Since the launch of the Chevrolet Volt almost five years ago, a battle has raged over what to call it.
Is it a range-extended electric car as GM strongly preferred, or a plug-in hybrids as others insisted equally forcefully?
GM's goal in calling the Volt a "range-extended electric" car was to underscore its battery range, which for several years was longer than any other car with both a battery and an engine.
Equally important, though, was what that meant for the driving experience: engine-off, all-electric power under all driving circumstances.
That's where the Volt differed from plug-in - hybrids adapted from conventional hybrids, offered by Toyota, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and others.
No matter how hard the Volt accelerated, as long as there was charge remaining in its battery pack, the engine stayed off. None of the other cars could say that.
And Chevy found that its buyers really, really liked that. So it gave them more battery range in the latest version: 50 miles instead of 38.
Now we have the second-generation 2016 Chevrolet Volt, which will land in dealerships in something like six months.
And we now know that its drivetrain is being used in the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, with a battery pack less than one-tenth the capacity.
No comments:
Post a Comment