Truly an American Revolution

September 18, 2008 7:52 am SHawke Cars and Transport, Environment

Chevy Volt

Chevrolet Announces Electric Vehicle in a Class of its Own

On September 16, Chevrolet revealed their new production vehicle. This revelation isn’t just a new vehicle, though – it’s a new class of vehicle. Chevy Volt is an E-REV, an extended-range electric vehicle. The Volt can travel up to 40 miles without expending a single drop of gas, and producing zero emissions. Over 200 engineers and 50 designers at Chevy are working on the Volt, turning the dream of traveling gas-free into a reality.

Chevy Volt uses a lithium-ion battery with a myriad of onboard accessories to extend the range of the volt past the 40 mile mark, including gasoline and optional E85 ethanol to recharge the battery while you’re driving. The plug for the Volt can be used with any common household outlet.

The Numbers Game – Costs of Driving the Volt

It’s obvious this vehicle, with zero emissions, will do absolute wonders if it goes mainstream. However, it will also save commuters approximately $1,500 a year in gasoline expenses. To fully charge the Volt for a 40-mile trip, it would cost approximately 80 cents. That comes down to 2 cents a mile when the Volt is running using stored electricity, and with engineers estimating gasoline consumption at about 12 cents per mile (estimating gas prices at $3.60), these stats make the Volt a real bargain.

Who Benefits More – The Environment or Consumers?

The Volt will not only be every environmentalist’s dream come true but also any consumer’s. The vehicle combines an environmentally and economically friendly system but eliminates the “range anxiety” (fear of getting stranded with no battery power) common among drivers of electric vehicles now. Combine all this with a sleek design and this machine definitely grabs our attention.