Chevrolet Volt is the 2011 'World Green Car'

Automobiles with alternate fuel capabilities are slowly nearing the brink of an urban reality, and while saving the environment began as being the focus of developing these ‘green machines’, their sophistication and growing sustainability have made them symbols of hope for a world that is still quite speculative about the future of green car technologies.

Hosted by Bridgestone Corporation and the New York International Auto Show, the World Green Car Award is one of many awards given out at the prestigious World Car Awards now in its seventh successful year of running. A panel of green car experts representing three different continents narrowed the list down to three finalists after short listing 12 of the most promising green cars from all over the world.

Not surprisingly, the multiple award winning Nissan Leaf was among the top three contenders for the green car award along with the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics and the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery powered Chevrolet VOLT that has been in sale in the United Stated since November last year.

While the first-fully electric mass market car, the Leaf had everything going for it, the BMW 320d also showed a lot of potential, but at the end it was the innovate technology and range extension capability of the Chevrolet VOLT that ultimately proved to be its biggest trump card in securing the 2011 World Green Car award.

The three experts, Phil Berg (representing North America), Dean Slavnich (representing Europe) and Tadashi Tateuchi (representing Asia) who unanimously took the decision of picking the VOLT as the winner of this globally recognized ‘Green Car Award’ felt that GM developed the VOLT from a concept in a remarkably short period of time. This along with the fact that the hybrid series range extended electric vehicle was capable of running for miles and miles after its battery was depleted giving out emissions of just 52g/km made it a truly remarkable vehicle with the potential to transform transportation around the globe.

The Chevrolet VOLT will now join a special league of green cars, the likes of the Volkswagen BlueMotion the Honda FCX Clarity and the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec, all of which are previous winners of the coveted title.

: GM converts the Volt's battery cases into duck houses!

How does the VOLT work?

The Volt drives between 40 and 80 kilometers (MVEG) on electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery, and emits zero CO2. When the battery's energy is depleted, a gasoline-fueled engine generates electricity to power the electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery. This extends the range of the Volt to more than 500 kilometers. To recharge, the Volt can be plugged into any 230V household outlet.

VIDEO: Chevrolet VOLT on the move