Chevrolet Volt Could Reach 1,000 Miles

General Motors states that their 2011 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid car has a fuel economy of over 1,000 miles (1,600 km). In the first quarter of the year, in America, GM has sold 1,210 units and with a fuel economy like that, the news does not come as a surprise.

“A sample of our early Volt customers suggest that they drive 1,000 miles (1,600 km) before they fill up the gas tank,” Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the Chevrolet Volt, said at a conference in New York. “Demand for the product is very, very high and consumers can’t get enough of them,” Posawatz added.

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt can cover 40 miles (64 km) on battery power alone thanks to a 16-kWh, ‘T’-shaped lithium-ion battery that powers the electric drive unit. The engine develops 149 hp (111 kW) and a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) which allows the Volt to accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 9 seconds while the maximum top speed is 100 mph (160 km/h).

The battery can be re-charged by plugging into a household outlet and takes 4 hours to recharge on 240 volts, and about 10-12 hours on a standard 120-volt outlet. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt has an estimated mileage of 93 mpg (2.5 liters/100 km) when driving under electric power only, 37 mpg (6.3 liters/100 km) when it travels in gasoline mode and over the long term it is estimated to have 60 mpg (3.9 liters/100 km) when both the gasoline-powered engine with the electric-powered engine are active.

All this fuel economy comes at a price and the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is available for purchasing starting at $41,000 (EUR 28,500), but with a full federal income tax credit (which may vary from $0 to $7,500/EUR 0 to EUR 5,200), the Volt final price can be a total of $33,500 (EUR 23,280).