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2010 Green Car of the Year to be awarded at Los Angeles Auto Show

posted by AskPatty - Auto Advice
Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 10:40am CST

Now in its fifth year, the Green Car of the Year(R) award honors environmental leadership in the automobile field and recognizes vehicles that are readily available to consumers during the award year. The prestigious award will be announced on Thursday, December 3, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The GCOY award is an important part of Green Car Journal's mission to showcase environmental progress in the auto industry.

"We're seeing the trend for 'green' cars emerging at all levels, from entry-level cars to luxury models, and even performance cars and SUVs/crossovers," says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com.

This year's finalists reflect a broad diversity across the automotive marketplace: For the first time an Audi makes the final five with its sporty A3 TDI clean diesel. The Insight is a completely new hybrid sedan for Honda, and the 2010 Toyota Prius is a totally redesigned, third-generation version of this popular hybrid model. The Milan Hybrid is Mercury's application of its advanced-hybrid technology in an upscale mid-size sedan. Volkswagen's new Golf TDI shows an expanding focus on clean diesel technology in the VW lineup.

Green Car Journal editors perform an exhaustive review of vehicle models to identify the finalists, though the winner is ultimately decided by such prestigious automotive jurors as Jay Leno, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Carroll Shelby, Matt Petersen of Global Green USA and the Sierra Club's Carl Pope, as well as Green Car Journal editors.

Cogan continues, saying "an array of technologies and fuels as well as strategies like lightweighting and reducing rolling resistance are being applied to the challenge. Greater choice provides buyers a personal stake in lessening environmental impact, and that's important."

Since 1992, the Green Car Journal has focused on the intersection of automobiles, energy, and environment. Today, the magazine is considered a premier source of information on high fuel efficiency, low emission, advanced technology, and alternative fuel vehicles.

Check back in on Thursday when we'll announce the winner from the Los Angeles Auto Show!!

Los Angeles locals can attend the show when it opens to the public from Friday, December 4 through Sunday, December 13, 2009. Show hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturdays, and: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sundays. For more information, visit LAAutoShow.com; Follow the LA Auto Show on Twitter at twitter.com/LAAutoShow, or visit its Facebook page at facebook.com/LosAngelesAutoShow.