General Motors Introducing the Chevy Volt
Detroit is back in the news again. General Motors is getting ready to launch the much anticipated electric car aptly named the Chevy Volt. The Volt is a plug in electric car that will be unlike any other car on the road in the world today (there are many companies that have all electric concepts but none that will be commercially available any time soon or that is relatively inexpensive like the Volt).
The leader of the hybrid car market today is the Toyota Prius. My friend owns one and I have driven it on many occasions. The Prius is a hybrid that uses both an electric motor and a gas (petrol) engine. At low speeds or at stop and go traffic the electric motor does the driving (it gives about 45 mpg and obviously emits less CO2). At higher speeds the Prius will start using its gas engine.
The electric motor of the Prius is very quiet and you will not realize that the car is idling even if it is parked next to you. It is a great car for city driving. However, America is a large country and a country of highways. The car is very light and I felt that the car was “floating” a little bit as I was approaching 75 mph. One of the great features of the Prius is a built in camera in the back and a dashboard display. The camera will turn on when you reverse and you can see clearly what is behind you.
The Volt on the other hand is propelled by a 16 Kilowatt-hour battery and a 150 horsepower electric motor that is good for a top speed of 100 mph. You can charge the battery by plugging it to the power outlet in the garage (it takes about 8 hours for a full change and three hours if you install a 240V outlet). Once fully charged the car can travel 40 miles (64 Kilometers) without recharging (studies have shown that most Americans drive less than 40 miles a day). If you exceed 40 miles then the gas engine (ethanol based) will start charging the electric motor of the car as you are driving (range extending technology).
If this car is successful (I do not see any reason why not) then it will revolutionize the automobile industry and will have a significant impact on related industries like petroleum, gas stations and mini marts. Most people who own this car will not have to use gas at all. The CO2 emissions will also be cut down significantly. But most importantly America’s dependence on foreign oil will start changing dramatically.
The Chevy Volt is estimated to cost about $40,000 which will put it in the “mid-range” price wise. But as a plug in electric the car owners will be eligible for a $7500 tax rebate from the government. This is a great incentive for people to buy this car. Like all GM cars in the last couple of years the Volt will also be equipped with “On-Star” technology. The car will at all times have a direct satellite link which can monitor the car’s vital statistics but can also notify emergency services in case of an accident or a break down.
I am eagerly waiting to test drive this car. It should be in the showrooms before the end of the year. I am hoping that GM succeeds. Success for GM will definitely force other car manufacturers to make all electric cars. This will be great news for the paying public and the environment. I am not sure at this time when Chevy will introduce this car in India but there is no doubt that it will be a big hit considering the price of gas in India.
For pictures and other information about this car visit the Chevy Volt website.
Related posts:
Category: News & Government