The zero-emission electric Nissan Leaf has won the European Car of the Year (CoTY) 2011 award.

The trophy was handed over to Nissan Motor’s president and CEO Carlos Ghosn in a special ceremony held at the Pavillion Gabriel in Paris. 

Fifty-eight CoTY members – leading motoring journalists from 23 European countries – placed Nissan Leaf ahead of six conventional new cars on the shortlist. It is the first time in CoTY’s 48-year history that the annual award has been won by an electric vehicle.

“I am convinced that we will see other electric cars named Car of the Year in the future,” said Håkan Matson, president of the CoTY jury.

“But when we do, we must always remember that only one can be the first. And that is why Nissan Leaf Car of the Year 2011 is – and will remain – so very special,” he added.
“It is a great honour for Nissan Leaf to be recognized as the European Car of the Year – the first all-electric car to receive this distinction,” said Ghosn.

“Like previous Car of the Year winners, Nissan Leaf is an appealing, competitive car, with no compromise on style, features, safety, performance or handling. Yet it stands apart as an innovative car that reflects a clear vision of the future of transportation – a vision of sustainable mobility.”

Nissan Leaf is powered by an in-house developed compact electric motor and inverter in the front of the car driving the front wheels. The AC motor develops 80 kW of power and 280 Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of 145 km/h (90 mph).

The electric motor is powered by an advanced laminated lithium-ion battery with a power output of more than 90 kW.

Developed by the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC), a joint venture between Nissan and electronics giant NEC Corp, the battery has the capacity to store twice as much energy as the previous generation battery, a statement said.

The zero-emission car is fully equipped with features such as regenerating braking, air conditioning, satellite navigation and a parking camera. Smart phone connectivity will allow an owner to heat or cool the interior of the car remotely via a mobile phone. The single option is a solar panel mounted in the rear spoiler.

Pre-orders for Nissan Leaf have reached more than 27,000 units globally, according to the statement.

The zero-emission car is currently built in Japan, but will also be manufactured in the US and UK when new manufacturing facilities there open in late 2012 and early 2013 respectively, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service