The tests have revealed less battery degradation, the ability to withstand temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius and less impact by energy throughput.įor the first 38 miles, the Volt can drive gas and tailpipe-emissions free using a full charge of electricity stored in its 16.5-kWh lithium-ion battery. A full recharge using a 120V could take 10.5 hours and 4.25 hours using a 240V charging unit.Ĭells with improved chemistry have accumulated 150,000 test miles to date. The improved EV range capability will result in slight increases to the Volt’s charge times. The battery system maintains a buffer to ensure battery life, but that buffer has been reduced. The Bad - Tons of tech going on in this car, might overwhelm some.In addition, the total storage capacity of the Volt battery has been increased from 16 kWh of energy to 16.5 kWh, and engineers have expanded the state-of-charge window to use 10.8 kWh of the total battery energy-up from 10.3 kWh used in the 2012 model. The Good - Plug-in, extended-range awesomeness with good torque.
Will Chamberlain is a local freelance automotive journalist and full-time Realtor with eXp Realty in Beaver and can be reached at Chevrolet Volt Premiere Hatchback
Also, when you are completely charged with a full tank, you will get around 40 miles all electric and 380 miles on the gas, witho a combined total range of around 420 miles. General Motors claims 106 mpg-e which incorporates the electric charging average and 42 mpg average gas-only. So mileage, that’s a rough estimate because you are using two types of fuel and it’s hard to quantify your home battery-charging costs. So upgrading to a 240 line is recommended if you plan to own a plug-in vehicle of any kind. Charging it from almost empty takes 12 or more hours on a regular plug in your garage. There is also a Mountain setting that reserves battery for hill climbs. You can actively change how the car operates to be the most efficient at the specific time. It's ideal for people who drive in town, then highway to work, then in town again.
#All electric chevy volt range generator#
What this does is lock the battery at the current charged level and uses the generator almost exclusively to save battery for city driving. One of the features I loved about the Volt was “Hold” mode. You can plug in for 40-plus miles of electric charge and use the gas engine to help on highway commutes. But really, if you commute in the city to suburbs primarily, the Volt is a really nice alternative to gasoline or even hybrid cars. The car jumps to attention and will blast down the highway. It’s a smooth application of power and even more rewarding when in sport mode with a full charge. For the most part, most people won’t notice the difference while driving this car as opposed to any other small sedan.Īs far as a transmission goes, the car is really just a CVT with electric propulsion, so there is no shifting like traditional gear boxes and the car doesn’t hop around gears. Acceleration is pretty decent, and driving an electric vehicle is actually really nice, with no hesitation in the gas pedal. Those combine with the 1.5-lion range extender gas engine to provide a total output of 149 horsepower but 297 pound-foot of torque that will propel this hatchback to 60 mph pretty quickly. Under the hood is a Voltec Electric drive unit and a Li-ion battery unit. This week we take a look at one of my favorites: the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle. Keep in mind these are all introductions to the cars of the future that will combine all of this tech in different ways to make all sorts of efficient vehicles. Then everyone would really understand the pros and cons of all types of electric, hybrid and plug-in vehicles.Įach has a niche, and each has its drawbacks.
Everyone should spend some time with a Volt, a Prius, an Insight and a Tesla.