The Chevrolet Volt was recently named the 2012 European Car of the Year, adding yet another award to the list for the hybrid plug-in vehicle. It has also won the 2012 North American Car of the Year award, as well as accolades from Motor Trend, Automobile magazine and the Green Car Journal.

Leading automotive journalists from 23 European nations came together to determine the best newly-introduced vehicles on the market. They started with 35 different models, and narrowed the selection down to seven finalists. The judges scored each finalist in categories such as design, comfort, innovative technology, efficiency and performance.

The Volt and its European counterpart, known as the Opel Vauxhall Ampera, beat the runners up by a wide margin. The Volt and Ampera had scores of 330 points, while the Volkswagen Up! and the Ford Focus lagged behind with scores of 281 and 256, respectively.

"It is a proud moment for us and an honor to receive this award from Europe's leading jury of automotive journalists," said Susan Docherty, president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe. "Our car demonstrates that electric driving can be fun and reliable without ever compromising the owner's  lifestyle."

The Volt is able to run on gasoline, but its electric battery is capable of powering the car for 35 miles in between charges. This means drivers can use the car to get around town or back and forth from work without ever using a drop of gasoline, but they have the option to switch over if they run out of juice on the road.

Since the award-winning Volt has only been on the market for little more than a year, drivers may not be able to find used models just yet. New Jersey State Auto Auction has plenty of other choices for those looking to get behind the wheel of a fuel-efficient car.