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The Nissan Leaf is a technological leap in that it is a mass-produced electric vehicle with a range of up to 100 miles on a single charge. Unfortunately for Nissan, its quirky EV hit the market at the same time as the prize-hungry Chevy Volt, which has already taken home the North American Car of the Year and Motor TrendCOTY awards.

But while the Volt has taken the hardware here in the United States, the Leaf can now sport its own prestigious award: the 2011 European Car Of The Year. The 58 voters gave the Leaf the nod over more conventional offerings like the Volvo S60 and the Opel Meriva. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is quick to point out the fact that the Leaf is the first EV to win the Europe COTY award, but he also stresses that the Leaf “is an appealing, competitive car, with no compromise on style, features, safety, performance or handling.” Hit the jump to read over Nissan’s brag-tastic press release.