![]() That's a sensibly conservative amount, and gives GM a healthy margin to ensure battery life in older Volts. Today's Volt has a battery pack of 16.5 kilowatt-hours, of which it uses only 10.8 kWh-or 65 percent. But Voltec engineers may also be able to use more of the battery's pack total energy capacity, known as "opening up" the pack's state-of-charge range. GM will likely stick with its existing lithium-ion cells from its current battery partner, LG Chem-though refinements to chemistry and production technology could well increase the energy capacity of each cell. Lithium-ion battery pack for 2011 Chevrolet Volt We think GM has to sell many more Volts a year before it considers separate body styles. Will there be a five-seat "tall Volt," closer in format to today's Ford C-Max, like the Volt MPV5 Concept shown in China in April 2010? Possibly.but not right away. Whether the new Volt battery pack can be redesigned, rearranged, and repackaged to permit a fifth seat isn't known now-but we're betting it's one of the top program goals. We think that's unlikely the Volt hasn't yet proven that it can sell in high enough numbers to justify two different battery pack designs. Some analysts have suggested that GM might offer two Volts: a four-seat hatchback with a range of more than 40 miles, and a five-seat version that sticks to the 40-mile rating. That missing fifth seat has turned out to be a deal-breaker for some buyers who'd otherwise love to have a Volt, and GM knows this. There's no central rear seating position because the T-shaped battery pack that runs down the car's center tunnel gets in the way. Just as for two generations of Toyota Prius, the high vertical tail of the Volt is the best way to cut the energy used to overcome aerodynamic drag at 30 mph and higher.īut today's Volt has just four seats. The current Volt is a compact five-door hatchback, and we expect the new 2016 Volt to retain its dedicated shape. GM needs to make its battery pack smaller and much less expensive to get there, so we'd lay money on keeping the current 40-mile electric range.Ģ011 Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept, Unveiled at 2010 Beijing Motor Show Moreover, the goal of radically cutting the Volt's build cost argues against adding any range. Even now, Volts cover three-quarters to two-thirds of all their miles on grid electricity used to charge their battery packs, with the gasoline range extender used for just one-third to one-quarter of total miles driven. vehicles travel 40 miles a day or less-which means that greater electric range applies to a smaller and smaller proportion of vehicles and uses. ![]() (The 2011 Volt was rated at 35 miles of range, which rose to 38 miles for 2013 and later models.)Īs GM has said for many years now, almost four-fifths of U.S. We don't think that'll happen we think GM will stick with its original 40-mile range. ![]() It's safe to say that a longer electric range may be the top request for the new car from owners of the current Volt. But GM may well keep the 2016 Chevy Volt at around $35,000, as a premium offering. Our ideal target would be $29,995-and, remember, the new Volt will still qualify for a $7,500 Federal income-tax credit plus various state and local incentives. More important to consumers, we suspect that Chevy will keep the price at $35,000 and may cut it further. First 2011 Chevrolet Volt built on production tooling at Detroit Hamtramck plant, March 31, 2010
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