Each year the competition for the North American Car of the Year is extremely tough, and this year was no different. With models like the all-electric Nissan Leaf and the popular Hyundai Sonata vying for the title, the result of this award was especially competitive. But this year, the Chevrolet Volt reigned supreme and clenched the coveted Car of the Year title.

The Volt is a unique EV that can travel for 40 miles on electricity alone. After that point, a four-cylinder gasoline engine acts as an electric generator to extend the range by an additional 300 miles.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized as the North American Car of the Year,” said Dan Akerson, chief executive of General Motors. “Since development began, we believed the Volt had the potential to transform the automotive industry.”

Car of the Year awards are presented by a jury of 49 automotive journalists. This marks the fourth time that GM has earned this esteemed award. The award also follows a slew of recent accolades garnered by the Volt, including Motor Trend’s 2011 Car of the Year and Green Car Journal’s 2011 Green Car of the Year.

YUMA, Ariz. -- Summer for the Chevrolet Volt engineering team means hot weather testing.  And taking on the hottest Mother Nature has to offer is what they’re doing at the General Motors Desert Proving Grounds in Arizona.

While the Volt is designed to operate in all weather and temperature conditions, one of the tests it is undergoing in the desert is the Hot Soak Evaluation, where temperatures inside the cabin can exceed 175 degrees F.

Engineers “bake” the Volt in the sun for several hours, then open everything in the car, cycle all of the electric accessories and then take the car down the ride handling track to check for squeaks and rattles.  Additionally, they check to make sure the door seals continue to close off the cabin to the hot air as they cool the Volt down using its high-efficiency air conditioning system.

“The car performed well,” said senior durability test engineer Steve Pratt. “The air conditioner cooled things off from our interior temperature of 138 degrees down to a nice comfortable temperature for driving.”

While the Volt will not be equipped to handle towing, the engineering team regularly puts the Volt through some weight training via Grade Load testing.  Engineers use a towing dynamometer – which simulates endless hill and mountain climbing anywhere from a 2 to 10 percent grade – to put stress and strain on the Volt’s engine and chassis to determine how well it will perform while climbing a mountain at temperatures above 100 degrees F.

In addition, the Volt undergoes routine City Cycle testing two to three times each day. In this test, the battery receives added heat from the electrical energy generated by the steering, air conditioning, accessories and components under repetitive, cumulative use.  The engineers are making sure there are no heat-related issues. The Volt has yet to disappoint during real-world city driving cycles.

In fact, the Volt has performed very well under the stress and strain of all these tests, but the rigorous testing and validation continues because the Volt is an electric vehicle for all temperatures and seasons.