#Chevy volt range electric only driver

And forget about having a pure electric as your only vehicle.

And with maximum ranges in the 100-mile neighborhood, good luck with any long- or even moderate-distance travel. In other words, it’s going to be some time before charging while at work or out on the town becomes the norm for now, EVs’ batteries will be replenished largely at home. Currently, 48 of 50 states have fewer than 10 charging stations, and even California’s relative abundance of 422 pales in comparison to its roughly 10,400 gas stations. This is why GM calls the Volt an “extended-range electric vehicle,” and the dual-power-source arrangement makes a lot of sense at a time when there’s precious little charging infrastructure. Do you think it’s a coincidence that the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium-ion pack contains exactly that amount?īut beyond the commonality of large battery packs, the Volt sets itself apart from the Nissan Leaf and the forthcoming EV crowd: It also has a gas engine that can step in to extend the Volt’s range when the battery’s energy is depleted. The Obama administration has started to unleash part of a planned $69 billion to thousands of clean-energy companies-through tax credits, loans, and grants-as well as to consumers, with a $7500 federal tax break for buying a car that has at least 16 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy stored in a battery pack. That’s because the trump card already has been played: It’s called government intervention. Also irrelevant is the point that battery packs with enough capacity to power a vehicle for any significant range are prohibitively expensive today. It’s irrelevant that, depending on how their electricity is produced, electric vehicles don’t come very close to living up to the zero-emission label they often receive. And, this time around, it appears they’re here to stay. Mass-produced electric cars are finally here.

#Chevy volt range electric only driver

From the December 2010 Issue of Car and Driver