Charging Ahead: 2016 Chevrolet Volt Review - Automobile
Piloting the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Volt , I made it almost halfway on electric power alone. The EPA rates the car at 53 EV miles before the gas-powered “range extender” kicks in, but if you’re mindful of the consumption displays and careful with the throttle, it’s possible to stretch that a bit. In any case, 53 miles represents a 35 percent bump in EV range compared with the first-gen Volt -- enough, Chevy says, that 90 percent of owner trips will never light up the gas engine. Mind you, Chevy’s original Volt impressed us plenty -- enough that we voted the extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) AUTOMOBILE ’s 2011 Automobile of the Year. “Part of the issue is that you’re creating an entirely new type of car from scratch,” says Pamela Fletcher, executive chief engineer of GM electrified vehicles. There you’ll find a new 18. 4-kW-hr lithium-ion battery pack (versus the old 17. 1-kW-hr battery) that makes use of revised chemistry to increase efficiency and output while reducing size. Also new is the 111-kW two-motor drive unit. compared with the old Volt’s, it’s smaller and lighter yet more powerful. Source: www.automobilemag.com
