The eco-friendly car from Nissan known as the LEAF has just been declared the world car of the year 2011. Going up against the Audi A8 and BMW 5 Series in the finals, the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle managed to edge out its sportier competition to win the prestigious award with the benefits it brings to the world rather than its performance – not to say that the car isn’t much of a performer either.
The 5-door hatchback’s lithium-ion battery powers an electric motor to generate 108hp and 206 lb ft of torque to get the car from 0-60mph in 11.5 seconds, and hits a top speed of 90mph. With a range of over 100 miles on a full charge (8 hours to recharge), and zero tailpipe emissions – this is one car you can keep running in a closed garage and still walk out without a trace of poison in your lungs. The Nissan LEAF is also the first electric vehicle to win the award as well.
The Nissan LEAF went on sale nationwide earlier this month will definitely be more common on today’s roads, with the amount of popularity it’s going to be getting after winning the World Car of the Year award. How many of you drive a Nissan LEAF, and if you do what has your experience with the car been like?
Filed in . Read more about Electric Vehicle, Leaf and Nissan.