12 November 2013
The potential difference
Electric vehicles have been around for decades but there have been obstacles preventing them from being used by the masses, primarily, range limitations and the premium price tag.
But General Motors have come up with a solution to the range anxiety issue with the Volt. When the battery is depleted a range extender charges it while the vehicle is on the move, removing the need to find a charging station while on a road trip.
The range extender is a 1.4L petrol motor that isn’t linked to the drive wheels. Unlike hybrids that use petrol or diesel powerplants to drive the wheels while an electric motor occasionally assists the internal combustion engine, the Volt’s petrol engine charges the 288 cell lithium-ion battery pack while the electric motor propels the car. The electric motor delivers a decent 111kW/370Nm and the driving range is claimed to be 87km on pure electric mode.
The range extender requires premium 95 octane juice to be filled into its 35 litre tank and along with battery power the Volt has the potential to go as far as you need it to go with infrequent fuel station stops.
The vehicle’s battery can conveniently be recharged at home or at work using a conventional 10 amp power socket, whereas most other electric vehicles demand a 15 amp socket be used. The driver can pre-select when the charging commences so that the recharge takes place out of peak times where power is usually discounted by the power company. The charge time is estimated to be less than six hours when using a 10 amp rate of charge and up to ten hours when selecting a 6 amp charge.
The electrical socket is located behind a flap, similar to that found on the fuel filler, at the left-front side of the vehicle. When the power socket is connected there is an indicator light located on top of the dashboard that illuminates green to indicate that it’s charging.
The Volt has a modern exterior design and a drag co-efficient of only 0.28cd that is said to contribute to an extra 5km of drive range in electric mode.
The cabin has two LCD screens, one for the instrument cluster and the other for the audio system. There are numerous soft touch switches located on the centre console and a lot of high gloss white plastic trim throughout that provides a hint of futuristic styling.
The low level electrical hum and the instrument cluster illumination are the only signs that the Volt is alive when the start button is activated. With the transmission selector in drive and with some acceleration the car moves off quietly and smoothly. On the road the Volt performs impressively and there is more than enough power available for overtaking manoeuvres. Handling is surprisingly good and the Volt feels nicely planted thanks in part to the good battery weight distribution.
The driver can select between three drive modes; normal, sport and hold. Normal is the default setting for efficient driving, and for a responsive drive the sport mode can be used, while the hold choice uses the range extender to power the car and saves the battery power for when the driver chooses to use it.
Standard kit includes a rear-view camera, satellite navigation, DVD player, a 30GB internal hard drive and a Bose sound system.
The Volt’s active safety features include Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Brake Assist (BA), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Traction Control System (TCS) and it’s the first Holden to have ‘forward collision avoidance’ and ‘lane departure warning’ safety technology that help reduce the risks of being involved in an accident. Passive safety features include eight airbags and the Volt is awarded a five-star ANCAP crash test rating.
The competition in the New Zealand electric vehicle market is limited to the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi’s iMiEV. While the other two boast further electric drive range than the Volt, the Volt removes the range anxiety for everyday commuting due to the range extender.
The Holden Volt is stickered at $75,000 and is available in one specification only.