Chevy, as well as many other auto manufacturers, have been making a big push into the EV market in the United States. While Tesla is considered the innovator and the best when it comes to EV performance, many other companies are also making great strides and offer their vehicles at more affordable prices.
The Chevy Volt is a PEV, known as a plug-in electric hybrid, and has proven to be the most popular and best-selling one in the United States.
The Big Milestone.
In the beginning of August, General Motors announced that the Chevrolet Volt has sold 100,000 units of its vehicle. This makes it the clear leader in plug-in vehicles, even surpassing the high-selling Nissan Leaf, and has made it a mainstream plug-in vehicle in the United States.
First emerging towards the end of 2010, the Chevrolet Volt was one of the first of its kind to be released in the mainstream market. It operates by first using battery power and then, once the battery power is used up to a certain point, switching to a low-use gas engine. This makes it a plug-in hybrid, rather than an all-electric vehicle.
What Has Led to Its Popularity?
Besides having first-mover advantage, the Chevrolet Volt has gained popularity especially since the second-generation model was released towards the end of 2015. The new Chevrolet Volt uses better battery technology in which they are more energy-efficient and thus, require less batteries. This has translated to improved EV performance since the Volt now is able to operate strictly on battery power for a range of 53 miles. The previous model only had a range of 38 miles. When used in conjunction with gas, it can travel 420 miles in between charges.
They have also stated that drivers will be able to drive for more than 1,000 miles in between filling up their car if they regularly charge their vehicle.
According to Chevrolet themselves, Volt owners have traveled approximately 1.5 billion miles in EV-only mode and have saved close to 58 million gallons of fuel. These are quite significant numbers that are only expected to grow over time.
The Future of the Volt.
Chevy plans on continuing to improve and release newer models of the Volt in the upcoming years, especially since there's clearly public demand for it. They are releasing the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which unlike the Volt, is an all-electric vehicle designed to compete with Tesla's Model 3. It will have an EPA estimated 238 miles per electric charge, and it will also be available towards the end of this year, as Chevrolet has already started production on it.
Competition leads to innovation and success, and the Chevrolet Volt is a prime example of it. The success of plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles not only helps reduce carbon emissions and decreases our dependency on gas, but it also saves drivers a significant amount of money over time in fuel expenses.