Personal: Chevy Volt—Still Electric After All These Years
Decision time came last month for me. I was at the end of a 3-year lease and a 6-month extension on my 2018 Chevrolet Volt Plug-in Hybrid.
Tech: Don’t Believe These 5 Plug-In Hybrid Myths!
In this article, we’ll dispel five common myths on PHEVs that BEV-only fans may want you to believe.
News: 2019 Plug-in Car Sales Drop Blamed on PHEVs
Plug-in vehicles sales (pure battery electrics and plug-in hybrids) hit a speed bump after a meteoric rise in 2018, dropping from 361,300 to 325,800.
Personal: My Chevy Volt—10,000 Miles=50 Gallons
Beyond the incredible fuel economy, 10 grand of miles has reinforced my long-held opinion about the Chevrolet Volt, one established when I first drove a Gen. 1 Volt when they were launched. While not a sports car, the low center of gravity created by the floor-mounted battery pack, coupled with the torque from its twin electric motors, turn the Volt into a sporty hatch.
Personal: Chevrolet Volt & Accell Charger
Well, here I go with my best objective look at my 10-month-old Chevrolet Volt and how it’s worked in my life.
GM & Toyota Go Opposite Directions Pricing Their Plug-ins
This week saw two of the largest auto companies in the world going two different ways when it comes to pricing their showcase plug-in electric cars. General Motors announced that it would price its extended-range electric Cadillac ELR at $75,995 when it goes on sale in January 2014. In contrast, the same week Toyota announced that it was dropping the price on its 2014 Prius Plug-in, which it considers the epitome of its current offerings. Price drops ranged from $2,000 on the base model to $4,620 on the Advanced version. With the price reduction, the Prius Plug-in now has a starting price before government incentives just north of $30,000.
Electric Car Sales Increase 228%
Model year 2012 is the year of the green car, with record fleet fuel economy, record high hybrid sales, and a 228% increase in plug-in electric car sales. While it’s true that plug-in electric car sales still represent a very small fraction of total auto sales, model year 2012 saw about 38,000 Americans buying plug-in cars. The Chevy Volt, often described by critics as a failure, falls right in the middle of the pack, outselling half the cars, trucks, and SUVs on the market.
Personal: Electric Car Drivers Free of Range Anxiety
The 50,000 electric car owners in the United States are discovering more range from their electric vehicles. Range anxiety is real, but over played due to 2 car households, public charging, business model and battery innovation, and especially due to the convenience of plug-in hybrids.
Chevrolet Volt and Nissan LEAF Electric Cars Earn Highest Safety Ratings
The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf earn the highest safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the first-ever U.S. crash test evaluations of plug-in electric cars. The milestone demonstrates that automakers are using the same safety engineering in new electric cars as they do in gasoline-powered vehicles.