The ugly but somehow charming Nissan LEAF EV has been awarded 2011 European Car of the Year, to become the first ever all-electric vehicle in the 47-year history of EuroCoty to win the title. The main reason the jury chose the LEAF was its conventional features, despite of its futuristic zero-emission drivetrain. And that’s the thing, the cars of future doesn’t have to look like spaceships or something! The real cars of future will look like the cars of today, just like the Nissan LEAF.

The LEAF is powered by a compact electric motor with an output of 109 PS and 280 Nm of torque, a top speed of 90 mph and a range of over 100 miles on a single charge. The vehicle is fully equipped with features such as regenerative braking, air conditioning, satellite navigation, parking camera and advanced on-board IT and telematics systems.

The world’s first mass-marketed, affordable, zero-emission vehicle for the global market beat 40 contenders to win motoring’s most important accolade. This is the first time in the 47-year history of the annual competition that the award has gone to an electric vehicle. Nissan LEAF’s rivals included vehicles from brands such as Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Dacia, Ford, Opel/Vauxhall and Volvo. The jury included 57 leading motoring journalists from 23 European countries.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.’s President and CEO Carlos Ghosn said: “This award recognises the pioneering zero-emission Nissan LEAF as competitive to conventional cars in terms of safety, performance, spaciousness and handling. It also reflects Nissan’s standing as an innovative and exciting brand with a clear vision of the future of transportation, which we call sustainable mobility. With three other electric vehicles in the pipeline from Nissan – and with the imminent market introduction of four additional electric vehicles from our Alliance partner Renault – Nissan LEAF represents a significant first step toward a zero-emission future.”