Chevrolet Volt News

  • 2013 Chevrolet Volt, Catskill Mountains, Oct 2012

    It had been almost two years since we'd driven a Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car, and the new 2013 model has been slightly modified to boost its electric range. We took a new 2013 Chevy Volt on our usual weekend test route, which covered 360 miles that included about two-thirds freeway driving and one-third local errands. That's not an ideal duty cycle for a Volt, which can run electrically for weeks on end if you keep your trips between recharges to 30 miles or less. But it's probably reflective of why many owners buy a Volt; it's the electric car that you can jump into and drive...

  • Chevrolet Volt OnStar EcoHub App
    New Chevy Volt Electric-Car App Shows (Low) Cost Of Home Charging

    How much does it cost to charge your electric car? Do you know? That might initially sound like a simple enough question to answer, but in some homes--especially ones signed up to time of use electricity metering--it’s often far from straightforward to find an answer. Now a new smartphone app...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt on test in Little Rock, Arkansas, July 2011
    Chevy Volt Outsells Half The Cars On Sale; Is That Failure?

    With the Chevrolet Volt racking up the highest sales last month since it launched--though the numbers were helped by incentives for both buyers and dealers--some of the "Volt is a flop" coverage has abated. Now, a post on the fan site GM-Volt.com points out that this so-called "sales failure" has...

  • 2012 Chevrolet Volt
    Incentives Good For Chevy, Volt Customers, And Dealers, Says Industry Reporter

    Last month, Chevrolet sold a record-breaking 2,831 of its Volt plug-in hybrids, making it the top-selling plug-in car in the U.S. to date. No doubt helped by its recent ‘Happy Owner’ online ad campaign, as well as deals offering prices as low as $249 per month or less for a 24-month...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt on test in Little Rock, Arkansas, July 2011
    Are Hybrid & Electric-Car Keyless Entry Fobs A Safety Hazard?

    There's no question that the Chevy Volt has been through more than its share of travails. But with last month's Volt sales at an all-time high--though it's not clear they will continue at that rate--things have been looking up for the Volt. Now Ryan Turner, a Volt owner and regular reader of this...

  • 2013 Chevrolet Volt
    U.S. Military To Order 1500 Electric Cars, Chevy Volts Included

    It’s a well-known fact that President Obama is a fan of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. In fact, Obama has pledged to buy his own Chevrolet Volt when he leaves office, whenever that takes place. As Commander in Chief however, Obama will be pleased to see that the U.S. military isn’t...

  • 2011 Tesla Roadster Final Edition, photograph copyright Damon Lavrinc / AOL

    If you've not yet driven an electric car, we think you're really missing out. Even if you consider yourself an electric car cynic, it's worth having a drive in one, experiencing the smoothness and silence, and the surprising acceleration available even in less powerful models. Whether you're a cynic or a fan feeling left out, we think there are four electric cars--and to mix things up, one electric bicycle--that you should really try and have a go in. Who knows, maybe it'll inspire your next purchase to be an electric car? Tesla Roadster You probably knew this one would be on the list. While...

  • 2012 Chevrolet Volt
    Bob Lutz: Huge Chevy Volt Cost Estimates Are Wrong, Here's Why

    Yesterday, we ran a story sourced through Reuters, asking how much money GM was losing on every Chevy Volt it builds. The Reuters article was based on figures from several Michigan-based industry analysts, claiming that Chevy might be losing up to $49,000 on every Volt it makes. Those figures were...

  • 2012 Chevrolet Volt
    How Much Money Is GM Losing On Every Chevy Volt?

    Compared to its electric contemporaries, Chevrolet's range-extended Volt is currently proving the most popular plug-in, posting its best-ever sales figures during August. It's out-punching the Leaf consistently, and other electric cars aren't even getting a look-in. It's even outselling Toyota's...

  • NASCAR racer Jimmie Johnson checks out the Chevrolet Volt
    Can Chevy Sustain Volt Electric Car Sales After Incentives End?

    Last month, more Chevrolet Volts were sold than in any month since the range-extended electric car went on sale in December 2010. The total of 2,831 handily surpassed the 2,289 sold in March, the previous best-selling month for the Volt. But Chevy may not be able to keep up that pace indefinitely...

  • 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
    Chevy's Gone Green: Spark, Sonic, Cruze, Volt Get Highest Sales Yet

    Chevrolet is definitely going green--or at least, its customers are, as GM announces best-ever monthly sales of its four most gas-sipping models. Helping to reach sales 10 percent greater than those in August last year, the Spark, Sonic, Cruze and Volt all set their highest monthly sales figures...

  • 2012 Chevrolet Volt
    2013 Chevrolet Volt: The Ideal Retirement Car?

    Imagine the following scenario: you and your partner are rapidly approaching retirement, looking to downsize your car, and trying to plan for your financial future. You’re ready to buy a new car, but you want something that’s relatively green and cheap to run. Could the 2013 Chevrolet...

  • 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI

    It's not difficult to find cars with high gas mileage these days. Car manufacturers have made a stirling effort in recent years to push economy up, without sacrificing performance or equipment. So if you're in the market for a new green car, but want a little fun every time you drive it, what are your options? We've taken a look at several price points, to select a fun, gas-sipping car for every budget. Under $15,000 Smart ForTwo Passion Coupe, $14,890, 36 mpg combined The Smart ForTwo doesn't have the greatest reputation for fuel efficiency given its size, but with new cars under $15,000 you...

  • 2012 Chevrolet Volt
    August Set To Be Best Month Yet For Chevy Volt Sales

    At the start of each month we report sales figures on each electric car currently on sale in the U.S. Over the last few years, the highest electric sales have been a two-horse race between the 2012 Nissan Leaf and 2012 Chevrolet Volt. And for several months now, the Volt has been leading. That...

  • First 2011 Chevrolet Volt built on production tooling at Detroit Hamtramck plant, March 31, 2010
    2013 Chevy Volt Production To Halt For 4 Weeks From Mid-September

    Yesterday, Automotive News (subscription required) reported the news that the Detroit Hamtramck facility, where the 2013 Chevrolet Volt is made, is to pause production of the plug-in hybrid for four weeks. The second time General Motors has temporarily halted production of the plug-in car, the...

  • 2012 Chevrolet Volt
    Chevy Volt (Opel Ampera) Ad Banned In U.K. On Range Claims

    Since the Chevrolet Volt first launched in the U.S., we’ve seen a variety of quirky, funny, and downright weird ads designed to get people driving General Motors’ first plug-in hybrid. But over in Europe, where the Chevrolet Volt and the Opel Ampera -- its European sibling -- are...

  • Onstar Hopes To Make Charging Chevrolet Volts Greener
    2013 Chevy Volt, OnStar, Is Smart-Grid Ready: The Utilities Aren’t

    Imagine a future where plug-in cars not only know when the cheapest time to charge is, but also work in concert with utility companies to recharge when it is greenest or when grid power demand is the lowest. For years, automakers, charging station manufacturers, utility companies and even the U.S...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt Production Line at Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant
    Will Chevy Volt Sales Hit 40,000 This Year (Ampera Included)?

    After being flayed for not achieving its 2011 sales goal for the Chevy Volt, you might think General Motors would shy away from further volume predictions for its innovative range-extended electric car. Not so. CEO Dan Akerson said in late June that the company thought it would sell 35,000 to...

  • NASCAR racer Jimmie Johnson checks out the Chevrolet Volt

    We're seeing an increasing number of gearheads getting into electric cars, and it's not really surprising. With impressive performance, plenty of torque and by simply allowing us to drive more without incurring the expense of fossil fuels, there's a lot for even traditional car fans to like. That includes racing drivers like Marco Andretti, who recently tried a Chevrolet Volt at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise. Normally an event for the best the hot rod world has to offer, this year Volt drivers from Michigan and Northern Ohio were welcomed along to enjoy the drive in atypical silence. The...

  • 2013 Ford Fusion Energi
    Is Ford Fusion Energi (20-Mile Electric Car) A Volt Competitor?

    As far as we know, not a single auto journalist has yet driven the upcoming plug-in hybrid Energi models of the 2013 Ford C-Max and 2013 Ford Fusion. But an interesting and illuminating post on HybridCars.com offers more details about those cars' electric capabilities than we'd seen to date. It led...

  • Continuous electric miles in 2011 Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car [photo: David Noland]
    2011 Chevy Volt Owner Takes on the Electric Range Challenge

    Last week, an article on this site asked, "How Far Can The 2012 Chevrolet Volt Travel on Electricity Alone?" As a Volt owner, I felt duty-bound to answer that question, and to take up the challenge of beating the 60-mile figure claimed by the driver of an Opel Ampera, the European version of the...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt plugged into Coulomb Technologies 240V wall charging unit
    Chevy Volt No Good Because You Have To Rearrange Your Garage?

    After a rough period last year, the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car has settled down and is now the best-selling plug-in car in the U.S. General Motors is continuing a program, launched a year ago, that makes Volts available for loan both to interested buyers and members of the...

  • 2012 Chevrolet Volt Charges
    How Far CAN The 2012 Chevrolet Volt Travel On Electricity Alone?

    When General Motors began producing the Chevrolet Volt in 2010, many staunch electric car fans dismissed it, saying its on-board gasoline engine meant it was only a hybrid, not a true electric car. With sixty-three percent of all Chevrolet Volt trips to date being made in electric-only mode, most...

  • 2012 Chevrolet Volt
    2012 Chevrolet Volt: Most Loved Compact Car, Most Satisfied Drivers

    According to a recent, very peppy General Motors ad campaign, many Chevrolet Volt owners are brimming with enthusiasm about their plug-in hybrid. Then again, having Chevy Volt owners evangelize about their cars in an ad designed to sell the plug-in hybrid is hardly a fair yardstick to gauge how...

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