One drawback of some electric hybrid vehicles is what is called “range anxiety.” It’s the worry drivers feel that their car won’t go far enough on its electric battery. The Toyota Prius Plug-In can travel only 10-15 miles on a fully charged battery; the Ford Fusion Hybrid Plug-In, only 19 miles; and Ford’s C-Max Energi Plug-In, 21 miles. The 2015 Chevy Volt has turned those numbers on their head by creating an electric car that offers 50 miles of EV (electric) range per fully-charged battery.

The 2015 Volt was unveiled last week in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show (full disclosure: I was a guest of General Motors, but under no obligation to give any of their vehicles a favorable review). I haven’t had a chance to test drive it yet, so I can’t speak to how it performs on the road. But I did take a look at the specs and get behind the wheel, and I liked a lot of what I saw.

My first priority is fuel efficiency. I want to use the least amount of gasoline possible, given the impact burning gas has on climate change and air pollution. In that regard, the Volt offers the distinct possibility of never having to buy gasoline unless you’re taking it on a long trip. “Volt owners complete more than 80 percent of their trips without using a drop of gasoline,” said Andrew Farah, vehicle chief engineer. Even when gas is used to extend the vehicle’s range (which is how a plug-in hybrid works), drivers are expected to be able to travel more than 1,000 miles on average between gas fill-ups, for an average fuel efficiency of 41 mpg.

After fuel efficiency, I want a car with uncomplicated technology and enough performance to make highway driving uncomplicated. The Volt seems to deliver. It is easy to recharge the battery using a standard 120 Volt outlet; the battery can be recharged any time it’s needed, but most drivers recharge it overnight and on the weekends when their electricity rates are particularly low. A 120V portable cord conveniently stores on the left side of the Volt’s rear cargo area for easy accessibility. It’s also easy to keep track of how much charge is left in the battery, so the driver knows in advance when the car will switch over to gasoline mode. As for performance, the car can go from zero to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds, which seems plenty fast to me.

Safety is also on my priorities chart. A standard rear-vision camera now comes with the Volt to help drivers avoid backing into hard-to-see objects. The vehicle also comes with ten standard airbags, including driver and front-passenger knee air bags. Additional active safety features offer lane keep assist with lane departure warning, side blind zone alert with lane change alert, front automatic braking, and advanced park assist, among several other benefits.

What about design? If you’re looking for something with a sleek, sporty design, the Volt looks the part. It seems to have an easy-to-read display panel on the dashboard, and there’s a small third seat in the back to make it possible to carry a total of 5 people in the car. I’ll have a better sense of the design features once I give it a test drive later this year.

Cost and Availability

The Volt goes on sale in the second half of 2015. It is expected to retail for around $30,000. Check state and federal rebate options to help reduce the price by a few thousand dollars.

 RELATED ELECTRIC CAR POSTS

My Test Drive of the 2011 Chevy Volt

Ford Fusion Hybrid Review 

My Test Drive of the Nissan Leaf

The post New Chevy Volt Electric Car Can Go 50 Miles on a Single Battery Charge appeared first on Big Green Purse.

The Chevy Volt is electrifying the car market – especially in the wake of the oil disasters in the Gulf of Mexico and now, Lake Michigan. Every one of us needs to stop using oil so the Volt, which can drive 40 miles on a battery powered by electricity rather than an engine fueled by oil, has a lot of appeal. General Motors, which is taking orders on the car for delivery this fall, claims the vehicle is “designed to move 75% of America’s daily commuters without a single drop of gas. That means for someone who drives less than 40 miles per day (which is most Americans), Chevy Volt will use zero gasoline and produce zero emissions.” After 40 miles, a smaller, 4-cylinder internal combusion engine uses premium-grade gasoline to produce more electricity, extending the car’s range an additional 300 miles.

I’d already been on Fox News talking about the Volt; now I jumped at the chance to do a test drive. I regularly get 45 mpg on my 2002 Prius, which I love. And last summer I test drove the Ford Fusion Hybrid for a week and loved it (even though its mileage, while better than a regular sedan, is still lower than the Prius.) But a car I can drive that gets 0 mpg – and still covers 40 miles? That sounded pretty good.

I drove over to nearby University of Maryland, where test drives were being conducted. I waited around for a few minutes until it was my turn to get behind the wheel. I slid into the driver’s seat, and turned the car on. Like the Prius, the car is very quiet – if you don’t know it’s coming, you won’t hear it, that’s for sure.

The car has a state-of-the-art dashboard so you can back-up without looking over your shoulder; constantly monitor how much fuel you’re using; stay connected to your Bluetooth technology if you use it; and enjoy the high-quality BOSE sound system.

It comfortably seats four people of average height. The seat sits low because the vehicle is so stream-lined, but consequently, it can be a little hard to see out the back or over your shoulder when you’re changing lanes.

Driving the car is simple as pie. I could only take it for a short spin around the campus, so I don’t know if it is as tricky as the Prius when it comes to achieving promised benefits: the Prius is supposed to get as much as 50 mpg, but it takes a very light foot on the pedal, and a lot of coasting downhill, to achieve those gains driving in the city. Most people speed rather than drive the limit; a lot of us race between stop signs and street signals, too, all of which reduce average fuel efficiency. I couldn’t drive the Volt long enough to know if personal driving style will prevent a driver from actually covering 40 miles on the single electrical charge as promised. That’s something worth paying attention to.

One added benefit of the Volt is that you can recharge it at home, with a standard 120-volt cable. And if you plug it in at night, the electricity you buy from your power company to pump into your car will be a bit cheaper.

Is the Volt an improvement over gasoline-powered vehicles? Absolutely.

Still, I can’t help but think that we’d all be better off not owning cars at all. We could walk and bicycle more in our neighborhoods, telecommute one or two days a week to work, carpool, shop online, use ZipCar or other car membership sites, or rent the new electric Nissan Leaf from Enterprise.

I don’t think I’ll be shelling out $40,000 for a Volt any time soon. It makes more sense, at least for right now, to drive less and follow these money-saving suggestions for saving gas when I do drive.

The post Test Drive the New Chevy Volt With Me appeared first on Big Green Purse.

NAIAS is showcasing what it calls the most recent advances in automotive technology at Detroit’s Cobo Center through January 24th.  Although NAIAS is featuring plenty of gas guzzlers, it is also highlighting dozens of electric, hybrid, and fuel-efficient vehicles.  On the ground floor, a 37,000 sq. foot exhibit called the “Electric Avenue” has been devoted solely to electrics.

Here are the highlights:

Chevy Volt

Price: TBA estimated $30,000-$40,000

Production Begins: 2010

Although the Volt appeared as a concept car previously, Chevrolet’s much-hyped hybrid electric is on display in anticipation of its launch later this year.  Drivers can travel up to 40 miles per charge on the Volt’s electric battery before the car switches to gasoline, at which point the car can go up to an additional 600 miles without a refill.  Personally, I believe the Volt is a game-changer.  Why? Click here to see what I told Fox News.

Nissan LEAF

Price: TBA, estimated $25,000-$30,000

Production Begins: 2010

Unlike the Volt, the LEAF is greener because it’s an all-electric car with no gasoline back-up system.  However, this benefit doesn’t come without a tradeoff: it can only travel 100 miles on a single charge, making the LEAF better suited for local drives rather than long-distance road trips.

Tesla Model S

Price: $49,500

Production Begins: 2011

The Model S gives the consumer a choice of three battery options, providing driving ranges from 160 to 300 miles between charges.  While the hefty price tag may place the Tesla out of reach for many middle-class consumers (like me), if you’re already in the market for a Lexus, Mercedes, or even a very flashy Camry, get your name on the Tesla list instead.

Honda CR-Z Hybrid

Price: TBA, estimated $25,000

Production Begins: 2010

Honda finally unveiled the production version of this vehicle after debuting the concept design years ago.  Two different transmission options will be available: 6-speed manual or the more fuel-efficient Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).  However, the fuel economy is somewhat underwhelming even with CVT, topping out at 36 city/38 highway miles per gallon.

Toyota FT-CH

Price: TBA

Production Begins: TBA

As the next member of its hybrid vehicle “family,” Toyota showed off the FT-CH as a lower-priced alternative to the popular Prius.  Intended for younger consumers, the FT-CH is also lighter and more fuel-efficient than its big brother.  The price and date of availability are unknown because it debuted as a concept car. Stay tuned.

As excited as we are about the development of electric cars, their price is not for the faint of heart. Consumers who buy these cars right now are doing so because it’s a smart way to save gas, improve national security by way of consuming less oil, and help reduce air and water pollution. You may not be financially ready to order a Tesla yet, but George Clooney has. Thanks, George.

If you’re interested in checking out the NAIAS cars for yourself, view a schedule of upcoming auto shows here.

You can also review EPA’s list of most fuel efficient vehicles here.

The post How Green are the Cars At the 2010 Auto Show? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

If the battery does run down, the 1.0-liter, three-cylinder gas engine acts as a generator to charge the battery and provides enough power for up to an additional 600 miles. Says Chevy, the Volt will get 50 mpg with the generator running in what’s called “extended range” mode. If you drive 60 miles, with the last 20 miles in this mode, you’ll enjoy a 150 mpg equivalent for the trip.

Does the car’s high fuel efficiency rating mean it’s “good” for the environment? That begs the question, is ANY car good for the environment?

After all, manufacturing a car is still a polluting, resource-intensive process. Fom an environmental perspective, driving a car is still inferior to using mass transit, biking, walking, and telecommuting,  Americans need better transportation options, not necessarily better cars.

However, I think it’s fair to say that the Volt is “better” for the environment, in several ways:

It shows that any company – even one like General Motors, maker of one of the world’s most polluting, least efficient vehicles, the Hummer – can make great strides in creating new products to protect the planet and human health.

It demonstrates to consumers that their demands for more environmentally-responsible products create a powerful incentive to businesses to clean up their act.

It fuels competition. General Motors may be the first to market with its electric car, but it won’t be the last. It has set a standard other manufacturers will now be in a race to emulate.  Remember the history of hybrids in the U.S.? In 1998, there were virtually no hybrids being sold. In 1999 Honda introduced its first hybrid model, followed by the Tyotoa Prius hybrid in 2000. The wild popularity of these cars, especially the Prius, inspired a frenzy of re-design among all car companies. These days, every automobile manufacturer has at least one hybrid in its showroom – and over a million hybrids are being sold every year.

Should we all get out of our cars more?

Absolutely.

But when we drive, should we drive cars like the Volt (especially when their price comes down) that generate the least amount of pollution possible?  You bet.

For more commentary, take a look at my recent conversation with Neil Cavuto on Fox News.

Don’t have a Volt but still want to get great gas mileage?  Look here.

The post Is the Chevy Volt Good for the Environment? appeared first on Big Green Purse.