Nissan LEAF wins Car of the Year

Date: 26/4/2011

The title of 2011 World Car of the Year has gone to the Nissan LEAF - a zero-emissions vehicle that is 100 per cent electric.

Picking up the prize at the New York International Auto Show on April 21st, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the automaker Carlos Ghosn said it was a "great joy" to have won the award.

Competition for the top spot came from the BMW 5-series and the Audi A8, with the jurors claiming: "The LEAF is the gateway to a brave new electric world from Nissan."

They added that the winning vehicle was the first electric motor in the world to be mass-produced and purpose-built, adding: "The good news? It feels just like a normal car, only quieter."

Mr Ghosn noted that he believed the accolade validated Nissan's values for sustainable motoring.

Friends of the Earth's Biofuels Campaigner Kenneth Richter recently claimed that transport is an important sector in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

He advised putting stricter guidelines in place for vehicle manufacturers on how efficient they make their cars.

Posted by Nick Anderson