Before the Chevrolet Bolt was even a thought in the heads of the engineers at GM the Volt was the plug-in hybrid model we got to enjoy. For this new generation of the Volt there are some serious upgrades to make the driving even better and your trips to the gas pump few and far between. In order to offer the right range for most commuters the Volt has a real range of 53 miles using nothing but the electric motor. There is a range extending engine, but this electric range is able to allow most commuters the charge they need to have this car be a daily driver and take them to work and back on a daily basis.
With the range extending engine under the hood the Volt makes a great car for a weekend getaway to have fun and enjoy what is offered. This makes for a fantastic of the two system and they are two systems. Even though the Volt is set up to be a hybrid vehicle, it’s not built with one system feeding or assisting the other. When the electric power is empty the car switches over to gasoline thus giving the full range and power from the engine.
For this new 2016 version of the Volt these two systems are a 18.4 kWh battery system which is lither than the first generation and a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 101 horsepower. The electric motor that is attached to that battery makes 149 horsepower and 294 lb.-ft. of torque which is the overall power output rating for this car. This power is enough to get the car to sixty mph in 8.4 seconds and offer a top speed of 98 mph, which are both enough to be confident and compliant on any road.
The fun of the Volt is that it does not drive like a typical EV or a hybrid. Instead this car drives a lot like a regular compact car with the added bonus of having impressive torque for a small car. With this movement off the line this car is great in the city, allowing you to pull out in front of the rest of the pack to lead off at a stop light when it turns green, making it much easier for you to maneuver where you need to in your city or town. While the car is obviously very quiet on only electric mode it’s not overly noisy when the engine kicks in and also lacks any of the vibrations that can be part of driving most cars.
With most hybrid model regenerative braking is an important part of the vehicle and adds power back to the electric battery cell. For the Volt this is controlled by using a paddle on the steering wheel which makes use of the regenerative braking feature, making full use of the energy of the braking of the car which can be then reused as power to drive the car down the road.
The use of regenerative braking is needed to reach the range of 53 miles on the Volt. The difference when this feature is not used is about five miles of range on the vehicle which can make a huge difference over a period of time. Of course your own driving habits affect this range as well, which means you really may only experience a range of about 45 miles in this car even when using regenerative braking. On the same note, this braking system is one of the smoothest two-stage systems on the market today to give you the braking you want and the driving feel you need.
When the battery is empty the mileage you receive from the engine is rated at 42 mpg, which can be greatly reduced when the drive takes to a higher mph or is done in town. Even with drives that are less than the most efficient the average mpg comes out around 35 mpg to be a highly efficient engine to use. Overall, an average between the gasoline and the electric systems create a fuel mileage that reaches up near 63 mpg to be one of the most efficient cars on the road and certainly is rated higher than the Toyota Prius.
As for the space inside of this car there is now a place for a fifth person to sit which is an improvement over the four passenger outgoing model. The back seat does give you plenty of room to sit and enjoy the ride. For the $40,000 price tag that is expected for this new Volt you will be able to have a great ride and enjoy the upgraded technology that is present in this car. Some questions have come up wondering if the Volt will be replaced by the new Bolt in 2017, but with a second generation you can see the improvement and the need to have a car that can reach more than 200 miles of range on a single tank of fuel.
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