It runs primarily on electric current, drawn either from its battery pack or its onboard four-cylinder engine. Where most PHEVs (such as the Toyota Prius Prime) use electric power to supplement an internal combustion engine, the Volt does the opposite. How? Instead of making it a pure battery-electric vehicle like the EV1, GM designed the Volt as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) - and a unique one at that. Unlike the EV1, which only had room for two and could (initially) travel just 55 miles per charge, the Volt seats four and boasts over 300 miles of range. GM was still feeling the sting from the flop of its first electric vehicle, the too-early-for-its-time EV1 (1997-99), and they engineered the Volt to ensure its success wouldn’t be hampered by a lack of range or utility. While the Chevrolet Volt may seem rather mainstream these days, it was one of the most revolutionary cars on the road when it debuted.
And thanks to deprecation, excellent used examples are now available for as little as $10,000.īut which is the best Chevy Volt to buy? And are there any problem areas to avoid? We explore that and more in this detailed buyer’s guide. After nearly a decade of production spanning two generations, there are plenty of Volts available for sale on the used market. The qualities that made the Volt a popular new car - its outstanding fuel efficiency, robust engineering, and affordable price - make it an even better used one. It quickly became America’s best-selling EV, a crown which it held for many years, only recently ceding it to the Tesla Model 3. No wonder the Volt was a hit, racking up an impressive list of kudos, including North American Car of the Year and World Green Car, and landing a spot on Car and Driver’s 10Best list, the first electrically powered car to do so. Yet you could buy it for just $32,495 (after federal incentives). GM reportedly spent a billion dollars developing the car. The Detroit-designed and -built compact sedan offered sharp looks, room for four, and an innovative hybrid-electric powertrain that could travel well over 300 miles without a refill. EV sales for the year totaled just 17,000 units.Įnter the Chevrolet Volt. And the sole Tesla model available was the two-seat, Lotus-based Roadster with a price tag over $100,000. The sales leader at the time was the original Nissan Leaf, boasting about 85 miles of range. Imagine if you did a little bit of planning and drove it like some other Volt owners, who manage up to hundreds or thousands of miles per gallon, with no lack in confidence.Roll the clock back to 2011, and you’ll find only a handful of electric vehicles (EVs) on the market. Now, Witzenburg was driving his Chevy Volt like a conventional vehicle. Charging on just 120V and using just 12.6gal of gasoline, his overall fuel economy was 46.3mpg, and that’s in a car that’s more fun-to-drive than any other 46mpg vehicle. On another note, Witzenburg spent six days driving his Chevy Volt 583.1mi, mostly on the highway at typical highway speeds. With a EREV, such as the Chevy Volt, you can charge at home and have the confidence that you won’t get stranded because the two EV charging stations at the airport are occupied. Even with EV fast-charging stations, such as the Tesla Motors Supercharger Network, expanding across the country, you still have to know where they are and plan your trips accordingly. Gary Witzenburg at AutoBlogGreen recently had a week with a Chevy Volt, with his family, and his experience goes to show that Chevy Volt is probably the easiest transition into an electric vehicle that can be had.
Chevy volt range on electric only how to#
Of course, learning how to drive an EV and manage your range is important, but not everyone is ready to make that switch. The Chevy Volt, and the now-defunct Fisker Automotive, EREVs have all the efficiency and fun-to-drive of pure electric vehicles, with none of the range jitters.
įor people considering electric vehicle technology, EREVs could be the perfect stepping stone. After all, you can buy the Nissan Leaf, with a range of 75 miles, for about $4K less! “Why would you spend $4,000 for half the range?” seems like a reasonable question except, for some strange reason, people forget that the Chevy Volt is not a pure electric vehicle, like the Nissan Leaf, but is equipped with a 1.4ℓ backup generator, making it an Extended-Range EV. Some people look at the Chevy Volt and see a $34K electric vehicle with a measly 38-mile range. Could the Chevy Volt be the ambassador to the conventional crowd? Chevy Volt Extended-Range Electric Vehicle Since the original dispute between Ford Model A owners and traditional horse-and-carriage drivers, no automobile technology has been so polarizing as the electric vehicle.
0 kommentar(er)
