Driving The Chevy Volt

Jeff Gilbert becomes one of the first broadcast journalists invited to drive an early "test mule" for the Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Chevy Volt
• electric car
• green
• test drive

[TrueDeltaTV]

Government praise for the Volt is limited because there's no way it will improve GM's finances for at least the next few years.

So about how quick did it feel? Top speed you drove the car?

[jeffgilbertwwj]

I did mostly freeway speeds 60-70...nice acceleration, as you tend to find in electric vehicles. A lot of people don't seem to understand that this vehicle is not seen as the "savior" of GM. It's more a first step in a long journey to the future.

[leeroyjenkinsii]

It is absurd that the government is no pouring money into this. THIS IS THE FUTURE!! THIS WILL CREATE MILLIONS OF JOBS!! What do you think happens when folks start driving electric vehicles. The electrical infrastructure has to be upgraded. Where does the money come from for that? It comes from the 1.5 trillion we throw away anually on gas. Now that money will be a yearly stimulus for good ol American electrical jobs AND research into solar, wind and tide for energy sources. HURRY UP!!!

[starview1]

There seems to be confussion...The Chevy VOLT is always powered by batteries,the gas motor only is there to charge the battery after 40 miles of drive,between the charge and the gas supply the cars range is 800 miles.The car always operates on battery power and has better hwy performance than the prius because of expanded capacity the prius 2010 doesnot have,Right now the ford fussion hybrid is a good choice

[oiseautempete]

@TexasRejectsleader

yes but diesel is expansiver,heawier and produce much more vibrations, noise and carbon particels...

At constant and best rpm, is the consumption difference between a high efficiency gazoline engine and a diesel engine relative low

[CI9TK]

GM is a big player behind the dismantling of the L.A. trolley system, I am not a fan of theirs. I also owned one of their cars - once.

I am very PRO electric vehicle. I think it is funny that the company with the very successful EV-1 powertrain is taking so long to mate an onboard charging system to that kind of product.

We import about 80% or our oil, it is environmentally disastrous. GM could make a tidy profit on electric vehicles, but oil is more profitable for major shareholders.

[mark2073]

You better get your act together GM, Nissan is releasing the LEAF pure EV with 100 mile range at the same time the Volt is coming out, and it will be significantly cheaper. Unlike you, Nissan actually wants to make an EV and they're going to do a better job than you are, although producing a successful product has never been a high priority for GM management, has it.

[Account6879]

HFC technology is laughably underfunded, most of the money comes from federal and private grants. And most fuel cell vehicles had to be purchased before they were converted to HFC use.

Having driven a fuel cell powered Chevy Equinox, and been thoroughly surprised by the powerful electric drive-train, I think we need all the competition we can get.

[TexasRejectsleader]

i wonder why they don't make a diesel engine to power the car after the battery runs out of energy since with a diesel you will get more mpg then with a gas

and also make it to where you can make it run on bio diesel

[mark2073]

How much of that research money is devoted to the red herring of hydrogen fuel cells?

[mark2073]

But Toyota left its Rav4 EV's in service after the lease expired.

The last version of the EV1 had a range of 160 miles. And you just said that your trips to work are less than 40 miles.

The batteries were no longer suitable because GM sold the patent on them to Chevron, who then swiftly prevented every car maker from using them in EV's (except for inefficient non-plugin parallel hybrids like the Prius who pose not threat to oil sales)

See "Who Killed the Electric Car", available on Youtube.

[11JAYP11]

The EV-1 program ended due to the lack of suitable batteries. Although many people said they wanted an electric car, when faced with a range of 80 miles or less between overnight recharges, most went elsewhere. Other carmakers EV programs of that era met a similar fate the batteries werent quite ready for prime time.

Because of legal requirements to provide warranty service and spare parts, it was too expensive to leave the vehicles in service once the leases ended.

[11JAYP11]

Still, my trips to go to work are not longer than 40 miles! I can charge it once for the day and thats it... and IF EVER I want to go further ... then I have gas