Yesterday, at the 100th anniversary celebrations of General Motors, the showroom-ready Chevrolet Volt made its very first appearance, though GM admitted that the earliest possible production date of its new 'extended range' electric vehicle is late in 2010.
Even that date is 'subject to GM successfully negotiating satisfactory government incentives' for the company's Hamtramck factory in Detroit, a scheme that other car makers are already decrying as unfair. All going to plan, the Volt will come to Europe in 2011, probably with Opel and Vauxhall versions arriving before Chevrolet.
Though taking the form of a more conventional five-door hatchback, the production model retains a lot of the original
2007 concept's styling cues, including the deep side windows, rear light treatment and the five-spoke alloys, with the overall shape honed for low aerodynamic drag. Those lightweight wheels are fitted with low rolling resistance tyres too.
Chevrolet claims that the Volt can travel up to 40 miles once its 16kWh lithium-ion battery is fully charged. That may be done by plugging the car into any mains power outlet, the charge time depending on the rating of the supply. GM reckons that most commuters should get by on a single charge overnight, or perhaps a top-up when they get to work, but the Volt has a much longer range thanks to the addition of a petrol-powered engine.
However, the engine is not directly coupled to the driving wheels. Instead, it acts as a generator of electricity, which can be used to power the Volt's electric motor and charge the battery when required. The first version of the Volt can use either petrol or E85 bio-ethanol, though future editions may feature even more economical diesel generators and perhaps even fuel cells.
With on-sale dates still some time away there is no information on pricing at this stage. As well as making substantial savings on fuel, Volt drivers will have access to decent performance, thanks to the equivalent of 150bhp and 273lb.ft of instant torque. Chevrolet claims that the Volt will top 100mph as well.
It's unlikely that the Volt will make it to the
Paris Show in a couple of weeks, instead taking the limelight at the
2008 LA Auto Show.
UPDATE: 19 September 2008
Chevrolet has announced that it will in fact give the new Volt its first public outing as a showroom model at the Paris Show.
Shane O' Donoghue - 17 Sep 2008