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The 2016 Chevrolet Volt Outruns Tesla Model S 85 To 30 MPH?

Ignore the staggered rollout for a second. You’ve just taken delivery of a Summit White 2016 Chevrolet Volt and you pull up beside a Pearl White Tesla Model S 85 (not the “Ludicrous Speed” P85D) at a stoplight.

Glances are exchanged, and you’re ready to *silently* unleash each one of the Volt’s 149 hp; meanwhile, the Tesla driver looks smug in the knowledge he’s got an extra 213 hp underfoot. The light changes and you both stomp the gas. What happens next?

Despite being down on power, you actually edge the Tesla to 30 mph. It’s true. The instantaneous acceleration afford by the Volt’s electric battery pack, in tandem with its 1.5L range extender, hurls it to the mark in a faintly believable 2.2 seconds. Meanwhile, the larger, faster and more expensive P 85 hits the benchmark a tenth of second later (2.3 seconds).

The 0-30 acceleration time is provided by Motor Trend Magazine. We hope it’s not a typo, as the magazine also states that the 2016 Volt can also achieve a 0-60 time of 7.1 seconds, yet GM claims 8.4 seconds for that figure. Perhaps that’s not in Sport Mode.

Sure, the Tesla will blow the doors off the Volt on its way from 30mph-60mph (5.0 seconds for the Californian), but it’s still interesting to know just how quick the 2nd gen Volt can hustle to the half-mark from rest.

Keep the race short and you just might upset a few unsuspecting competitors.

A far-too-tall Ontarian who likes to focus on the business end of the auto industry, in part because he's too tall to safely swap cogs in a Corvette Stingray.

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Comments

  1. I’ve seen some of the old volts run in Autocross. I look forward to seeing the new ones. While certainly not a “sports car”, there’s something to be said about the benefits of electric motors!

    Reply
  2. The 0-30 time of the P85 is quicker than the ’16 Volt. The STANDARD 85 is slightly slower, according to the numbers. Don’t try smoking a P85 with a ’16 Volt. :p

    Reply
    1. Seriously? 2 people downvoted me? wtf

      Reply
  3. interesting

    Reply
  4. Nice to know because the faster 0 to 30 MPH determines who gets to the parking space sooner!

    Reply

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