The Germany carmaker's i3 edged out four other finalists for the award, including the Audi A3 TDI, the Honda Fit, the Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel and the Volkswagen Golf.
DETROIT, MI – BMW's all-electric i3 won Green Car Journal's annual Green Car of the Year Award at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Germany carmaker's i3 edged out four other finalists for the award, including the Audi A3 TDI, the Honda Fit, the Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel and the Volkswagen Golf.
The i3 was the first all-electric car in the premium segment to win the award. Green Car Journal, which reports on sustainability and efficiency-enhancing technologies, has given the award annually at the Los Angeles show since 2005.
The i3 is part of BMW's "i project," a multi-billion-dollar investment into electrified vehicles that also includes the far-sportier i8.
The i3 is equipped with a 125-kilowatt, 170-horsepower electric motor. The EPA gives it a fuel rating of 124 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe).
The car has already won several awards in Germany, the UK and France.
BMW said it has sold 12,000 i3s since it launched a year ago in Germany.
Mass production of the car began in GFemrany in 2013. Deliveries to the U.S. began last spring.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter