Anyone who still questions whether electric vehicles are more than a fad might want to check out the results of the 2023 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards. Two of the three winners were all-electric, with only one victory for piston power.
The 2023 Acura Integra was that lone gas-powered model, winning honors as North American Car of the Year. The Ford F-150 Lightning landed in the top spot in the North American Truck of the Year category, while the Kia EV6 took honors as North American Utility of the Year.
“This may be the last time we see a gas-powered vehicle win a NACTOY award,” said John McElroy, a longtime auto analyst, TV host and NACTOY juror, noting that a growing majority of new vehicles scheduled to come to market over the next few years are battery-powered models.
Narrowing down
This marks the 29th year for NACTOY, which is widely considered one of the top automotive awards in the automotive world. Winners are chosen by a jury of 50 U.S. and Canadian journalists representing some of the most important media outlets in North America. (And I am one of those 50 jurors.)
The winnowing-down process began last spring when jurors began testing the 47 vehicles eligible for NACTOY consideration this year. That matched the previous all-time record. In a series of votes, the field was narrowed down to three finalists in each of the three categories. These included:
Car-of-the-Year finalists:
- Acura Integra;
- Genesis Electrified G80;
- Nissan Z.
Truck-of-the-Year finalists:
- Chevrolet Silverado ZR2;
- Ford F-150 Lightning;
- Lordstown Endurance.
Utility Vehicle-of-the-Year finalists:
- Cadillac Lyriq;
- Genesis GV60;
- Kia EV6.
Electrics dominated this year’s picks
A closer look at the list shows that six of the nine finalists were all-electric: the G80, Lightning, Endurance, Lyriq, GV60 and EV6. And, for the first time in NACTOY’s nearly three decades, one category was made up entirely of EVs, the Utility Vehicles group.
Kia’s win in the Utility Vehicle category was more than just a win for the South Korean carmaker. “It’s an affirmation of EVs, in general,” said Chief Operating Officer Steve Center. “Electrons are going to rule the future.”
That was echoed by other winners, including Darren Palmer, Ford vice president of Electric Vehicle Programs, who noted the strong showing this year “helps everyone move into the EV era.”
“Very humbling”
Of all the products up for NACTOY awards this year, the Lightning was considered the most solid based on uniformly positive reviews and strong consumer demand in a segment where EVs once seemed unlikely. The automaker itself was skeptical and tooled up to produce just 25,000 a year. It is now increasing capacity to 150,000 annually.
Winning the North American Truck of the Year honors, said Palmer, is “very humbling and shows us the sentiment out there for electric trucks. And it confirms the investments we’re making.”
Ford isn’t alone in ramping up EV spending. TheDetroitBureau.com estimates there will be as many as two-dozen all-electric models debuting this year in the U.S., along with a significant number of conventional and plug-in hybrids. In the pickup segment, meanwhile, as many as 20 battery-powered models are expected to reach showrooms before the end of the decade.
Piston power is far from dead
That said, gasoline technology remains dominant. Even after growing by about 500% since 2019, EVs accounted for just 5% of the market last year — while forecasted to reach 20% by mid-decade and 40% to 50% by 2030.
The Acura Integra was able to push past the well-reviewed Genesis Electrified G80, as well as the latest iteration of the Nissan Z to win North American Car of the Year. And Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of sales for Honda’s luxury division suggested “the fun-to-drive factor put it over the top.”
The Integra marked a significant shift for Acura which has long relied on alphanumeric model names. It brought back a once-beloved nameplate while also introducing an all-new design language. It also gained credibility by becoming one of the few new products in recent years to offer buyers a manual transmission option