annually by the Green Car Journal, which will present the award on November 20th at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The other finalists include the Audi A3 TDI, Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel, Honda Fit, and Volkswagen Golf.
“These five exceptional vehicles reflect an expanding ‘green’ car field that embraces diverse fuels and technologies as answers to a more efficient and low carbon future,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. “Each offers a distinctly different approach to driving ‘green’ that appeals to buyers with varying needs and perspectives on how best to lessen environmental impact, while maintaining the joy of driving.”
The Green Car of the Year award was created in 2005 and has evolved into one of the industry’s most important honors. For the past 22 years, Green Car Journal has showcased environmental progress in the auto industry by focusing on how automobiles, energy, and the environment interact and interrelate. Green Car Journal is an excellent source of information on alternative fuel vehicles, high fuel efficiency, low pollutants, and advanced technology in the pursuit of cleaner, more efficient vehicles.
To determine the finalists, Green Car Journal editors consider all vehicles, fuels, and technologies for their achievements in raising the bar in environmental performance. It is important that vehicles be available to the general public by January 1st of the award year—in this case 2015—so that they have the potential to impact the environment.
The jury that selects the Green Car of the Year includes Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Matt Petersen, board member of Global Green USA; Dr. Alan Lloyd, President Emeritus of the International Council on Clean Transportation; Mindy Lubber, President of CERES; Kateri Callahan, President of the Alliance to Save Energy; and to represent just plain car lovers, Jay Leno.
The BMW i3 has already won awards. Let’s see if the Green Car of the Year judges think electric trumps gasoline, diesel, or bi-fuel.—Scott Blazey
