With a little over a week separating us from the 2017 Green Car of the Year awards that will be hosted at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the #GreenCarJournal announced today its five finalists.

"This year's Green Car of the Year finalists clearly represent the momentum that electrification is experiencing in the auto industry," said the magazine's Editor and Publisher, Ron Cogan. Whether it's all-electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or a combination of these powertrains plus conventional gasoline engines within a model line, electrification is now considered by most automakers an essential technology for current and future high-efficiency models".

The BMW 330e iPerformance is the most powerful on this year's list of finalists, with its plug-in hybrid drive system that uses an electric motor and an 2.0-liter inline-four resulting in 248 HP and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. This translates into a zero to sixty miles per hour (96 km/h) sprint in 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h). The German sedan can be driven for 14 miles (23 km) on electric power alone, at speeds of up to 75 mph (121 km/h).

Unveiled earlier this year in final form, the Chevrolet Bolt is GM's attempt to grab the award, with an ability to drive for an EPA-estimated 238 miles (383 km) on a single charge.

Billed as the first-ever PHEV in its class, the Chrysler Pacifica minivan promises a 30-mile (48 km) electric driving range, and once its V6 powertrain kicks in, the range increases to 530 miles (853 km).

The Koreans from Kia rely on the Optima Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid when it comes to taking a swing at the 2017 Green Car of the Year award, combining an electric motor with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder petrol unit.

The list concludes with the Toyota Prius Prime, a PHEV that can be driven up to 22 miles (35 km) on battery electric range, and which adds unique exterior styling cues that help it differentiate from the regular Prius.

GreenCarJournal's big winner will be announced next Thursday, on November 17, at 8:25 am PST, during the 2016 LA Auto Show. We'll remind you that, the second-gen Chevy Volt won last year's award, while the BMW i3 was in the same spot the year before.