The World Car Awards started in 2004. Candidates for the four categories – Design, Performance, Green, and the overall World Car – are selected by some of the most well-known and respected journalists covering the automotive industry.
This year, they selected the Tesla Model S as winner for World Green Car.
States Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk, “The success of Model S is a critical step towards the widespread adoption of sustainable transport and we are grateful to the World Car of the Year Jury for the recognition. Winning the 2013 World Green Car award is great acknowledgment of what Tesla has accomplished with Model S in the last four years.”
Competition was stiff for this year’s award. The number of candidates continues to grow. This year, twenty one vehicles were considered and ranged from the Audi A8 Hybrid, Honda Fit EV, to the Peugeot 508 RXH. Only one American vehicle, the Chevrolet Malibu Eco with eAssist, made it from the Detroit Three.
Due to the complexity and sheer number of technologies used to fulfill criteria such as improving fuel economy and lowering tailpipe emissions, five “green” automotive experts were brought on board to assist in the selection process. These experts include Phil Berg of Popular Mechanics and John Voelcker at Green Car Reports.
The judges then narrowed it down the choices to five: Renault Zoe, smart fortwo Electric Drive, Tesla Model S, Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid, and the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid. The Telsa S made the judges’ top three list along with the Zoe and Volvo hybrid before declared the winner. The experts agreed.
“The Tesla Model S has wowed the world’s press, and for good reason: It’s a car from a startup maker that actually competes on its merits with vehicles from established global players. The Model S is fast and stylish, its high-end models offer more range than any other electric car, and thus far, it appears to be well-built and selling well. Now that it’s in volume production, it can be argued that it is already the world’s most alluring green car that’s also practical and desirable.”
Previous World Green Car winners include last year’s Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, the Chevrolet Volt (2011), and the Honda Civic Hybrid, which won the first award in 2006.
