The 2016 Chevrolet Volt will be an important vehicle for the brand, and its importance will ride on its ability to portray itself as less of a science experiment, and more of a PHEV alternative to petrol vehicles.
And things continue to fall into place, as the 2016 Volt has been officially rated by the EPA for fuel economy numbers. The 2016 Volt will travel 53 miles on pure electric range, 15 miles more than the current Volt’s 38 mile electric range.
Combining the electric drive modes with gasoline operation, the 2016 Volt achieves 106 mpge but, should you only run the car with gas, 42 mpg is the magic number.
Chevrolet says drivers of the current Volt drive on the battery alone 80 percent of the time. With improved electric range, the brand expects battery-operated drive time to increase to 90 percent of the time. Chevrolet estimates 1,000 miles in between gas fill-ups, too.
The 2016 Volt’s weight loss and new 1.5-liter four-cylinder both work favors for those increased fuel economy ratings, too. Weight is down 246 pounds, and the 101 ponies from the 1.5-liter engine sip petrol more efficiently than the outgoing engine, which was only rated 37 mpg combined.
Pricing for the 2016 Chevrolet Volt starts at $33,995 before any federal tax credits, which may be up to $7,500. Order books are open for the car in California, with the rest of the U.S. waiting until late August, and this fall.
Comments
Actual first generation Volt owners have passed 50 miles and some have reached 60 miles. I expect 2016 Volt owners to pass 70 miles and a few will reach 80 miles of EV range, in Nissan Leaf territory.