The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica could be named the greenest vehicle in America next week.
The list of five finalists for Green Car Journal’s 2017 respected Green Car of the Year award includes the BMW 330e, Chevrolet Bolt, Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Optima and the Toyota Prius Prime.
The winner will be announced next week at the Los Angeles International Auto Show and the nominees reflect the industry’s ongoing shift towards hybrid vehicles and the still tentative embrace of EVs and the ongoing shift in battery technology.
“This year’s Green Car of the Year finalists clearly represent the momentum that electrification is experiencing in the auto industry,” said Ron Cogan, Editor and Publisher of Green Car Journal and GreenCarJournal.com.
“Whether it’s all-electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or a combination of these powertrains plus conventional gasoline engines within a model line, electrification is now considered by most automakers an essential technology for current and future high-efficiency models,” Cogan added.
The future may be electric for BMW. The maker's new 330e is a Green Car of the Year finalist.
The BMW 330e iPerformance adds a plug-in hybrid drive system to the BMW 3 Series. The use of an electric motor with the BMW TwinPower Turbo inline four-cylinder engine results in a total system output of 248 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, noted the Journal’s nomination.
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The Bolt EV offers a breakthrough EPA-estimated 238 miles of range on a full electric charge, the first production electric vehicle to achieve a 200-plus mile driving range. It features an array of advanced connected technologies designed to enhance the driving experience, the Journal noted in explaining the nomination of the Bolt as a finalist
The Chrysler Pacifica includes an array of choices including the LX, Touring, Touring L and the Touring L Plus. It also offers the first-ever plug-hybrid in its class, delivering 80 MPGe efficiency, a 30-mile electric driving range, and a total driving range of 530 miles with combined battery power and its V6 powertrain, the Green Car Journal noted.
The 2017 Kia Optima hybrid is one of three battery-electrics the maker is adding to its U.S. line-up.
The 2017 Kia Optima’s sleek styling and pleasing performance live on in the entire 2017 model line-up. The 2017 Optima Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid are new additions that intelligently combine an electric motor and a new 2.0-liter GDI four-cylinder gas engine for fuel efficiency.
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The Toyota Prius Prime is this automaker’s evolution of the Prius Plug-In, which did not accompany the completely redesigned Prius model last year. This new 2017 model plug-in features up to 22 miles of battery electric range, double that of the original Prius plug-in.
It retains the distinctive silhouette of the latest-generation Prius and adds unique exterior styling cues to set the model apart. Inside, the Prius Prime is also distinguished with an 11.6-inch touchscreen display.
The Chevrolet Bolt is a finalist for the Green Car of the Year.
The Green Car of the Year is selected through a majority vote by an esteemed jury that includes celebrity auto enthusiast Jay Leno, as well as leaders of noted environmental and efficiency organizations including 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; and Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy.
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During the award’s vetting process, Green Car Journal editors consider all vehicles, fuels and technologies as an expansive field of potential candidates and narrow it down to the final five by Jan. 1 of the award year.