Chevrolet Volt Test Drive: Video of Driving GM’s Electric Car
Editor’s Note: This is a 4-part series covering my trip to Michigan to test-drive the Chevy Volt. See also: 1. LiveBlogging from the opening of GM’s New Battery Lab, 2. Chevy Volt Test Drive: How GM’s Electric Car Works 3. Tour of GM’s New Battery Lab. Disclaimer: GM flew me out for this event.
“Remarkably Unremarkable” has been the phrase of choice when describing how the Chevy Volt prototype drives.
And that’s really a compliment, since the car was engineered for consumers who won’t accept compromise, even for a an electric car.
I got a chance to drive the Chevy Volt prototype on June 8th, and although the test model was still housed under a Chevrolet Cruze skin, it gave me a good feeling for what the final version will be like.
Chevy Volt Test Drive
The interior of the Cruze doesn’t do the car justice, at least in terms of space and aesthetics. The center divider seemed poorly fitted for the Volt’s T-shaped battery pack that runs the length of the car (which also precludes a 5th seat in the prototype and final versions). Frank Weber, who accompanied me on the the 45-minute drive, said that everything about the interior would change for production.
- » See also: Is the Renault-Nissan Alliance Going in Two Different Electric Car Directions?
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But I wasn’t there for comfort, and the final “integation” models of the car should be finished now anyway. The real guts of the Volt were all there: a 120 KW three-phase AC induction electric motor, which drives the front wheels, and a substantial amount of battery capacity (400 lbs. worth to be exact).
It’s always exciting to drive a prototype, especially one as widely anticipated as the Volt, and once I got into the driver seat it was immediately clear that GM accomplished their stated goal: the Volt feels like any other comparably-sized car. The only difference is that it’s silent, which gives it the feeling of a luxury sedan.
Everything else is completely normal—except that it’s an electric car.
Weird how they keep calling it an electric car. What kind of electric car burns gasoline to be an electric car? Oh yeah, a hybrid.
This is NOT an electric car by definition. An electric car’s purpose is to NOT produce emissions.
Great Review. Were you given the opportunity to see how many miles you could drive on pure battery. What was your top speed on battery power? Toyota reports only 13 miles on battery power in their plug in hybrid. I have driven 4 miles on battery before the gas engine kicked in on the 2010 Prius. We will have to see if its hype or reality.
Personally, I’m glad it “is NOT and electric car”. I have absolutely no interest in an all electric car, but a hybrid that I can drive daily as though it were an all electric car, but also allows me to take it on long trips…I’ll buy one of those.
Please forgive the typo in my quote above. It should be “an electric car” not “and electric car”.
Why post pictures of the exterior if it’s just a cover up?
Terrible review. No technical details. Just “drives like a regular car”. Whooopie. You really got the scoop there, boy!
Gas 2.0 is a joke. For kids under 6 who can read a little bit.
Hey Jay, it qualifies as an electric car because it doesn’t have to burn gasoline. I’ve said this before– technically it’s a series plug-in hybrid–but I think these distinctions are largely confusing to most people.
@Will They didn’t give us enough time to really test that out, although we must have driven it 20 miles or so. I got up to about 55-60mph on battery power.
Those conversions done by hymotion will kick the battery on whenever there’s a chance. Keep your eye out because we’ll have a story on some alternatives soon.
@Blogmeire: That’s why I included links to my previous posts. Wonderful how this interweb thing works.
This is an electric car.
The purpose of an electric car is to be propelled by an electric motor, to use electricity only.
This car does exactly that.
Electricity is not just there - it has to be generated.
There are many ways to do this.
Even if you use it from coal, the ev stays an ev.
This car has an electricity generating plant on-board, completely independent of the drivetrain.
It matters not to the battery nor to the electric motor where the power comes from, on-board or off.
This site would be a joke, unless you consider who it is meant for.
From what I can see, it is primarily, if not exclusively, for the masses.
Unfortunately the majority of them have the maturity level and attention span of a six-year-old.
To change anything, you need to reach these people.
You can’t do that if you make it too difficult for them.
Sites such as these are very important.