YouTube's DRIVE channel test specialist Chris Harris reviews the 2014 Chevrolet Volt.
The Volt electric car has a backup engine to extend its typical 80 km electric range. It is quick, quiet, and responsive, with a taut ride. Once the lithium-ion battery is depleted, the 1.4-liter engine acts as a generator to extend the range by 500 km with Volt drivers averaging 1500 km between fill-ups. Recharging take 4 hours using a 240-volt supply and 10 hours with 120 volts. Lease deals start from $269 / month.
Overall the Volt is a brilliantly executed example of automotive innovation that makes any ICE only car seem primitive by comparison. It combines the benefits of a full EV powertrain with a part-time duty-cycle ICE to provide 600 km of combined range. Where the Toyota Prius is an ICE powered car with electric assistance, the Holden Volt is a plug-in electric car with ICE assistance.
The Volt fills the gap between the 500 km all electric range Tesla Model S, which due to it's 85 kWh battery can costs up to $100k, and the more affordable but shorter range battery only cars like the Mitsubishi iMiEV and the Nissan Leaf.
