While General Motors was seeing greenbacks in its initial public offering on Wall Street yesterday, its Chevrolet brand was burnishing its green credentials.
The 2011 Chevrolet Volt was named the Green Car of the Year this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It was the first electric car to win
the prize, which has been given annually since 2005 by the Green Car Journal.
Separately, the Chevrolet brand announced it was donating US$40 million ($51 million) to locally based environmental projects across the US with the goal of reducing carbon emissions by eight million metric tons. That's about the same amount of carbon dioxide emitted in one year by the 1.9 million Chevrolet vehicles expected to sell between now and the end of 2011.
Mike Robinson, GM's vice-president for environment, energy and safety, says he thinks the programme is the first of its kind for any carmaker.
"This is something Chevrolet wanted to do to distinguish the brand, to say, 'You're buying into a brand that represents a lot more than the fuel economy and the features that you're getting'," Robinson said.
Organisations will be able to apply for grants for projects like weatherising schools or putting up small-scale wind energy projects. Joel Ewanick, GM's vice-president of US marketing, says it will probably take two years or longer for the projects to be chosen and the money to be doled out. The company will decide whether to extend the programme as it develops.
The green car award was the latest prize for the Volt, which runs on electricity for 65km before a back-up gas engine kicks in.
Earlier this week, Motor Trend and Automobile Magazine named the Volt the 2011 car of the year. It is scheduled to go on sale next month.
The Green Car Journal cited the Volt's back-up engine, which eliminates drivers' anxiety about running out of electric power.
The five finalists included another electric car, the Nissan Leaf; two hybrids, the Lincoln MKZ and Hyundai Sonata; and the Ford Fiesta.
