PERFORMANCE
Won't leave you behind
The Chevrolet Volt combines an electric motor, which powers it as an electric car for the first 50 miles or so of driving, with a 1.4-liter gasoline-powered engine that acts as a generator, creating electricity for the electric motor once the batteries are depleted. To travel solely on electric power, the Chevrolet Volt must have its batteries charged. With a standard household outlet, that takes between 10 and 12 hours; if you opt for a home charging station (about $2,000), the charging time drops to about four hours. 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.
Power Supply
The Volt uses electricity to move the wheels at all times and speeds. For trips up to 40 miles, the Volt is powered only by electricity stored in its 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery. When the battery’s energy is depleted, a gasoline/E85-powered engine generator seamlessly provides electricity to power the Volt’s electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery. This mode of operation extends the range of the Volt for several hundred additional miles, until the vehicle’s battery can be charged.
The Chevrolet Volt can be plugged either into a standard household 120v outlet or use 240v for charging. The vehicle’s intelligent charging technology enables the Volt’s battery to be charged in less than three hours on a 240v outlet or about eight hours on a 120v outlet. Charge times are reduced if the battery has not been fully depleted. At a cost of about 80 cents per day (10 cents per kWh) for a full charge that will deliver up to 40 miles of electric driving, GM estimates that the Volt will be less expensive to recharge than purchasing a cup of your favorite coffee. Charging the Volt about once daily will consume less electric energy annually than the average home’s refrigerator and freezer units. More than 220 lithium-ion cells contained within the Volt’s battery pack provide ample power.
Power for less of the cost
The Volt’s electric drive unit delivers the equivalent of 150 horsepower, 273 lb-ft. (370 Nm) of instant torque, and a top speed of 100 miles per hour. The lack of engine noise, combined with special sound-deadening materials, make the Chevrolet Volt an extremely quiet vehicle to drive. GM estimates that the Volt will cost about two cents per mile to drive while under battery power compared to 12 cents per mile using gasoline priced at $3.60 per gallon.
For an average driver who drives 65 kilometers per day (or 24000 kilometers per year), this amounts to a cost savings of $1,500 annually.Using peak electric rates, GM estimates that an electrically driven mile in a Chevy Volt will be about one-sixth of the cost of a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle. The cost savings are even greater when charging during off-peak hours, when electric rates are cheaper.
Power from an exceptional battery
The Volt battery has gone through numerous environment-specific tests, including corrosion and hot- and cold-weather testing and the results were so promising that the 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is backed by an 160,000-kilometers/8-year limited warranty
Here are a few more notes on the battery:
- Volt offers an EPA-estimated 56 Kilometers of initial EV range offering a gas-free and tailpipe emissions-free commute for about $1.50 of electricity per day
- When the battery is depleted, a small, quiet onboard gas generator creates electricity that powers your Volt as you drive for hundreds of additional Kilometers
- Lithium-ion cells outperform nickel-metal hydride cells (found in today's hybrid vehicles) in terms of life cycle
- A liquid thermal cooling and heating system keeps the battery at a comfortable temperature as it's being charged and discharge
- Commute gas-free on electricity for an average of $1.50 a day
- Can be set to charge during off-peak hours for greater savings
- Your Volt will be fully charged in about 10 hours, depending on climate, with standard 120-volt line, or as little as 4 hours using a dedicated 240-volt line
- Some Volt owners may qualify for tax rebates on an SPX Service Solutions - installed charging unit
Innovation everywhere
Volt offers the performance and forward-thinking you've come to expect from Chevrolet. Take a look:
- Instant, smooth and seamless torque right at the wheels
- Regenerative braking captures the energy from forward motion that would otherwise be lost when the car slows or stops and then converts it into electricity, helping make Volt even more efficient to drive
- On the test track, Volt reached a top speed of 100 mph
- Free of the typical noise of the internal combustion engine, Volt offers a quiet, relaxing ride at any speed
Safety
Recently Also Got Top-Rating From Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Electric vehicles, like many new technologies, have to overcome certain perception problems before becoming mainstream. Ubiquitous fast-charge stations and incrementally better batteries should take care of 'range anxiety' over time (as this Dutch team showed by driving a LEAF 780 miles in 24 hours), and crash tests of various models will show that electric cars are as safe as other vehicles (the same worry existed with hybrids like the Prius at first, but it has shown to be very safe over time - batteries can be dangerous, but so can gasoline...).The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan LEAF had previously received top ratings from the IIHS, and the Volt has now also received a 5-star rating from the NHTSA.
Safety features on the Volt include:
- GM's StabiliTrak electronic stability control system
- Front-, side- , knee- air bags as well as roof-mounted head-curtain air bags that help protect occupants in a side or rollover crash
- Optional rearview camera system featuring a display integrated into the navigation system screen
- Five-year subscription to OnStar's Directions and Connections Plan including Automatic Crash Response, stolen vehicle assistance and connected navigationStarting with 2011 models.
NHTSA introduced tougher tests and more rigorous requirements for its five-star safety ratings program that provide more comprehensive information about safety performance and crash-avoidance technologies. Changes include a new side pole test simulating a 20-mph side-impact crash into a 10-inch-diameter pole or tree at a 75-degree angle just behind the A-pillar on the driver's side.
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