The second generation of Chevrolet’s plug-in electric hybrid car can travel 53 miles on electric power before its gas-powered engine starts. This is a substantial improvement over the 38-mile range of the first-generation Volt. The improvement is almost an impressive 40% forcing prospective consumers to take a second look at the redesigned vehicle. The reengineered General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)’s 2016 Volt also comes with an 18.4-kWh lithium-ion battery.
A plug-in hybrid’s main selling point is getting rid of range anxiety. As per Chevrolet, the 2016 Volt will obtain 42 miles per gallon fuel economy on the highway solely powered by gas. The Environmental Protection Agency says that the new Volt has a miles-per-gallon-equivalent rating of 106.
The 2015 Volt as well as all first generation Volts ran only on premium fuel. The 2016 Volts boasts of a 1.5 Litre range extender that can run on regular unleaded fuel.
The company opined that most Volt users can use the vehicle for around 90% of their regular driving. Also, they can travel a significant distance before needing to refill gas if they regularly recharge their vehicles.
As a result, the typical Volt owners can travel over 1000 miles before needing to fill gas assuming they regularly charge the vehicle. The 2015 model of the Volt had a range of 380 miles given a full tank of gas as well as a full battery. The new Volt fares better with a range of 420 miles under the same conditions.
Chevrolet earlier disclosed that the 2016 Volt is priced lower than its 2015 version. The new model’s starting price is $33,170 which can be slashed by up to $9,000 of state and federal tax credits are applied. The price is roughly the average price for a new automobile.
A longer range combined with more economical pricing will mostly contribute to superior sales for the state-of-the-art vehicle.
Chevy developers General Motors also revealed that it had an all-electric plug-in automobile in the works known as Bolt. The vehicle can run 200 miles between charges and is priced in the low $30,000 range post government incentives. This spacious hatchback will be for sale in a couple of years from now.
Sources: latimes, forbes
