When you see the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, you may think that it’s simply another hybrid vehicle like the Toyota Prius or Nissan Leaf—but the Volt is much more than that. Back in 2010, the Chevy Volt was the first plug-in series hybrid. Your average hybrid vehicle uses an electric engine to supplement its internal combustion engine, while the Volt is essentially an electric vehicle (EV) that uses its combustion engine to charge the electric battery.
Speaking of that battery, it’s better than ever in this year’s model. An 18.4kWh battery developed by Chevrolet and LG Chem, it’s 21lbs lighter than the previous model, needs fewer cells (192 compared to the previous 288), and should last for roughly ten years. The vehicle has much better range, too, with a total range of 400 miles (instead of 300), and up to 53 miles on battery power alone.
There’s more to the 2016 Volt than its battery, of course. The 5-seater sports an 8-inch touchscreen that uses GM’s MyLink infotainment system to display navigation, interact with your phone, and more. The dashboard is nice and big, and give you plenty of information as you drive, including your fuel and charge levels, as well as your driving efficiency. As you accelerate, the leaf on your dash will float up, and it’ll descend as you brake. Keep that leaf in the middle and you’ll hit the efficiency sweet spot.
And there’s a bit more to braking in the Volt than there is in your average vehicle. To make it even more energy-efficient, the Volt is capable of regenerative braking, where the energy used in braking the vehicle can be turned into electricity that goes back to the battery. Especially useful in situations in which you’ll be braking a lot (think of heavy traffic), regenerative braking is just one of the features that makes the 2016 Volt such an amazing vehicle.
For the rest of the reason, you’ll need to come in to JN Chevrolet and check one out for yourself. Be sure to call, contact us online, or just swing by the dealership and we’ll show you everything the Volt has to offer.
Image: Volt
