The buzz about new Chevy Volt

By MATHIEU YUILL

It was a long time coming, but the Chevy Volt was worth the wait.

First announced at the 2007 North American International Auto Show and as a four-seater, it was a big break from GM’s 1990 electric car, the sporty two-seater EV-1, which was released more than a decade earlier.

The Volt isn’t a straight electric car but it isn’t a hybrid either. Electric cars rely strictly on their battery to move the vehicle, meaning the range is maxed out at usually less than 200 kilometres. Hybrid vehicles have a battery but also rely on gasoline to power the car when the battery can’t provide enough power.

The Volt has a gasoline engine but gas is used only to power a generator that charges the battery, meaning less fuel is used than in a conventional petro-powered car and it has significantly longer range than its electric-only counterparts.

The fuel tank holds 35 litres of fuel, allowing the Volt to travel a further 450 kilometres after the battery depletes. The battery has a range of 40–80 kilometres depending on road conditions and the operator’s driving habits.

OmniStats Data posted by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation says 78 percent of drivers commute 64 kilometres or less a day. In Canada it’s widely thought our average commute is actually shorter. Under this scenario, someone using the Volt for mostly work commuting would rarely have to visit a gas station for anything more than a car wash and junk food.

Batteries provide energy right from the get-go so the 273 lb-ft of torque kicks in right away, making for a fairly peppy ride. Even getting up to passing speed on the highway is just like you’d be used to in a gasoline-powered vehicle. It’s not as squishy in the handling department as hybrid vehicles tend to be, but the brakes are indeed grabby and takes some getting used to.

The Volt has an MSRP of $41,545. There’s only one trim level and only two options — a premium trim (think leather) and a rear camera and park-assist. Currently the Ontario government is offering a large rebate: $8,230.

The major cost of the Volt is the battery, and while GM hasn’t released replacement costs of the battery pack they have affixed it with an eight-year, 160,000-kilomotre warranty.

Great for the original owner, but what about the next guy? By then, GM says, the technology will have come down in price where battery replacement won’t be such a daunting expense.