The Chevy Volt
GM
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The Chevy Volt is a data geek's dream, a family-friendly transporter and an attractive American car. If they can get the pricing right, GM's electric car could become the next "most logical" choice for efficiency-minded drivers.
Watch Video: Tour the Chevy Volt
Watch Video: Test Drive the Chevy Volt
This review comes from someone squarely in their target demo. As a family-oriented, early adopter going through a mid-life "query," I'm looking for a reason to get excited about a new car. In searching for a replacement for an old VW, I wanted to get a BMW, Audi or VW (used, of course), but ultimately always come back to (you guessed it) the Prius.
To me, the Toyota Prius currently holds the "most logical" designation for its family-friendly form and future-friendly function (as long as it remains immune to the recent spate of Toyota recalls). As gas prices tick higher, the attraction of performance data is replaced by efficiency data. But while fifty miles per gallon is great, the Prius isn't exactly the coolest looking car. The Chevy Volt one-ups on both counts.
Chevy Volt Test Drive
As I approached the Chevy Volt for a test drive, I was struck at how it looked more like an Acura or Lexus than a traditional Chevy. The interior is decked out with leather seats, navigation, precise climate control -- the works and all standard, according to my co-pilot, Chevy Volt development Engineer Trent Warnke. But the main attraction is the animated dashboard that made me think we were about to go fight crime.
The dash provides constant feedback, with a floating green ball near the speedometer visualizing your fuel economy. During normal driving, it's covered in leaves and floating peacefully, but if you accelerate sharply, it starts to float away, shrink and turn pale. The center dash, besides housing the navigation, entertainment and other functions, has a series of animations and displays to show mileage for your current trip and even analyzes your driving habits, providing advice on how to improve your technique for better efficiency (maybe that feature can be broadcast from the back seat).
The drive itself was smooth, as you'd expect from an electric vehicle. Acceleration was surprising and similar to the spunky output of other electric vehicles like the MINI EV. There are at least three settings: "normal," "sport," which offers faster acceleration and a "lower" gear that makes more use of the regenerative braking system. In that mode, as you ease off the accelerator, the drag of a "lower" gear is present in all but the sound. That action charges the battery, as does the actual brakes -- a feature that's become standard even in today's hybrids.
Chevy Volt's Miles Per Gallon (Warning: Speculative Math Ahead)
Determining mileage on a plug-in electric vehicle like the Chevy Volt is tricky because it depends on how the car is used. Research has shown that most routine trips are under 33 miles, so with a range of 40 miles on electricity only, the Chevy Volt wouldn't need to use any gas. Beyond 40 miles, an engine kicks in to charge the car's battery like a portable generator.
My routine month would include commuting Monday to Friday and recreational use on the weekends at say approximately 20 miles per day, which would be all electric, and a 600 mile round trip to New York. For that New York trip, I would use no gas for 80 miles and let's (for fun!) use a rumored 50 mpg rating for the Chevy Volt's gasoline engine. So that's 520 miles at 50 mpg, using a total of 10.4 gallons of gas. My monthly gas mileage would be 1,200 miles on 10.4 gallons of gas or 115 miles per gallon.
That is NOT the mileage on a Chevy Volt. That's because the Environmental Production Agency (EPA) has yet to issue revised fuel efficiency standards for plug-in electric vehicles. Without getting into petroleum efficiency equivalents and other formulas that had Chevy claiming 230 mpg back in August, let's just say the EPA has to come up with some reasonable behavioral assumptions and spit out a new standard -- something that's expected in the next few months.
But Electricity to Charge Cars Isn't Exactly Clean or Free
If you are able to purchase 100 percent wind or solar power from your electric utility company, you can claim the full mileage advantage from an air quality standpoint. But finantially, there is of course an expense. Reading my electric bill is about as fun as taxes, but as far as I can tell, I'm paying roughly $0.108 per kwh. Back in August, Chevy rated the Volt's electricity usage at 25 kwh per 100 miles (although that's no longer official). So my monthly electric car expense would be $32.40. At say $3/gallon, my 10.4 gallons of gas is $31.20/month. Add them together and my total car energy bill is roughly $64/month. Standard engine at a lenient 25 mpg would be $144 and rising. This is no doubt a gross oversimplification, but I had fun doing it.
The Chevy Volt Routine: Owning an Electric Car
So you're saving money as you'd expect, but do you pay a "hassle" charge owing an EV? The Chevy Volt battery plugs safely in to standard 120v or 240v outlets and can go from completely depleted to full strength in 3 hours (on the 240 line). In practice, electric vehicle testers tell me they plug in almost every time they get to their garage, so the car is rarely entirely depleted. Government and industry groups are working to encourage investment in charging stations around urban areas (even McDonalds may get into that), as not many urban dwellers (only around 16 percent in San Francisco, for example) have access to a garage.
Then There's the Chevy Volt Price
Although GM isn't saying what the final price point will be at the end of 2010, when the Chevy Volt becomes available for purchase, it's expected to be upwards of $40,000. But they also expect the car's battery will qualify for a $7,500 tax credit as part of the government's stimulus plan. Even if they can get that calculation to $30,000 it still feels like a stretch, but with the luxury features, it could compete with the Lexus and Acura models it resembles.
Walking around the DC Auto Show, near our test drive location, I was struck at how the 18/25 or even 20/29 mpg ratings on my favorite cars are becoming like "Color TV!" signs at dingy motels. The auto industry knows it and has models reaching more towards the "jacuzzi tub" levels in the 30s. But electric vehicles could be a game change and the Chevy Volt has great style and efficiency points, but will need help on the infrastructure and pricing to take off and lead.
If GM stages a stimulus-induced return to glory, the Chevy Volt may play a significant role if only to encourage confidence in a future-proof American car company.
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