Another aerodynamic item worth noting is the lower front lip deflector. While traction in all conditions was great, expect fuel efficiency to take a hit. My tester came with Pirelli winter tires to deal with the weather here in Toronto. From the factory, Chevy fits a set of Goodyear low rolling resistance tires.
The Volt rides on 17” forged lightweight aluminum wheels wearing 215-section 50-series tires. My Volt test vehicle, painted in a “Crystal Red Tintcoat”, is attractive while still wearing the usual Chevy design language, with the bow-tie emblem in the bright grille front and centre. With a heavy use of two-toned panels, any colour you choose is broken up by a decent amount of glossy black. Range anxiety is not an issue with the Chevy Volt.Īs is common for efficiency-oriented vehicles, the Volt features a hatchback design somewhat similar to the Toyota Prius. When the Tesla Model S runs out of battery capacity, there’s not much one can do aside from getting it towed to a facility that can charge the car back up quickly. When compared to the Tesla offerings, the most obvious benefit is the extended range due to the onboard generator.
There is an “EV” mode available but it is mostly for low speeds and low acceleration demands. This can negatively affect efficiency if not driven in the correct manner. In that vehicle, when strong acceleration is demanded, the gasoline engine will intervene to provide more forward motion, in addition to what the electric powertrain can do. The benefit compared to the Toyota Prius is the ability to favour the electric powertrain for propulsion. This engine typically does not send power directly to the front wheels, but exists mostly to supplement the overall hybrid-powered range once the battery supply is exhausted.
#2014 CHEVY VOLT RANGE CITY GENERATOR#
The Chevy Volt is different, often called a “series hybrid” in that while the electric motors drive the car, a gasoline engine sits under the hood to act as a generator “range extender”. In the latter example just mentioned, the Model S features no such gasoline engine, and relies solely on its electric hardware. The former is often referred to as a “series-parallel hybrid” with the gasoline engine and electric powertrain working together to propel the car forward. The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that the Volt is very different from something such as the Toyota Prius, and is closer to, but still not quite the same as the Tesla Model S. I picked up a Volt for a week to try to get my head around the technology, and to see if it all works.
The Volt, to me, seems like a car that isn’t widely understood on a technical level. Chevy played with their cards close to their chest, and some were even a little disappointed when the final specifications were released. Lots of buzz surrounded the American competitor, many speculated on the powertrain configuration. Engineers worked feverishly on the new project, which would become the Volt. Those looking for a little more info on this story can check out the film, “Who Killed the Electric Car?” Almost ten years would go by before GM would work on another such vehicle. Long story short: GM concluded that the EV1 program was not profitable, reclaimed all the cars leased out, and crushed the vast majority of them, to the dismay of EV enthusiasts everywhere. As a result, automakers may find it slightly difficult not only to break into the market, but leave a lasting effect that regular consumers would remember.Ĭhevrolet is no stranger to the EV (Electric Vehicle) market, with the GM EV1 that met a controversial demise years ago. The Model S is known for its cool factor in the mainstream media and the frankly astonishing performance never before seen in the segment. The Prius is known for its dominance and near saturation of the hybrid market. When it comes to electric cars, cars like the Toyota Prius and more recently, the Tesla Model S come to mind.
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