Five Cars Of The Future Silently Battle To Be The Green Car Of The Year

The Green Car Journal has released its top five finalists for the magazine's 2017 Green Car of the Year award. The five finalists include the BMW 330e, Chevrolet Bolt, Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Optima and the Toyota Prius Prime. The winner will be announced on November 17 at the LA Convention Center. Ron Cogan, Editor and Publisher of Green Car Journal said that this year's finalists "clearly represent the momentum that electrification is experiencing in the auto industry." Each of the five cars is available with some form of electrification.

Cogan also emphasized that "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." As for the chosen finalists, the BMW 330e stands out to us because of its turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with total system output of 248 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. It can drive up to 75 mph on electricity alone for 14 miles while getting 71 MPGe. The BMW combines green driving and sporty driving in a way the others can't match.

The Chevy Bolt is an all-electric vehicle which has an impressive 238-mile range. The Chrysler Pacifica introduces the minivan segment to the green award with 80 MPGe efficiency, a 30-mile electric driving range, and a total driving range of 530 miles with combined battery power and its V6 engine. The Kia Optima combines its 2.0-liter, GDI 4-cylinder engine with a battery pack to allow for 27 miles of electric range. Finally, the Toyota Prius Prime, which is the company's new plug-in Prius, could easily win because, it is a Prius after all. It can go 22 miles on electric power alone, which is twice as much as the old Prius plug-in.