Automotive Review 2011 Chevrolet Volt
So what exactly is the 2011 Chevrolet Volt? It’s a question we get all the time. A confusing array of claims and rumors have been swirling around this car since it debuted as a concept a few years back, so we’re not surprised that people aren’t clear on what the Volt is all about. Here’s the long and short of it: The Volt is a four-seat, four-door “series plug-in hybrid” hatchback with a plug-in battery pack that can power the car’s 149-horsepower (111-kilowatt) electric motor by itself for up to 40 miles. After that, the gasoline- or E85-powered four-cylinder generator powers the motor for as many as 300 additional miles. All told, the Volt is quite possibly the most fuel-efficient car you will be able to buy.
We say “quite possibly” because you can’t measure the Volt’s fuel economy in any standard fashion. It all depends on how you drive. Suppose you have a 20-mile round-trip commute, and you plug your Volt in every night when you get home (a full charge requires as few as 3 hours). Congratulations! Your fuel economy is infinity, because you’ll never run the battery pack down all the way. But if you have a 100-mile commute, you’ll be driving at least 60 miles a day under gasoline power, so you’ll have to refuel on a regular basis.
To help consumers understand the energy costs of complicated vehicles like the Volt as they compare to traditional vehicles, Edmunds has created a Monthly Fuel Cost Calculator, or MFC, which is based on a standard monthly accumulation of 1,250 miles. In the Volt’s case, both electricity and gasoline prices must be taken into account, as well as the estimated 40 mpg returned by its gasoline generator when the battery pack is depleted. After all the numbers have been crunched, the Volt ends up with the equivalent of 230 mpg, which translates into an industry-leading $54 MFC. By comparison, the next-best MFC belongs to the 2010 Toyota Prius, which comes in at $67.
So the Volt will almost certainly save you some money at the pump. What’s not clear is whether those savings are worth what you’ll have to pay at the dealership. Even with a $7,500 federal tax credit, the Volt will still cost far more than $30,000 — all for a four-seat hatchback the size of a Prius. Still, the Volt is far more functional than all-electric cars with limited range and space like the Mini E. If you want an intriguing yet practical taste of a greener automotive future, the 2011 Chevy Volt might be just what the General ordered.
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