Unlike conventional hybrids, which drive the wheels with electric or gas power, the Volt is a battery-powered electric car that has a gas-powered range-extending generator onboard to keep the car going if the charge runs out. The Volt is essentially a four-door hatchback family car with two rear seats separated by a console that houses part of the car's long, T-shaped battery pack.
New for 2015
The OnStar communication system adds 4G LTE internet connectivity with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. A three-month/3-gigabyte data trial is included. The capacity of the Volt's lithium-ion battery pack is up slightly to 17.1 kilowatt-hours, but the EPA's all-electric range estimate remains 38 miles.
Exterior Highlights
- Conventional gas filler door on the right rear fender and a charging port on the driver-side front fender
- LED daytime running lights
- Power-adjustable heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals
- 17-inch aluminum wheels
- Available front and rear parking sensors
- Rear spoiler
Interior Highlights - Seats four
- Cloth seats; available leather upholstery
- 10.6-cubic-foot cargo area
- Tilt/telescoping steering wheel
- Automatic air conditioning
- Touch-sensitive center controls
- Cruise control
- Manually adjustable front seats
- Split-folding rear seat with available center armrest
- CD stereo with 7-inch touch-screen and USB port
- MyLink multimedia system with available navigation
- Bluetooth streaming audio
- Pandora and Stitcher compatibility with connected smartphone
- Available Bose premium speakers
Under the Hood - 350-volt, 17.1-kwh lithium-ion battery pack powers 149-horsepower electric motor
- 84-hp, 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine kicks in when battery is depleted to drive an electric generator
- Recharge time of 10 to 16 hours using common 120-volt household power
- Recharge time drops to about four hours with 240 volts, which requires a charging station that's sold separately
- Car allows owners to schedule charging times to take advantage of off-peak rates
- Application for smartphones gives owners remote control over charging along with detailed monitoring capability
- Front-wheel drive
Safety Features - Required in every new car: front airbags, antilock brakes and an electronic stability system
- Front-row knee airbags
- Side-impact airbags for the front seats
- Side curtain airbags
- OnStar three-year trial subscription, which includes automatic crash notification in the event of an airbag deployment
- Available lane departure warning
- Available forward collision alert
- Available backup camera
Courtesy of Cars.com
