It seems that General Motors enjoyed pushing the electrification envelope so much in 2010 with the launch of their inaugural Chevrolet Volt, they decided to do it again with their Gen 2 Volt.
The 1st Volt showed how electrification could be a viable form of transportation. G.M.’s concept of an Electrified powertrain paired with a back up motor to create additional charge when the battery emptied proved to be a powertrain combination that both greatly reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions, while at the same time not limiting drivers to a modest range that current EVs were limited to.
See also: 2010 Chevrolet Volt TEST DRIVE
The concept, while taking some time to gain a foothold has begun to see greater acceptance and popularity over time. With many North Americans finally beginning to come to terms with the realities of climate change, and the gasoline powered automobiles contributing role to it, they are slowly starting to embrace alternative forms of propulsion.
With the launch of the 2nd generation 2016 Chevrolet Volt, G.M. designers reached out to 1st generation owners as part of their process to make improvements. The combination of input from current owners and increases in battery capacity, a new back-up motor and a host of other improvements has created a next-generation Volt that once again raises the bar and sets a new baseline for other similar vehicles to be compared against.
See also: 2016 Chevrolet Volt Official Launch at Detroit Auto Show
The 2016 Volt is still not perfect. While the lowering of the bulky, T-shaped battery unit has allowed for the entire 2nd row to be covered in seating surface, the middle (or 5th) seat really is something that should only be used for short journeys at best. Other EV’s have found a way to keep the battery unit under the rear seat or low enough down the middle to not inhibit comfort for 3 passengers in the back, and if they can do it, GM should find a way to do it too.
However, on balance there is more than enough improvements with the new Volt to make this a worthy and deserving follow-up. I was delighted to see the new Volt lose the quirky centre console that featured a hard touch surface which was not as user-friendly as designers possibly hoped it would be. The new Volt offers a more tactile experience in the centre stack with actual buttons for heavily used features like climate control.
The new exterior design is more attractive to my eye when compared to the original. It’s also the most aerodynamic design in the entire G.M. line up as I discovered when recently visiting their new reduced scale wind tunnel facility in Michigan.
The new battery is actually a better version of the old battery. While the size has not changed, the density and capacity to hold current has been improved with a net result of an increase in EV only range of about 25%. G.M. now claims an EV only range on the 2016 Volt of 80 KMs or 50 miles. While I wasn’t able to achieve that amount during my week long test, it needs to be noted that I was driving the vehicle in early December.
Cold weather will reduce the capacity of a battery – something that is not exclusive to automobiles. All lithium batteries, such as what can be found in your smartphones, laptops and other electronics don’t hold a charge as well in cold weather as it does in warmer temperatures. With my time in the Volt I noticed about a 10-15% reduction in EV range, but my many experiences with EVs in warm weather have shown to me that the claims made by automakers for true EV range are generally pretty accurate.
Those living in colder climates need not fret though, for climates that typically see 4 seasons are preferable for the overall lifetime of an EV when compared to areas of the world that are consistently hot and humid. Consistently hot weather can be more damaging to a battery over the long term, so while you may not get the same performance all year long in 4 season climates, you’ll probably get to keep it longer overall.
While the 2016 Chevrolet Volt has made some significant improvements it still has limitations when it comes to be considered a pure family car. The questionable 5th seat and a somewhat limited cargo area will create some challenges for certain families and it’s something that must be factored in. That said, the new Volt is an exceptional choice as a commuting vehicle or a vehicle where cargo and seating capacity aren’t major concerns.
While G.M. may still be guilty about making some vehicles that can only be seen as big, bulky and rather ostentatious representations of excess, there is a growing side of the automaker that is creating fuel efficient and alternative propulsion vehicles that are as good as anything out there. For this reason, I’m willing to turn my cheek away from the excess for the time being and continue to laud and support the greener G.M. that seems to becoming a more significant part of the automakers business.
The 2016 Chevrolet Volt is a credible and deserving representation of a new G.M. and one that shows promise both for the automaker and for reducing the impact of transportation on our climate.
BY THE NUMBERS (Out of 10):
LOOK/DESIGN:
EXTERIOR 9.0
INTERIOR 8.5
DRIVE: 9.0
GREEN FACTOR: 9.5
FAMILY FACTOR: 6.0
TECHIE STUFF: 9.5
OVERALL: 8.5
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