![]() ![]() My AJAC crew agrees with me: It has won the Green Car of the Year award. If I was lucky enough to grab a spot with a plug at the office parking lot, the gas engine never needed to turn on, unless… To be honest, I was not disappointed with the result. During my weeklong test, temperatures did not plummet to -15 degrees Celsius nor was there much (if any) snow on the road. Chevy volt range extender engine full#Just like I never bested a range of about 45 km with the previous Volt, I found that I could not get more than 63 km with the new car, and this despite a full charge (at 110V) over a 14-hour period. Output numbers are 149 horsepower and 294 lb-ft of torque. In fact, on paper, maximum EV range climbs from 61 km to 85 km. The 2016 iteration sports an 18.4kWh lithium-ion rechargeable Energy Storage System, up from a 16.5kWh unit for improved range. To go along with the new shell and smart interior, the latest Volt also gets help where it really counts. The trunk is spacious and its hatchback configuration allows for perfect access. The poor soul that will be stuck in the middle of the rear bench will be bow-legged after a 15-minute drive. The 2016 Volt remains a 4-seater, although GM’s literature specifies five. The centre console offers up some storage space that does not encroach on critical passenger space, and it is perfect for phones, sunglasses and the like. The gauges are configurable, large and clear, and I like all the available connected technology, especially Apple’s CarPlay and integrated Wi-Fi. This time around, the dashboard is functional and pleasant to use. Attention to detail was given to the new car compared to the previous’ kitsch overdone cheesy plastic mess ― no, I did not like it. The Volt’s cabin is also a vast improvement over the outgoing model. Heck, the new 2016 Chevy Volt looks like a real car as opposed to one whose budget has gone to technology over anything else. The roofline has character, as do the headlamps and taillamps. The wedged shape is now less pronounced, and there are loads of curvy creases in the body panels. ![]() GM has kept its cool and used styling cues from its Cruze and Malibu stable mates and has done well. Toyota noticed the same thing with their 2nd and 3rd-generation Prius, but the 4th-round, mega-popular hybrid’s now waaayyy out there. That’s not all they’ve done, but it’s the best thing they’ve done for the Volt.Īlthough aerodynamic, the old Volt was far too simple design-wise. While the Nissan is weird and will remain that way, GM’s now going to try its hand at making the Volt much more appealing to the masses by having it blend in amongst other cars in a parking lot. Yet, the gasoline-free LEAF proves far more popular. The Volt has a built-in range extender and thus can travel much farther without ever stopping. If you think about it, these numbers are at odds with what should have been. GM can be proud that a little over 100,000 Volts have been sold worldwide, but remember that Nissan LEAF thing? Over 200,000 of these funky EV bugs were sold in the same period of time. Finally, it arrived in showrooms as a 2011 model and, well, yeah. The first Volt concept, launched in 1868 (I’m exaggerating if only slightly), struck a chord with everyone’s sensibilities: a cool, futuristic-looking, unique concept with far-out technology. If anything, being at odds with the norm will work against you in the end. Being different can be fun, novel even, but more often than not, the intrigue dies out. ![]()
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