![]() The Volt’s largest component is the battery, which is more than five feet long. And this makes a huge difference to the car’s architecture. While you could argue that the Volt is similar to a hybrid in some ways, one key differentiator is that GM claims there is no direct connection between the petrol engine and the wheels of the car. Once the vehicle is plugged in, owners can schedule either immediate or delayed charges (to take advantage of off-peak electricity rates) and the Volt can even be monitored remotely via computer on or an exclusive smartphone app. The Volt’s battery can be charged using a household electrical outlet, or much faster via purpose-built 240V charging posts which are being set up at convenient locations across the USA (we use 240 volts in India in any case). So basically, the penalties for driving an electric are almost nil. The Volt, however, also gives you the flexibility to make unscheduled long excursions and even cross country trips. You can charge the car off a wall socket at night and use it as an electric car all week, not consuming even a drop of fuel. This, of course, means that you can use the Volt both as a city car and as a long distance vehicle, giving it flexibility no other production electric car currently enjoys. And if you want to travel even further, just top up the tank. Once the charge is partially depleted however, and here’s the unique part, a 1.4-litre petrol engine kicks in, charges the battery and extends the range by a massive 550 kilometres. And for most folks that will be the preferred mode of travel. Powered by GM’s unique Voltec propulsion system which consists of a lithium-ion battery pack and electric drive unit coupled together, the Volt can be driven as a pure electric for a range of around 40 to 80 kilometres. Engineered to override the nagging fear you have in an electric car, when the charge in your battery is running low, the Volt is an electric car whose range can be infinitely extended by using a petrol engine as an electric generator. Chevrolet built the Volt to deal with one problem and one problem alone - range anxiety. ![]()
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