And Now There Is One.... Tesla Model S Declared 2013 World Green Car

NEW YORK, March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- At a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show and Bridgestone Corporation, the Tesla Model S was declared the 2013 World Green Car.

The Tesla Model S was chosen from an initial entry list of twenty-one new vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of ten, then three finalists:  the Tesla Model S, the Renault Zoe and the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid.

"The success of Model S is a critical step towards the widespread adoption of sustainable transport and we are grateful to the World Car of the Year Jury for the recognition," said Elon Musk, Tesla Motors co-founder and CEO. "Winning the 2013 World Green Car award is great acknowledgment of what Tesla has accomplished with Model S in the last four years."

The World Green Car award is presented by Bridgestone Corporation (Japan).  Mike Martini, President, Original Equipment, U.S. & Canada Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations said, "We are very pleased and honored to sponsor the 2013 World Green Car award.  The environment is everyone's responsibility. And throughout our global family of companies, we take this responsibility very seriously.  We believe it is our mission to serve society with superior quality."

To be eligible for the 2013 World Green Car award, a vehicle had to be all-new, or substantially revised, in production and introduced for sale or lease to the public in quantities of at least 10 in at least one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2012 and ending May 30th, 2013.  Tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine componentry), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle's environmental responsibility, were all taken into consideration.

Due to the complexity of some of the 'green' technologies, five green experts were appointed by the World Car Awards Steering Committee to extensively review all documentation and specs associated with each candidate.   They were asked to create a short-list of finalists for review by the sixty-six jurors in their second round of voting in February.  Their ballots were then tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG.

The experts commented that, "The Tesla Model S has wowed the world's press, and for good reason: It's a car from a startup maker that actually competes on its merits with vehicles from established global players. The Model S is fast and stylish, its high-end models offer more range than any other electric car, and thus far, it appears to be well-built and selling well. Now that it's in volume production, it can be argued that it is already the world's most alluring green car that's also practical and desirable."

"There have only been two pure electric cars with a  sensible range, and both have been made by Tesla. Its Roadster would go at least 180 miles and the Model S a lot further than that. It also seats up to seven, is almost supercar swift, swoopily styled and recharge time apart and absurd width apart as practical as a family sedan. It's not cheap, but certainly isn't expensive for what it does."

The five green experts are in alphabetical order:

Phil Berg (USA - PopularMechanics.com)
Richard Bremner (U.K. - cleangreencars.co.uk)
Claus-Peter Koeth (Germany - automobil-industrie.de)
Tadashi Tateuchi (Japan – Japan Electric Vehicle Club)  
John Voelcker (USA - GreenCarReports.com)

Previous World Green Car winners were the Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY in 2012, the Chevrolet Volt in 2011, the Volkswagen BlueMotion in 2010, the Honda FCX Clarity in 2009, the BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics in 2008, the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec in 2007 and the Honda Civic Hybrid in 2006

About the World Car Awards
Now in their ninth year, the annual World Car awards have become one of the world's most prestigious, credible and significant programs of its kind.

The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on an international scale.   The awards are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.

The awards are administered by a non-profit association, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of pre-eminent automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America. Peter Lyon (Japan) and Matt Davis (Italy) are the co-chairs; John McCormick (USA), Jens Meiners (Germany), Mike Rutherford (U.K.), Eddie Alterman (USA), and Gerry Malloy (Canada) are the directors.  There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise.

Prime Research International, a global leader in strategic communication research and consultancy is the World Car Awards' research partner.  The company will provide strategic reports in 2013 that analyze our awards global automotive media coverage.  

PHOTOS from today's press conference are available for download on our web site at www.wcoty.com > Award Photos.

About PRIME RESEARCH
PRIME Research International, a global leader in strategic communication research and consultancy, has joined forces with the World Car Awards to provide strategic studies in the fields of automotive assessment criteria and automotive awards. PRIME Research is a well-trusted research partner for the automotive industry with a broad range of automotive clients. Its full picture approach, which provides strategic benchmark information and SWOT analyses on over 100 brands and over 10,000 different automobile models, sets the standard in automotive media research.    

About BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world's largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.

About the 2013 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS)
Showcasing the latest automotive trends, the 2013 New York International Auto Show will unveil an extensive collection of the most technologically advanced vehicles on display anywhere in the world. More than four floors of displays, including the new Javits Center North exhibition hall, will house nearly 1,000 stunning new 2013/2014 vehicles as well as sensational futuristic concept cars.  NYIAS is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.

Important Show Information: Press Days: March 27 & 28, Public Show Dates: March 29^th – April 7^th
Show Hours:  Monday – Saturday:  10 a.m. - 10 p.m.    Sundays:  10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

www.autoshowNY.com; Twitter: #NYIAS @NYautoshow; Facebook: Like us, we like you!
Mobile: Download our iPhone app; on iTunes for Show info on the go

For a list of past World Car Awards winners, please visit our web site:  www.wcoty.com

SOURCE World Car Awards