That powerplant can take over if the Volt’s battery pack runs low and can motivate the car to the tune of 37 mpg in combined driving.Ĭurious about how Chevy was able to elevate the ol’ bar in terms of Volt efficiency? Engineers relied on a two-pronged attack that included slightly modifying the manganese spinel chemistry of the Volt’s battery cells for better performance and durability for the life of the battery pack-which is covered by an 8-year/100,000-mile limited warranty. The changes also extend the Volt’s overall driving range to a full 380 miles, a number achievable thanks to the car’s onboard gas-powered engine/generator. The result, however, is a welcome boost to the car’s all-electric, zero-emissions driving range, which grows to 38 miles on a single charge-a jump of almost 8.6 percent. Per the EPA, the 2013 Volt will boast a window sticker featuring grades of 101 MPGe city/93 MPGe highway/98 MPGe combined, reflecting non-negligible increases of 6.3 percent in the city and 4.25 percent in combined travel the Volt’s highway rating is unchanged. ![]() And now, for the 2013 model year, Chevy engineers have deployed a number of tech advances that will help the Volt increase both efficiency and sales yet further. In fact, GM had to shorten the planned summer shutdown on the Volt assembly line to boost volume. Sales are running ahead of last year’s pace by more than 220 percent through the end of May, with dealers in key California markets barely able to keep up with demand. This year GM has reported year-to-date sales of 7,057 Volts, which is almost as many the company sold in 2011.The tide may be turning for the Chevrolet Volt. Most HOV lanes require a minimum of two or three people in the vehicle. Volts sold in California will be equipped with a low emissions package that makes the Volt eligible to use the state's high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes with only a single occupant. This attention to detail will allow our customers to experience more pure EV range, which is the true benefit of owning a Volt."īut for California buyers, perhaps the most compelling reason to buy a 2013 Chevrolet Volt will be access to the carpool lanes. Likening the changes the product team made to fiddling with a cake recipe, GM Director of Global Battery Systems Engineering Bill Wallace explained in the news statement, "We've done some work at the cell level to modify the 'ingredients' to make a better end result. However, 150,000 miles of tests using the new battery chemistry demonstrated less battery degradation and the ability to withstand temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius. Many owners and potential buyers worry about the vehicle's battery performance in extreme temperatures, or fear they'll be on the hook for replacing expensive batteries. It is not just better gas mileage that drivers will see, they will also experience better performance. Drivers can expect a full recharge to take 4.25 hours using a 240 volt outlet and 10.5 hours off a 120 volt source. Of course, a bigger battery means longer charging times. The EPA fuel economy also gets bumped up a few miles from 94 mpg to 98 mpg. They also reduced its energy storage buffer, and the changes increase the new model's electric range from 35 miles to 38 miles. Using driving data from existing owners, they have improved the fuel efficiency of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt, according to GM.Įngineers tweaked the 2013 Chevrolet Volt's battery cell chemistry to increase the battery pack's capacity from 16 kWh to 16.5 kWh. The Chevrolet Volt has been on sale in all 50 states for around a year, but General Motors' engineers are still perfecting the extended range electric vehicle.
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