2011 Chevrolet Volt Overviews

Chevrolet Volt

Introduced in early 2007 as a concept vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt has made it to production as a 2011 model. Chevrolet calls the Volt an extended-range electric vehicle, but technically it is still a hybrid, as it has both an electric motor and a gas engine to power the wheels. On the streets of San Francisco, the 2011 Volt nabbed barely a look from passersby.

The rear of the car also separates itself from a typical sedan, because the Volt is actually a hatchback. Chevrolet chose to put two bucket seats in the rear, limiting the Volt to four passengers.

The dashboard, unlike on current Chevrolet models, echoes the futuristic power train of the Volt.

Car reviewers have been buzzing about the Volt Chevy Volt ever since Chevrolet floated the idea of an extended-range electric vehicle. Amid industry debate (“It’s an electric car!” “It’s neither!”), Chevrolet rolled out the Volt. The Chevy Volt is neither a hybrid car nor an electric car. Chevrolet calls it an extended range electric vehicle. What makes the Chevy Volt so unique is its power train: it has an electric motor that powers the car for the first 25 to 50 miles of driving. For those buyers, the Chevrolet Volt is largely an electric car.

The Volt is an intriguing solution to the challenges posed by purely electric cars. If you’re fine with leasing and worried about range, the Volt is the better option.

Next to the Leaf, the Volt’s closest competitor is the Toyota Prius. Using only electric power, for the Volt to cover 15,000 miles would cost about $240 in electricity charges – which means that to offset the Volt’s price premium over the Prius would take over 17 years.

To travel solely on electric power, the Chevrolet Volt must have its batteries charged. Because it has a backup engine that generates electric power, the Chevrolet Volt does not have a limited range between charges like purely electric cars do.

The Chevrolet Volt is being introduced in limited markets at first. In 2011, the Volt will expand to other markets. The Volt is a completely new car with never-before-used power train technology.

After a full charge from household electricity, the car travels roughly 40 miles on battery power alone before its 1.4-liter four-cylinder gas engine turns on to keep the car moving, in what Chevrolet calls range-extending mode. The Volt Chevy Volt gets, on the low side, 35 mpg, but that starts after roughly 40 miles on battery power. If you drive the Volt 40 miles on electric and 1 mile on gas, that's pretty damn good mileage. If you drive 80 miles, with 40 of them on the battery, that's 70 mpg for the trip. The Volt wins on gas used. Quiet acceleration is a characteristic of electric cars that we've come to expect, and the Volt's cabin itself is exceptionally quiet. In all regards, the Volt has the Prius beat on cabin noise.

The Volt's acceleration was a pleasant surprise. Chevy Volt engineers call this a load-following strategy. To clarify what I mean by reserve battery power, here's what it really means when the battery is empty: The Volt uses only 65 percent of its battery pack's capacity, which is one of the strategies electric and hybrid car manufacturers use to extend the battery's life.

If you floor it in Normal mode, the Chevy Volt accelerates just as quickly as it would in Sport mode.

The Chevy Volt actually handles quite well, too. Due to the battery pack's central location, the Volt seats four. The Volt offers 10.6 cubic feet behind the backseat, where the Prius has 21.6. Overall, the Volt's cabin quality is good. Suffice it to say, the Volt shows how many miles remain in electric operation and in range-extending mode.

Compared with battery-electric cars that have longer ranges, the Volt's charging needs are pretty modest. To charge the battery fully in roughly four hours, you can opt for 240-volt, 30-amp charging using a wall-mounted Voltec charging station priced at a relatively affordable $490 for Volt buyers, excluding installation.

You don't want your car burning gas? Because engine use will vary widely from car to car, the Volt's oil-life monitor will keep tabs and alert the owner when it's time. The Volt's lithium-ion battery pack has eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty coverage along with three-year, 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage.

The biggest obstacle in the Volt's way is GM's reputation. The Volt's price is a problem only if buyers don't turn out.

The difference is that the range-extending Volt is an electrically propelled car that occasionally gets an assist from the gas engine.