Being that it is almost New Year’s Eve, it seems appropriate to look back at the news, reviews and opinions that have shaped the automotive industry during 2010. Think of it as our ten-article count down to the New Year. So make sure you check out all ten installments where we here at AllSmallCars.com (ASC) will choose the top article from our sites archives for the months leading up to the end of the year.

In January ASC covered everything from the development of diesel hybrids by GM to 2012 Ford Focus hill-start system announcement to teasers on what we now know as the MINI Countryman. However, the article we think really sticks out for January 2010 is one that covered technology that is currently revolutionizing the electric vehicle market. If you are guessing it has something to do with the Nissan Leaf, then you are on the right track. The article we picked as our pick of January 2010 is: Nissan Is First Foreign Company To Get DOE Funding For EV.

We choose this article because it represents the progress and eventual success of the EV coming to market here in the U.S. Nissan is the first major manufacturer to offer a mass-produced electric vehicle to market, but it wasn’t without strategic moves in order to put all of the pieces in place. The DOE funding was significant because it set the precedent that companies, even foreign companies, can qualify if they are willing to play by the U.S. government rules. In this case, Nissan helped create some 1300 American jobs by agreeing to build the U.S. LEAFs in Tennessee. It truly was the foreshadowing of the first customer deliveries we saw earlier this month.

 

Be sure to check out all 10 of our Counting Down To 2011 articles right here at AllSmallCars.com.