Chevrolet to Sell Volt in Europe, Priced from €41,950 or €1,000 Less than the Opel Ampera

Chevrolet announced at the Geneva Motor Show that it will sell the Volt in Europe, with prices in Germany starting from €41,950 (US$58,560). It will be similarly priced in other European markets, where it will arrive in November 2011.

The Volt's sister car, the Opel Ampera, will also go on sale this year in Europe, at a slightly higher starting price. Unveiled in final production form at the Geneva Show, the Ampera will cost €42,900 ($59,885), but prices can vary in different countries depending on the standard equipment.

Chevrolet said the Volt would be fully equipped with all the usual safety and convenience features, plus leather seats. As in the US, European buyers will have an 8-year/160,000 km warranty (100,000 miles) on the powertrain and the lithium-ion battery.

"Our price in Europe is based on the U.S. Volt price adjusted for transportation cost, import duties, exchange rates and homologation," said Wayne Brannon, CEO of Chevrolet Europe.

The Volt and the Ampera are basically the same car, both being built at GM’s Detroit Hamtramck plant in Michigan, US. There are only minor differences between the two cars, mainly concerning the front and the rear styling. In battery-only mode, the EVs have a maximum range of 40-80 kilometers (25-49 miles) that can be extended to 600 km (373 miles) when the gasoline engine / generator kicks in to charge the battery.

The 111 kW (150 hp) electric motor delivers 370 Nm of torque (273 lb-ft), accelerating the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in around nine seconds while top speed is 161 km/h (100 mph). The battery can be fully recharged at any household 230-volt power outlet in three to four hours.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Chevrolet Begins Taking Orders for Volt in Canada

General Motors is adding Canada to the list of countries that will soon get the Chevrolet Volt as starting from today, the company’s dealers in seven key regions across the country will begin accepting orders for the extended range electric vehicle, with prices starting from at CA$41,545 (equal to US$43,780 at today’s exchange rates).

The Volt will initially be available to retail customers in the marketing areas for Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Oshawa, Ottawa-Gatineau, Montreal, and Quebec City, with first deliveries for these areas set for the third quarter of this year. GM’s Canadian arm said that within twelve months of the retail launch, the Volt will be offered at dealerships nation-wide.

In Canada, the Volt will be marketed in a single trim level, along with two optional packages: a Premium Trim Package and a Rear Camera and Park Assist Package.

Along with the three-year or 60,000 km (*whichever comes first) bumper-to-bumper coverage, five-year/160,000 km* roadside assistance, courtesy transportation and limited engine coverage, GM also offers an eight-year/160,000 km* limited warranty on the Volt’s 16-kWh lithium-ion battery.

The Volt is powered by an electric motor fed by a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which offers a pure electric driving range between 40km and 80km (depending on the driving conditions). Once the battery’s energy is depleted, a 1.4-liter gasoline engine that acts as a generator kicks to provide electric power extending the driving range up to an additional 500 km on a full tank of fuel.

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Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf Receive Top IIHS Safety Ratings in Crash Tests

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released the results of the first-ever U.S. crash test evaluations of plug-in electric cars, with the two EVs earning the highest safety ratings. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf were awarded the top rating of “good” for front, side, rear and rollover crash protection. Since both cars are fitted as standard with electronic stability control systems, they also qualified as winners of Top Safety Pick, the Institute's award for state-of-the-art crash protection.
"What powers the wheels is different, but the level of safety for the Volt and Leaf is as high as any of our other top crash test performers," says Joe Nolan, the Institute's chief administrative officer.
"The way an electric or hybrid model earns top crash test ratings is the same way any other car does. Its structure must manage crash damage so the occupant compartment stays intact and the safety belts and airbags keep people from hitting hard surfaces in and out of the vehicle," Nolan added.
Classified as compact cars from their exterior dimensions, the Volt and Leaf are closer to midsize and larger cars when it comes to their curb weights, due to their hefty battery packs. At 3,370 pounds (1,529 kg), the Leaf is heavier than the Nissan Altima (3,200 lbs), while the 3,760-pound Volt (1,705 kg) outweighs the Chevrolet Impala (3,580 lbs).
"The Leaf and Volt's extra mass gives them a safety advantage over other small cars. These electric models are a win-win for fuel economy and safety," Nolan says.
Scroll down to see how the IIHS tested both the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt.

By Dan Mihalascu

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GM Claims Volt Owners Seeing up to 1,000 Miles Range without Filling up

General Motors says owners of the Volt are driving up to 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers) before they need to fill up. “A sample of our early Volt customers suggest that they drive 1,000 miles before they fill up the gas tank,” Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the Chevrolet Volt, told Bloomberg news.

However, the official driving range of the Volt, measured by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is much smaller than the GM executive's claims. The Volt's electric-only driving range is 35 miles (56.3 km), with another 344 miles (553.6 km) possible as the gasoline generator kicks in. The combined range therefore sits at 379 miles (610 km), way below the claimed 1,000 miles.

The explanation for this is simple: Volt owners who don't regularly drive long distances usually plug in the car every night, travelling more in electric-only mode than in gasoline-mode. This is why they can cover such distances without filling up with gasoline.

The Chevy Volt runs on batteries at all times. When they discharge, the gasoline generator supplies the battery-pack with electricity to extend driving range. Volt sales reached 1,210 in the U.S. in the first three months of this year, according to Autodata Corp.

By Dan Mihalascu

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GM Wants You to Vote for the Best Chevrolet Model of All Time

Chevrolet is celebrating its 100th birthday on November 3, and parent company General Motors is planning several happenings to honor the occasion. To kick off the 100-day countdown to Chevy's centennial, GM launched a dedicated website at "Chevy100".

Visitors are encouraged to share stories and photos about the roles that Chevrolets played in their lives through social media channels like Facebook, as well as to cast their vote on their most favorite model using a list of 16 celebrated vehicles, starting with the 1912 Six and concluding with the 2011 Volt.

You can take a look at the list here and tell us which one you think has the most possibilities to win.

“Chevrolet has sold more than 200 million cars and trucks around the world, and Chevys have touched the lives of countless owners, families, and fans,” said Chris Perry, vice president, global Chevrolet marketing and strategy. “It is fitting that we mark our Centennial by recognizing these connections and celebrating Chevrolet’s role in peoples’ lives.”

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