Think of the World Car Awards (WCA) as the Grammys of the automotive industry.
Surprisingly – perhaps not really if you look at where the industry is heading – electric vehicles have dominated this year’s categories while only a handful of internal combustion engine cars have cut it. This year the WCA’s will happen on the 13th of April at the 2022 New York International Auto Show. Needless to say, the WCA is the culmination and crowning of the best cars of which at least 10 000 units have been produced and have been in production from the 1st of January 2021 to the 30th of March 2022. Nominated vehicles also have to be priced under the luxury-car level across major markets. The pricing of the cars is another factor that determines the nominees.
Categories for the WCA’s are as follows: World Car of the Year; World Electric Vehicle of the Year; World Urban Car; World Luxury Car; World Performance Car; and World Car Design of the Year.
This year marks a notable milestone for EVs as the top 3 finalists for the World Car of the Year category are comprised solely of electric vehicles. The Ford Mustang Mach-e, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6 are the top 3 contenders for this year’s World Car of the Year award. Interestingly the Audi E-Tron GT has found itself in the top spot across multiple categories from “World Electric Vehicle of the Year” to “World performance Car” and a few others.
The past year has seen a substantial push from many automotive manufacturers towards carbon neutrality and electrification. The overwhelming presence of EVs within the WCA signifies the growing uptake and interest in EV’s, as well as the diversification of EV models. It’s not unthinkable to assume that the following years will see an increase in the number of electric vehicles in these categories alongside the sharp decline of ICE cars. Despite the electrification of many beloved ICE platforms, some manufacturers like Porsche and Audi are determined to keep their fossil fuel chugging engines alive, however.
While it’s not far-fetched to assume that EVs will continue to take over the markets, diehard petrolheads around the world are still hoping and praying that someone comes up with an alternative to electrification that keeps their sacred ICEs running.
Words: Ryan de Villiers