
2011 Chevrolet Volt - testing on Pike's Peak, October 2009
The Volt can power itself on full electric power for 40 miles and then after that it switches to a standard gasoline powered engine to propel the vehicle. In response to a question about how often the engine would start for the average Volt owner, Andrew Farah responded by saying that he believes the engine will turn on a minimum of once a month with normal use. Now, for those of us that live in a colder climate the engine could run more often because the engine is designed to turn on to warm the batteries.

2011 chevy volt interior 011
Of course, life is never that predictable, but if GM and the Volt team are being forth coming (and I believe they are) then the Volt could very well be a revolutionary vehicle for the average American. Who wouldn’t want a four-door car that is similar in size to a Prius that could run with out Petrol most of the time? Sure makes the Smart ForTwo EV that we reported on earlier a much harder sell for the average consumer here in the States.
Bottom line—GM is showing signs of catching up in the race for innovation and has a formula for a real winner. The only question left is will the innovation make up for the area that has historically plagued GM since the late ‘70s—Quality.
[Source: GM Fastlane Blog]