Which electric car was the first to win the North American Car of the Year award?

The Chevrolet Bolt EV was the first electric car to win the North American Car of the Year award.

The Bolt EV won the 2017 North American Car of the Year title, selected by a jury of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. It was also named the 2017 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year’s companion car? No: the Bolt’s award was the overall Car of the Year category, making it distinct from the separate utility-vehicle award.

Chevrolet introduced the Bolt EV for the 2017 model year as a compact hatchback with a battery-electric powertrain and a manufacturer-estimated range of more than 200 miles. Its combination of usable range and a lower price than many earlier long-range EVs made it an important mainstream model.

The Bolt EV is often confused with the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid that used both an electric motor and a gasoline engine. The Bolt is a battery-electric vehicle and has no gasoline engine. The award also came before the later Bolt EUV, which shared much of its electric technology but used a different body style.