{"id":18379,"date":"2010-01-20T10:28:39","date_gmt":"2010-01-20T15:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=18379"},"modified":"2010-01-25T12:57:38","modified_gmt":"2010-01-25T17:57:38","slug":"first-drive-2011-chevrolet-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2010\/01\/first-drive-2011-chevrolet-volt\/","title":{"rendered":"First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"
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TheDetroitBureau.com Publisher Paul Eisenstein gets a drive of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Few automobiles have ever received the hype and hoopla of the Chevrolet Volt, but now, almost exactly three years after it first rolled onto the stage at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, the critical question is whether the production version will live up to expectations.<\/p>\n

Most folks will have to wait until later this year to find out; the 2011 Chevy Volt won\u2019t officially reach showrooms until sometime during the fourth quarter of this year.\u00a0 But after doing some pleading and offering up our first-born male child, TheDetroitBureau.com finally landed the opportunity to drive a near-ready Volt prototype on a recent, bitterly cold Detroit morning.<\/p>\n

We met Andy Farah, the project\u2019s chief engineer, out at the Vehicle Engineering Center, or VEC, a towering blue facility that provides a commanding view of the sprawling General Motors Technical Center, in the Detroit suburb of Warren.\u00a0 After sipping some tea and getting a quick \u201cpre-flight\u201d briefing, we eagerly jumped into the driver\u2019s seat of the Volt prototype.<\/p>\n

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Hybrids and Plug-ins!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A little background is probably useful.\u00a0 Volt is, at its heart, a gasoline-electric vehicle.\u00a0 But it has some distinct differences from other hybrids, like Toyota\u2019s popular Prius.\u00a0 The Japanese model has a very small nickel-metal hydride battery pack that is primarily used to recapture energy lost during braking and coasting, power then reused during acceleration. Prius \u2013 ad other conventional hybrids — can only drive for short distances and low speeds on battery power alone.<\/p>\n

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Light at the end of the tunnel as GM gets ready to bring the 2011 Chevrolet Volt to market.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not so the Chevrolet Volt, which is designed to be powered solely by its large lithium-ion battery pack for up to 40 miles and at speeds up to 90 mph.\u00a0 But unlike pure electric vehicles \u2013 such as the upcoming Nissan Leaf \u2013 Volt can keep going when the batteries run down.\u00a0 At that point, its compact four-cylinder engine automatically fires up.\u00a0 In an unusual design move, that gasoline-powered engine acts like a generator, sending power to the electric motors that drive Volt\u2019s wheels.<\/p>\n

The key takeaway is that this combination eliminates the so-called \u201crange anxiety\u201d associated with battery-electric vehicles, which are expected to deliver no more than 100 or so miles per charge.\u00a0 Sure, Volt can only get 40 before the batteries are run down, but that\u2019s enough, data suggest, to more than satisfy the typical daily driving needs of 70% of American motorists.\u00a0 (And that\u2019s why GM has chosen to dub Volt an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle, or E-REV, rather than a plug-in hybrid.)<\/p>\n

Once inside the prototype, Farah cautioned us that this early model still had a few bugs: including a sticky driver\u2019s window and interior detailing that wasn\u2019t yet up to production standards.\u00a0 The \u201coperating system,\u201d the software designed to make everything work, was Gen 11, meanwhile, two generations behind the latest version.\u00a0 But if our morning drive was any indication of what\u2019s to come, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt could charge up the market for battery vehicles.<\/p>\n

Hit the Chevrolet Volt\u2019s Start button and the initial experience is similar to that of a more conventional hybrid: all sorts of dials and gauges light up and a little warning tone finally indicates you\u2019re ready to go, once you slip the large shift lever into \u201cgear\u201d (which engages Vol\u2019s single-speed transmission).<\/p>\n

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The first battery pack for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt rolled off a new Michigan line, earlier this month. Shown here with GM Chairman Ed Whitacre.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some years back, I was lucky enough to have dinner with the last man to walk the moon, Gene Cernan, and he mentioned the most surprising thing about sitting on the lunar surface was the complete silence.\u00a0 While driving a Chevrolet Volt doesn\u2019t quite match that experience, I was just as surprised by the total lack of noise \u2013 until we pulled away from the VEC and began to hear snow crunching under our tires.\u00a0 Even under full throttle there was nothing more than a modest whine from the E-REV\u2019s motor.<\/p>\n

In normal mode, Volt delivered reasonable acceleration, launching from 0 to 60 in what we estimated to be around 10 seconds.\u00a0 But switched to Sport mode we got an unexpected jolt.\u00a0 Electric motors deliver maximum wheel-spinning torque the moment they start to turn, and with Volt, that translates into a very sporty launch feel and 0 to 60 times of about two seconds quicker.<\/p>\n

Farah had intentionally given our prototype Volt just a limited charge, just enough so that we could experience the vehicle on battery power then have it automatically transition to extended-range mode \u2013 a fancy way of saying its inline-four-cylinder internal combustion engine fired up.\u00a0 The transition was all but seamless and even with the engine running, the cabin remained surprisingly quiet.<\/p>\n

Once the gasoline engine fires up you can\u2019t go back to EV, or battery, mode, Farah explained.\u00a0 But, like more conventional hybrids, the Chevrolet Volt will regenerate braking and coasting energy and use that to assist the I-4 gas engine during acceleration, further reducing fuel consumption.<\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t get much of an opportunity to push Volt to test handling, so we\u2019ll have to wait until later this year for a more complete driving review, but we did find that there\u2019s a nice direct feel to the electric steering and you feel well connected to the road.<\/p>\n

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GM designers made a number of changes to the original Volt prototype, many of them to improve aerodynamics -- which will yield better range.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When the original Chevy Volt concept car was unveiled, in January 2007, it boasted a truly distinctive design that, much like the Prius, gave it a stand-out appearance that wouldn\u2019t be confused with more conventional small cars.\u00a0 Since then, GM engineers have made a number of modifications, much of that designed to enhance aerodynamics \u2013 yielding about five miles more on battery power than the original design would have gotten.\u00a0 As a result, the production version of Volt won\u2019t be quite as distinctive, but it\u2019s still visually a standout.<\/p>\n

Making allowances for some prototype interior parts, the E-REV\u2019s cabin is well outfitted, with a high-tech feel that\u2019s sort of iPod-on-wheels.\u00a0 Most switches and knobs, for example, have been replaced with touch-sensitive controls, though there are small bumps to give a driver some tactile feedback.\u00a0 The one drawback to the interior is the limited headroom in the rear, though there\u2019s plenty of backseat legroom.<\/p>\n

As most hybrid owners have discovered, there\u2019s a learning curve, especially if you want to maximize mileage.\u00a0 The curve will be even more significant with mre advanced vehicles: plug-in hybrids, E-REVs and pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs.<\/p>\n

For one thing, you\u2019ll have to charge up, most likely overnight, drawing power from any AC outlet, though GM will encourage Chevrolet Volt buyers to install a 220-volt quick charger that will \u201crefill\u201d the batteries in just a few hours.\u00a0 (The automaker is lining up partnerships with a number of major utilities around the U.S. to make it easier to get those chargers installed.)<\/p>\n

Owners will also learn that 40 miles is an estimated average on battery power.\u00a0 If you have a heavy foot and drive like we did with the Volt prototype, you\u2019ll get less mileage per charge.\u00a0 Range on battery power also will be impacted by a driver\u2019s use of headlights and climate control.\u00a0 Electric heating draws a lot of current.<\/p>\n

Will Volt turn on potential buyers?\u00a0 If our drive in the prototype was any indication, it likely will.\u00a0 It\u2019s well suited to the mass of American commuters.<\/p>\n

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In normal mode the Volt's acceleration is acceptable, but it comes to life in Sport mode.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The real question is whether motorists will be turned off by Volt\u2019s price tag.\u00a0 While Chevy isn\u2019t saying, it\u2019s expected to bring the E-REV in somewhere around $40,000 \u2013 before a $7,500 federal tax credit, which would translate into the low $30,000 range, still well above a comparable model with a conventional drivetrain.<\/p>\n

Of course, rising gas prices could enhance the appeal of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.\u00a0 At current fuel costs, electricity is a bargain, and if the pump hits $4 a gallon, you\u2019ll spend barely a tenth as much per mile on electricity.\u00a0 Considering the vast majority of U.S. motorists could go months without a visit to the gas pump, that alone may prove to be an unbeatable proposition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Few automobiles have ever received the hype and hoopla of the Chevrolet Volt, but now, almost exactly three years after it first rolled onto the stage at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, the critical question is whether the production version will live up to expectations. TheDetroitBureau.com got a chance to find out as it takes the 2011 Chevrolet Volt for a first drive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"make":[],"post-state":[],"category_old":[151],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18379"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18379"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18379\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18379"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=18379"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=18379"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=18379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}