Electric Car Conversion
Electric Vehicle Conversion
The Volt Electric Car was released by Chevrolet in mid-December of 2010 and has since been rated by the E.P.A. as the most fuel-efficient compact car in the United States which has had electric car enthusiasts everywhere debating about its features.
About.com ‘Alternative Fuels’ writer Lori Weaver says:
“Is it an electric or is it a hybrid? Few cars have spurred more debate in the alternative fuels auto sector recently than the Chevy Volt. Touted by GM as an electric car but allowing the driver to “use gas if you need to,” many have been left to point out the vehicle is probably better classified as a hybrid, though Chevy clearly begs to differ.”
The Volt is an electric car with two sources of energy – the battery and a gas generator that provides extra electricity.
Here is a commercial about the Volt by Chevy…
With the battery alone, you can travel up to 35 miles with the 2012 Chevy Volt and then an additional 375 miles with the gas generator if you decide to use that option. The driver is in total control of how much gas they use, with a dashboard display that encourages the driver to maintain a green light with proper acceleration and deceleration as well. The 2012 Chevy Volt also has more features than the 2011 Chevy Volt, such as a wider range of exterior color options and access to Pandora radio. You can find a list of all of the specs for the 2012 Chevy Volt on the Chevrolet website here.
The 2011 Chevrolet Volt has won an array of awards such as the 2009 Green Car Vision Award, 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year, 2011 Green Car of the Year, 2011 North American Car of the Year, and 2011 World Green Car; and the reviews have started to come in for the Volt Chevy has released for 2012.
TechnoBuffalo.com says that the Volt is best for drivers “with short-to-medium daily commutes, weekend errand warriors” and offers “daily commutes for the price of a soft drink”. The consensus among electric car enthusiasts is similar, echoing TechnoBuffalo’s sentiments that the Volt “handles like a Cadillac” but the “dash is intimidating”. There have been many comments made about “limited trunk space”, and “blind spots”. Across the board, those who have a chance to drive the 2012 Volt agree that the ride is “undeniably smooth”.
The Volt was also called a ‘plug-in hybrid’ by Edmunds.com:
“The 2012 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid is arguably the most fuel-efficient car on the market, but it’s pricey for what you get.”
Edmunds highlights the pros and cons in their report, commenting on the appeal of the standard features that come with the Volt, as well as the “questionable value”. Although the Volt received excellent crash test scores, Edmunds makes note that the Volt has touchy brakes and a “small backseat for two people”.
U.S. News ranked the Chevrolet Volt as 2nd out of 21 “Upscale Midsize Cars”, although it’s 2012 score of 8.9 is a bit lower than the 9.0 score earned by the Volt in 2011.
The 2012 score for the Volt by U.S. News was based on a score of 9.0 for Performance (down from 9.5 in 2011), 7.3 for interior (up from 7.2 in 2011), 8.0 for exterior and 9.6 for safety (down from 10.0 in 2011).
Plus, here is a video review of the Volt by syndicated technology columnist Marc Saltzman:
You can find out more about the Chevy Volt on their website at www.chevrolet.com/volt-electric-car where you will find all of the information about the Volt, including pictures and competitive comparisons made by Chevy against competitors of the Volt, such as the Nissan Leaf.
Also, be sure to stay tuned to the Electricity 4 Cars Electric Car Conversion Blog at www.electricity4cars.com/blog for more about the Volt and other electric car reviews.
