The Car of the Year award by The Detroit Free Press goes to the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. And why not? It seems that the Bolt EV has swept nearly any award it had been nominated for. 2016 may also be called the year of the Bolt EV in the automotive realm for that matter.

The award-giving body states that it has chosen the Bolt EV because it is the epitome of the phrase "game changer" in its literal sense.

Being a "fun-to-drive" vehicle due to its livability and affordability, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV costs under $30,000 with federal tax credits and returns an EPA-estimated 238 miles of range on a single charge, according to GM Authority.

Aside from this prestigious Car of the Year award, the 2017 Bolt EV also won as the Motor Trend Car of the Year, Green Car Journal's Car of the Year, and AutoGuide's Green Car of the year, to name a few, making it worthy of The Freep's statement saying that, if the Bolt is not the vehicle which makes electric power and autonomy a part of mainstream American transportation, it will be difficult to imagine what will. Ed Loh, Motor Trend editor-in-chief said in a statement that they are looking forward to seeing whether they will be recognizing another Chevrolet next year in their annual awards.

Standard features of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV include precision shifting, regenerative braking-on demand, steering wheel paddle, and a 10.2-inch color touchscreen. The Premier package offers leather seats, front and rear heated seats, surround vision, and a rear camera mirror.

Motor Trend's vehicle awards, among the most respected in the industry also named the 2017 Ford Super Duty its Truck of the Year and the Mercedez-Benz GLC its SUV of the Year. The magazine said that the contenders were evaluated based on six key criteria: safety, efficiency, value, design advancement, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function.

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