The Chevrolet Volt has now earned the right to call itself the 2012 European Car of the Year. The award adds to the long list of notable awards that the electric car has earned so far, such as the North American Car of the Year and the World Green Car of the Year awards for 2011.

The panel of 59 automotive journalists came together and awarded a total of 330 points to the Chevrolet Volt. Second place was claimed by the Volkswagen Up! with 281 points and the Ford Focus came in third in the voting with 256 points.

"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 owners' lifestyle."

The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors. The Volt operates as a pure battery electric vehicle until its plug-in battery capacity drops to a predetermined threshold from full charge, at which point its gasoline engine powers an electric generator to extend the vehicle's range.

However, a multiple-award winning car may not translate to equally successful sales result. As a result of rising inventory and poor sales, General Motors made the decision to halt the production of the Volt for five weeks from March 19 to April 23.