Chevy’s all-new Volt is electric, in more ways than one. It’s the most groundbreaking vehicle to ever roll off the automaker’s assembly line.

As Chevy’s first ever mass produced extended range plug-in electric vehicle, the 2011 Volt (starting MSRP $40,280 with an available federal tax credit of up to $7,500 that drops that figure to as low as $32,780), delivers a smart, fun-to-drive, and practical-to-own car that’s neither perpetually tethered to a power outlet, nor limited by low maximum distance barriers (like Nissan’s Leaf).

Chevy’s newest spurns bland, predictable styling in favor of sleek, aerodynamic modernism (in fact, with a drag coefficient of just 0.287, it’s one of the most aerodynamic Chevys ever built). Sophistication reigns in the Volt’s well-sculpted hatchback design, infused with attractive chrome pieces, standard 17-inch aluminum wheels, heated side mirrors and a rear spoiler.

But it’s the vehicle’s advanced powertrain, and the promise of never-before-seen fuel economy that makes the Volt so appealing. And rightly so; Chevy’s brainchild breaks the mold with an incredibly unique and versatile Voltec propulsion system, consisting primarily of a long-life battery and electric drive unit, and backed occasionally by a 1.4-liter gas engine.

Though remarkably complex and technically advanced, the fundamental workings of Chevy’s system are actually quite simple. Under normal circumstances, the Volt’s state-of-the-art, T-shaped, 16-kWh lithium-ion battery (backed by an eight-year/100,000-mile limited warranty) sends juice to a 111-kW electric drive unit, which generates 149 hp and anywhere from 25-50 miles of pure electric power. Essentially, depending on the manner and conditions in which you drive, the Volt is capable of traveling up to 50 miles, and up to 100 mph without using a single drop of fuel or expelling a single molecule of exhaust.

Should your daily driving needs exceed that, or if the massive battery’s energy reserves are sufficiently depleted, the Volt extends its range with the help of a 1.4-liter gas generator, which kicks in another 84 hp and, working in tandem with the electric drive unit, up to another 310 miles of range. While regenerative braking helps to recharge some of the battery’s depleted juice, primary recharging is completed through a dedicated 240V charging station (a full charge takes just four hours) or through a normal 120V outlet, (which takes about 10-12 hours, and can be performed on a schedule of your choosing). So, while the Volt doesn’t necessarily eliminate trips to the gas station entirely, Chevy’s convenient and practical system should allow most Americans to drastically lower their fuel expenditures, and easily fully recharge for as little as $1.50 per day (depending on your electric rates).

The Volt runs smooth and quiet no matter where its power derives from. Chevy’s standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control system joins with a rock-solid body structure (composed of advanced steel), low center of gravity and MacPherson strut-type suspension setup to deliver a ride that’s as enjoyable as it is efficient. And with standard antilock brakes, eight standard airbags, OnStar (with automatic crash response) and safety belts with a pair of pretensioners, the Volt is one of the safest rides in its class (though, realistically, it’s in something of a class by itself).

The Volt’s sizeable battery runs straight through the middle of its rear seats, making the plug-in a comfortable four-seater instead of the prototypical five. In terms of interior amenities, what you see is predominantly what you get (the Volt is offered in a single trim level), though what you get is an impressive array of standard features right off the bat. An available Premium Trim Package adds everything from heated leather seats (with different, selectable color combinations of trim and accents) to a leather-wrapped steering wheel, but generally, the Volt is well equipped with power options, climate control, a remote starter and XM Satellite Radio.

The technologically advanced cockpit houses a pair of seven-inch color LCD screens, the first of which sits in front of the steering wheel in place of a conventional gauge setup, and a second that sits prominently atop the attractive and intuitive center stack, (which itself resembles an oversized MP3 player with touch-sensitive controls). In addition to graphic readouts on your vehicle’s status, performance and efficiency, the stack’s touch-screen also houses the Volt’s standard navigation system. The integrated Bose audio system, (which uses 50 percent less power to operate than conventional systems) is backed by 30GB of internal music storage, as well as USB and Bluetooth connectivity. Through OnStar MyLink™, the Volt’s systems and status can even be checked and changed through a special app on your smartphone.

Electric. There are few better words to describe the innovative new 2011 Chevy Volt.
Source: IMN

The Chevy Volt has earned the prestigious Car of the Year award at the Detroit Auto Show and so it should, the result of years of development and technology innovation.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized as the North American Car of the Year,” said GM CEO Dan Akerson. “Since development began, we believed the Volt had the potential to transform the automotive industry. Today, the Volt is the first electric vehicle to win the prestigious North American Car of the Year award, and the first vehicle ever to receive the industry’s highest automotive, technology, and environmental recognitions.”

Now that GM has paved the way, watch as others come along, riding the coattails of a global leader who took risks and are being rewarded for it.

As part of the new leadership and direction at GM, signs of recovery and re-establishment as the global leader has been evident in the product and the personality of the company.

A significant award sure, but GM won’t be taking much time to revel in the success because any stopping now would take them off the path they’ve been able to pave as they went along.

The consumers are taking note, and recognizing Chevrolet for this big step just as they are recognizing the fair weather followers who aim to create a similar solution albeit one without the benefit of true research and discovery that GM has had.

Chevy Volt owners are getting into this new lifestyle because it certainly allows them to explore new ways of energy conservation and responsibility. The GM brand now stands where it should, as the leader in the direction of electric vehicle technology.

The 2011 Chevy Volt suggested MSRP starts at $40,280.

Volt runs on a pure electric charge for up to 40 miles(1)— gas and tailpipe emissions free
Once the initial electric charge is depleted, a small gas generator will kick in to seamlessly create enough electricity to continue to power the car for hundreds of miles

We invite you to join us in the movement to redefine what a car is and become a Chevrolet Volt insider. You’ll be among the first to get the latest news and updates.

The Chevy lineup consisting of the Chevy Aveo RS, the Chevy Cruze, Chevy Spark and the Chevy Volt were indicators of this new focus on small but sharp design.

Chevrolet has taken huge steps to produce a small car lineup, and the positive energy and sincere dedication to produce high quality and efficiency speaks through these cars.

The Chevy Volt, is in a class of it’s own since it’s able to operate completely on battery for a range of 40 miles. If the Volt were available now, it’s likely they’d sell every single one of them.

This focus on the small car segment is Chevrolet’s entrance in competing on a global scale with the best engineering technology for fuel efficiency.

Chevrolet offers a clean and coherent design both interior and exterior to captivate and encourage new drivers.

The line up is both economical and eco-friendly, a combination that would be a success in and of itself, but add elegant design and people get really excited.

The 1st of the Chevy trio of small cars is the Aveo RS, which was met with extreme excitement and enthusiasm by the press as well as the audience to see a global competitor in the small car segment. It’s an inspiration to the employees as well as the customers who plan to own one.

Chevrolet is after the younger generations given the features that were built into Chevy Aveo RS.

Chevy Cruze which has been on sale in other countries around the world, has strong acceptance, with a US release date sometime in 2011. The Cruze provides a strong mid size car presence.

It offers technology improvements and amenities in fuel economy with an expected price that will meet the demands of the segment without being too costly.

Chevrolet Cruz is expected to get to produce about a 40 mile per gallon on the highway, with it’s turbocharged four cylinder engine.

The Chevy Spark, a 5-door and the smallest one of the entire Chevy Trio, which should go on sale in 2012.

The smallest cars seem to be making the biggest impact on the market, so it’s not surprising to see Chevy putting itself in the market with such clear intentions on it’s future focus.

Thats the range you have on a full charge driving the new Chevy Volt. If you were to drive the maximum distance on electric power each day of the work week you’d have driven 200 miles, slightly under the national average of 231 miles per vehicle in the US.*

With gas at about $3 a gallon, it would cost you about $35 for the week. Drive 40 miles in the Volt and you’re looking at $.85 to recharge it for another 40 miles of driving.

Gas: $1820 for 52 weeks @$35 per week.
Electricity: $44.20 for 52 weeks @$.85 per KWH

Certainly looks like there’s a trip to Hawaii in there or perhaps a family vacation at Disney World. The price of the Volt is also expected to come down from a previous estimate around $40,000 is now being heard of somewhere in the $32,000 range.

The US is producing 25% of the entire world’s carbon emissions, and we all know the impact it has yet we haven’t had much of a choice until now. This new GM vehicle is a major milestone and will likely sell out in short order.

If you’re considering a Chevy Volt it’s a good idea to inquire with your city on the permit required to install the 240V charging station. You can plug it into a standard outlet, although to get a faster charge the 240V is the way to go.

There’s a lot of anticipation for the new Volt, so look for more related posts and subscribe to our blog for instant notification via rss.

*[Source - EPA.GOV]

Fortunately, the Chevy Volt has taken this matter seriously while companies such as Tesla, known for their $100,000 electric sports car, has treated the issue as less than a priority. Perhaps the fact that not many Tesla’s at $100k a pop will be silencing the nations roadways any time soon, but the fact is it needs to have some sort of sound that would symbolize it’s presence.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also behind this silent operation problem and expect to see some requirements soon that will mandate the use of an audible alert system for any vehicle that isn’t making people aware of it’s presence.

The Chevy Volt engineering team decided to host an event at the GM Milford Proving Grounds to demonstrate the alert system they’ve been working on. When a pedestrian approaches the vehicle within close proximity a pulsation sound from the horn system is emitted to alert of it’s presence.

GM has more work ahead of them since the horn sound doesn’t seem like it would be pleasing for the driver to hear ad nauseam. For some reason, the baseball card in the spokes of a bmx seems to come to mind here and it wouldn’t be surprising if something clever by the owner could be done to make this sound problem a fun one to solve.

The Sounds Of The Chevrolet Volt