First Test Drive Chevy Volt |
Pretty Zippy |
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Editors published 4/14/2009 9:20:00 AM
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Source: First drive: Chevy Volt test Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com
General Motors recently invited a few reporters to test drive a Chevrolet Volt electric car "test mule" at the GM Proving Grounds. The car was the new Chevrolet Cruze, but underneath, though, was the battery pack and electric motor, packed under the gasoline engine, of a Chevy Volt electric car.
The Volt runs exclusively on the electric motor, running the first 40 miles on battery power, then, if needed, uses a gas backup engine to power the motor.
Quotes: 'the silence was still surprising', 'quicker-than-ordinary response'.
When Volt owners get in their cars in the morning, the gasoline engine will not rumble to life. The car will be totally quiet and vibration-free as the shift lever is pulled down to drive.
The Volt doesn't have a transmission, in any ordinary sense. It doesn't have "gears" - like "first gear," "second gear," "third gear" - because it doesn't need them. Electric motors deliver full torque even at their lowest speeds so there's no need to change gear ratios to keep the engine in a "sweet spot" for performance.
The Volt has a T-shaped battery pack weighing about 400 pounds that runs down the center of the car's floor pan and then out under the back seats. Plus, it has an electric motor/generator that's attached just below the gasoline engine, which is to one side under the hood.
The production version of the Chevrolet Volt, shown here, is scheduled to go on sale in November, 2010.
While GM hasn't said, officially, what the Volt will cost, it also hasn't batted aside the common prediction that it will cost about $40,000. Buyers should be eligible for a $7,500 tax credit, so the real cost for most people will be about $32,500.
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