• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • The Rearview Mirror: A Sports Car from a Company You've Never Heard Of
  • Analysts Predict Declining Tesla Sales in Q3
  • Overlanding is the New Hotness
  • New Vehicle Sales Increase in September
  • Are EVs Affordable? Only if You’re a Luxury Buyer
  • Honda Takes Wraps Off New All-Electric Prologue
  • Mercedes to Offer True Self-Driving in Late 2023
  • Biden Meets UAW Picketers, Offers Support
  • Ford Halts $3.5B MI Battery Plant; Fain Slams Company
  • An Electric Acura NSX Could Be Coming
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2024 Buick Encore GX Sport Touring AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250+
    • A Week With: 2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus
    • A Week With: 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV
    • A Week With: The 2024 BMW i7 xDrive60
    • A Week With: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Toyota Camry XSE Hybrid
    • A Week With: 2024 Subaru Impreza RS
    • A Week With: 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss
    • First Drive: 2024 Polestar 2
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automobiles > GM Charges Up Second-Gen Chevrolet Volt

        GM Charges Up Second-Gen Chevrolet Volt

        Longer range, better MPG, more room – but will buyers plug in?

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        Jan. 12, 2015
        GM CEO Mary Barra introduced the second-generation Bolt, which will get an additional 50 miles per charge. Photo credit: Len Katz.

        General Motors sparked plenty of interest when, in 2010, it launched the world’s first mass-market plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt. But after an initial surge, sales have waned over the last several years, falling a precipitous 30% last year. So, Chevy can only hope that potential buyers will plug back in with the launch of an all-new, second-generation Volt at this week’s North American International Auto Show.

        The 2016 model was designed to address many of the weaknesses of the original car, including its buzzy engine, sluggish performance and cramped interior. But it also will deliver significantly more range – an estimated 50 miles per charge – and improved fuel economy.

        We Keep You Plugged In!

        And while the maker has yet to announce specific numbers, there is widespread speculation the 2016 Chevrolet Volt also will see a price cut putting it more into the mainstream of the compact American sedan market.

        “We think the new Volt is launching from a position of strength,” proclaimed Steve Majoros, the director of Chevrolet Marketing, during a preview of the 2016 Volt. The goal, he said, “is to bring more people to the franchise.”

        The gen-2 Chevrolet Volt is designed to spend even more time operating in electric mode. Photo credit: Len Katz.

        Chevy certainly has to hope so considering that Volt – once the best-selling plug-based vehicle in the country – has slipped behind the Nissan Leaf, the pure battery-electric vehicle that has continued to gain ground despite its age and the current plunge in fuel prices.

        (Click Here for a quick guide to the most important debuts at the 2015 North American International Auto Show.)

        There’s no question the original Volt was a groundbreaking concept. Indeed, many industry analysts believe it is the right concept, just a weak execution. Officially called an “extended-range electric vehicle,” the sedan is meant to drive primarily on electric power, and only when its batteries run down does the back-up internal combustion engine fire up. According to data on Volt owners, they typical go as much as 900 miles between fill-ups because they keep the gen-1 car’s lithium-ion batteries charged up whenever possible.

        The goal is to increase range from an EPA-rated 35 miles for the original Volt to 50 miles with the gen-2 plug-in, according to Executive Chief Engineer Pam Fletcher. And, in the process, that should allow owners to get more than 1,500 miles between fill-ups. Fuel economy when running on gasoline to climb to 41 miles per gallon, while the EPA’s MPG-e, or miles per gallon-equivalent, rating shoots to 102.

        (Buick drops its top with new Cascada convertible. Click Here to check it out.)

        “We were given an opportunity to do a clean-sheet, all-new Volt,” she said during the unveiling, noting that while some parts of the car are carryover, most key components have been replaced or updated, while the overall parts count has been reduced.

        That includes the electric drive system which now uses two smaller but more powerful motors. The battery pack now has fewer cells and takes up less space, but it increases in capacity by more than 10%, to 18.4-kilowatt-hours. And the new 2016 Volt can draw deeper into each charge to improve efficiency and range – and boost performance.

        An upgraded interior - with room for five.

        The new Volt adopts a more advanced new 1.5-liter inline-four range-extender gas engine that promises to be smoother and quieter than the original back-up powertrain.  The engine produces up to 101 horsepower. At its peak, the 2016 Chevy Volt will produce a maximum 149 horsepower, with torque jumping to a full 294 pound-feet. That’s why the development team was able to trim a half-second off the new Volt’s 0 to 60 launch time, now an estimated 8.4 seconds.

        Chevy offered a sneak peek at the new Volt at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, generating a fair bit of controversy. Design chief John Cafaro said the goal was to come up with a sleek, aerodynamic body that delivered some visual excitement.

        “We wanted it to be ‘eco’ with a little attitude,” said Cafaro

        Whether moving away from the admittedly quirky but distinctive look of the gen-1 Volt will pay off remains to be seen. Rival Toyota has effectively used the oddball look of the Prius to build an unmistakable identity for that hybrid.

        Few are likely to complain about the changes to what was a cramped and dull original Volt. The new version moves decidedly up-market with more refined and sophisticated colors and materials. There are nice new features, including heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel, as well as new twin eight-inch LCD displays, a touchscreen version topping the center console.

        Meanwhile, there are plenty of new and updated safety features, including a standard rearview camera, 10 airbags and optional equipment including cross-traffic alert and forward collision warning.

        The most notable change, however, is the downsizing of the big T-shaped battery pack that divided the original Volt into quadrants. The smaller pack in the 2016 plug-in allows a fifth passenger to sit in the rear, although “You wouldn’t want to go cross-country,” admitted lead engineer Andrew Farah.

        (Jaguar will launch its first crossover-utility vehicle. Click Here for more on the new F-Pace.)

        Despite the larger battery, charging times on 240-volts will remain about 4.5 hours, though using a household 110-volt outlet will require a bit more time, at 13 hours. For now, no Level III charging is allowed, but Farrah said that could come mid-lifecycle.

        Will all the changes charge Volt back up? Consider that it will now be able to handle about 90% of the driving of the typical American without using any gasoline. Of course, gasoline has become a lot cheaper than when the original Volt made its debut, a factor impacting all battery-based vehicles.

        Nonetheless, the new 2016 Chevrolet Volt has a lot going for it and could regain much of the momentum it has lost over the last couple years – especially when fuel prices do start climbing again.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published

        The Rearview Mirror: A Sports Car from a Company You’ve Never Heard Of

        Sept. 30, 2023

        Analysts Predict Declining Tesla Sales in Q3

        Sept. 29, 2023

        Overlanding is the New Hotness

        Sept. 29, 2023

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2024
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: