The 2012 Chevrolet Volt, in fact, might be the ideal green car if it weren't for the staggering price: $39,995 for what is essentially a four-seat compact hatchback. GM plans to boost Volt production for 2012, and it expects to sell every one it can make. In its first year, there have been long waiting lists for the Volt, compounded by a weeks-long shutdown of its assembly plant for retooling. Inside, the cockpit is futuristic, with detailed information displays showing the car's performance, its battery state of charge and remaining range, and its lifetime gas mileage (which tops out at 500 mpg). The closed front grille improves aerodynamics, and underlining its electric propulsion, there's no exhaust-pipe outlet at the rear (it exits under the car). It's distinctive but not all that graceful, but there's purpose behind the lines. The production Volt is a far cry from the long, lean shape of the 2007 concept car. Fill it up, and you can do it all over again. With the engine running, in what's known as "range-sustaining mode," you'll get about 300 miles per tank of gasoline. Once the battery energy is depleted, the Volt's 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine switches on to generate power-but it happens so quietly you might miss it if you're not paying attention. vehicles travel less than 40 miles per day, so in theory, a Volt recharged daily and used for a commute shorter than that might never burn a drop of gasoline. And GM relentlessly points out that three-quarters of U.S. That gives the car 25 to 40 miles of electric range using that stored energy. The fact that the engine only generates electricity to power the electric motor that actually turns the wheels isn't necessarily evident, even from behind the wheel.īut Chevy expects owners to plug their Volts in to 110- or 220-Volt power to recharge their lithium-ion battery packs, most likely overnight. If you never plug it in, it will run happily on its small gasoline engine for as long as you keep filling the tank. And unlike battery electric cars, it runs as long as you want it to-up through cross-country trips.Ībsent some of the interior styling and information displays, in fact, you might never know the Volt had a revolutionary electric powertrain. It seats four in comfort, rides and drives quietly, performs briskly, and comes with all the accessories and features you'd expect of any car. We've driven the Chevy Volt several times under a variety of conditions, and there's no questioning the fact: It's a real car. By the end of 2011, it was available at selected Chevy dealers nationwide. In December 2010, almost four years after GM unveiled a concept for a plug-in electric car with a range-extending engine, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt went on sale in a handful of states.
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