By Andrew McCredit, Driving.ca - GM better add some more shelves to its trophy case.

The Chevrolet Bolt is the winner of the 2017 Canadian Green Car Award, presented at the Green Living Show in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

A panel of 13 top Canadian automotive journalists selected the Bolt, a groundbreaking electric vehicle with a 383-kilometre range, from among six category winners as the vehicle that best combines environmental benefits and mass-market appeal.

The other category winners include the Chevrolet Volt (Plug-in Hybrid), the Hyundai Ioniq (Conventional Hybrid), the Honda Civic (Efficient Internal Combustion), Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid (Efficient Three-Row Family Vehicle) and the Jaguar XE 2.0D (Fun Car).

Andrew Horsman, executive director of Ontario Tire Stewardship, which recycles 95 per cent of Ontario's tires into a variety of useful and valuable products, presented the trophy to Matthew Stokes, assistant brand manager for Chevrolet Canada.

"It's a true honour for Chevrolet to be recognized with the Canadian Green Car Award for the second year in a row, with Volt in 2016, and now the game-changing Bolt EV in 2017," Stokes said.  "Chevrolet is committed to innovation and electrification and we are proud to sell more plug-in electric vehicles in Canada than any other brand.

According to Eric Novak of EnviroDad.com, the Award's Co-Creator and member of the Steering Committee, the Bolt EV was the clear choice of the judging panel, receiving 11 of 13 first-place votes from among the six category winners.

"Our list of category winners this year was exceptional, however in the end our judges felt that the Chevrolet Bolt EV, with its game-changing range and competitive price point, was most deserving of being named overall winner," Novak said, adding the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid was the only other vehicle to garner first-place votes.

Ford's Fusion Hybrid won the inaugural 2013 Canadian Green Car Award, followed in 2014 by the Honda Accord Hybrid, the Kia Soul EV in 2015 and, last year, the Chevrolet Volt.

DETROIT - Chevrolet Bolt EV is the 2017 North American Car of the Year.

The Bolt EV's recognition marks the fourth time in four years that Chevrolet has received the North American Car of the Year or Truck of the Year award, following the Corvette Stingray and Silverado's wins in 2014 and the Colorado's award in 2015.

"The Bolt EV fulfills Chevrolet's promise to offer an affordable, long-range electric," said Mark Reuss, executive vice president, GM Global Product Development.  "It is a game-changer that is not only a great electric vehicle; it's a great vehicle - period."

Founded in 1994, The NACTOY group is comprised of 60 professional automotive journalists from the United States and Canada who work for magazines, television, radio, newspapers and websites.  NACTOY jurors evaluated dozens of new vehicles that went on sale this year before selecting the Bolt EV as the 2017 Car of the Year.

Offering an EnerGuide-estimated 383 kilometres (238 miles) of range on a full charge, and pricing as low as $31,434 (plus freight), after the eligible Ontario provincial incentive applicable to the base model of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the Bolt EV adds the title of North American Car of the Year to a growing list of independent accolades.  Motor Trend named the Bolt EV the 2017 Car of the Year and it earned a place on the 2017 Car and Driver 10Best Cars list.  Green Car Journal also heralded the Bolt EV as the Green Car of the Year and Green Car reports named it the Best New Car to Buy.  In Canada, the Bolt EV was recently chosen as Best New Car by The Car Guide / Le Guide de L'Auto.

Standard Bolt EV features include electronic precision shift, Regen on Demand steering wheel paddle and a 10.2-inch-diagonal colour touchscreen.  The top-trim Premier model adds leather-appointed seats, front and rear heated seats, surround vision camera, rear camera mirror and more.

The Bolt EV will initially be available to retail customers in the provinces of BC, Ontario and Quebec with first customer deliveries arriving in early 2017.  Within twelve months of the retail launch, Bolt EV will be available at dealerships nation-wide.

FOURTH MOTOR TREND AWARD IN THREE YEARS FOR CHEVROLET

By General Motors, Los Angeles - MOTOR TREND has recognized the Chevrolet Bolt EV - the all-new affordable electric vehicle offering an EPA-estimated 238 miles of range on a full charge - as its 2017 Car of the Year®.

The editors based their selection on the Bolt EV's performance in six evaluation categories: advancement in design, engineering excellence, efficiency, safety, value and performance of intended function.

"Chevrolet is the fastest-growing full-line retail brand in the industry thanks to an exceptional vehicle lineup, which includes ground-breaking products like the Bolt EV," said Alan Batey, president of GM North America and Global Chevrolet brand chief.  "Being recognized once again as MOTOR TREND Car of the Year is a great honour for the entire Chevrolet team."

It is the fourth MOTOR TREND award for Chevrolet in three years, with the Camaro recognized as the 2016 Car of the Year and Colorado named the 2015 and 2016 Truck of the Year.

"Chevrolet is on a roll with new and compelling vehicles that have reset the bar for trucks in 2015, trucks and sports cars in 2016, and for 2017, electric cars," said Ed Loh, MOTOR TREND Editor-in-Chief.  "The Bolt EV is certainly a game changing vehicle and we look forward to seeing whether we'll be recognizing another Chevrolet next year in our annual awards."

About Bolt EV

With an EPA-estimated range of 238 miles, Bolt EV owners can expect to go beyond their average daily driving needs with range to spare, when charging regularly.

Standard features include electronic precision shift, Regen on Demand™ steering wheel paddle and 10.2-inch-diagonal color touch screen.  The top-trim Premier model adds leather-appointed seats, front and rear heated seats, Surround Vision, Rear Camera Mirror and more.