Chevy’s Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
The Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that has been on the market since December 2010. It uses a combination of electric power and gasoline to run, which drastically increases its fuel economy. Running on electricity, it averages 93 miles per gallon in gasoline equivalent. When running on actual gas, it averages about 37 miles per gallon.
According to the EPA, the Volt is the most fuel-efficient car manufactured with a combustible engine and sold in the United States. It estimates a 60 miles per gallon rating for the combined electric and gasoline functioning. It will run up to 40 miles on electricity alone, with estimates averaging around 35 miles for electric-only travel.
The unique part of a Volt is its ability to charge and discharge different parts of the battery. This ensures that the battery is never fully charged or empty. Different parts of the battery are activated for different scenarios, such as carrying a heavier load, or driving up a steep mountain.
Charging the battery is simple. A recharge takes about 8 hours in a standard household electrical outlet (110 volts), or about 4 hours with an option 220-volt charger. It is possible to control the charging remotely, with an iPod, iPad, or a PC.
Of course, consumers wonder about the cost of a charge. Estimates place the cost of a full charge around 80 cents to one dollar. Because the car goes up to 40 miles on electricity alone, a charge can save a consumer about two gallons of gas, which costs much more than the charging expense.
The Volt comes with three modes for driving: normal, sport, and mountain. Switching between various modes helps increase fuel efficiency for different driving scenarios. After the battery is drained, the Volt switches to being a hybrid model, where mechanical power drives the generator. The car is programmed to select the best mode for driving with optimal fuel efficiency.
In addition to fuel economy, the Volt is environmentally friendly in terms of its emissions. The EPA has rated it ahead of the Toyota Prius in terms of carbon dioxide emissions per mile. It only releases these emissions after it has depleted the battery charge. In other emissions tests, the EPA scored the Volt with a six out of ten in terms of safety (with ten as the best).
The Volt has also received high safety ratings, scoring at the top for most post-crash test injuries. Its one “acceptable” rating was for torso injuries. It also scored well on rollover protection.
The Volt comes with a hefty price tag of around $40,000, but a US tax credit can refund about $7,500 to the purchaser, leaving the total cost at a little under $33,000. The 2011 Volt is current sold only in select markets, but is expected to be more widely available by later in the year 2011.
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