LOS ANGELES - The winner of the 2008 Green Car of the Year award will be announced on Nov. 15 at the Los Angeles Auto Show during the show's Press Days. Green Car Journal, the leading automotive environmental magazine, initiated this annual award in 2005 and it has continued to grow in significance as consumer demand for more fuel efficient and environmentally positive vehicles has increased exponentially.
LOS ANGELES - The winner of the 2008 Green Car of the Year award will be announced on Nov. 15 at the Los Angeles Auto Show during the show's Press Days.
The Green Car of the Year award is designed to recognize environmental achievement in the automotive industry. After considering scores of new vehicle models that raise the bar in environmental performance, five nominees will be identified in advance of the press conference. The winning vehicle will be chosen by a select jury of highly knowledgeable experts drawn from relevant fields such as transportation technology, automotive design, environmental protection and others.
This year's jurors include leaders of the nation's most recognized environmental groups, including Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch Institute; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; and Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resources Institute. Automotive icon Carroll Shelby joins four Green Car Journal editors to round out the 2008 GCOY jury.
"We choose the LA Auto Show each year to make this important announcement because California -- and especially the greater Los Angeles region -- has historically been the epicenter for both automotive and environmental innovation, and that's what this award is all about," says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal.
Green Car Journal staff narrow down all the eligible vehicles to a short list of five finalists based upon research and the driving experience. Jurors, including independent experts and Green Car Journal staff members, weigh the merits of each finalist vehicle and its relevance to motorists. The winning vehicle must be a production automobile that will be on sale by Jan. 1, 2008.
"In judging the Green Car of the Year, emphasis is placed on vehicles that advance overall efficiency and functionality while decreasing environmental impact," says Cogan. "All current models are eligible for consideration, although 'newness' is a factor, as well as the impact that a vehicle and its environmentally positive technologies are likely to have in the marketplace."
Last year, the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid was named Green Car Journal's 2007 Green Car of the Year, with jurors noting that Toyota's seamless integration of its Hybrid Synergy Drive in a mass market model was of particular importance. The inaugural 2006 Green Car of the Year(R) distinction was awarded to the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid.
In addition to the Green Car of the Year(R) Award, many of the world's leading automakers are placing increased emphasis on the LA Auto Show to help introduce "green" technologies. Last year, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner announced the automaker's major new plug-in hybrid program at the LA Show and this year's show promises to deliver significant advanced technology and alternative fuel vehicle news as well.
