General Motors pulled the covers off the production version of its petrol-electric sedan, the Chevy Volt, barely a month ago to kick off the company's 100th anniversary celebrations. Last week at the Sydney Motor Show, Holden gave Aussies the first chance to get up close and personal with the car that's been tasked with saving the mothership's image, and bacon, in the US.
Like other hybrids on sale today — such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic and Lexus RX400h — the Volt features both an electric and petrol engine, as well as a bevy of batteries. Unlike those hybrids, in the Volt, the electric engine is solely responsible for driving the wheels. The petrol engine is just there to recharge the batteries when they're close to being drained — this allows GM to cheekily claim that the Volt is an electric car that's been "range-extended".
Leave the Volt plugged in to mains power overnight and it should give you about 60km of electric-only motoring. GM estimates that should you plug your Volt in every night, the Volt will consume about the same amount of energy as a fridge.
Although it's been revealed already, and will play a role in the forthcoming Transformers 2 movie, the Volt won't go on sale until 2010 in the US. Australian sales have been scheduled in for 2012, although it's not yet clear whether it will wear the Chevy bow-tie or the Holden lion.
Holden took the Sydney motor show by surprise this morning when it unveiled the Chevrolet Volt electric car and confirmed it would be in Australian show rooms by 2012.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed but the Volt, which is similar in size to a Holden Astra sedan, is expected to cost more than $30,000 locally.
The Volt is expected to be the first plug-in electric car to go on sale in Australia and marks a significant shift in attitude from the world’s biggest car maker. Previous Holden show stoppers have been defined by their massive V8 engines and sporty looks.
Holden’s chairman and managing director, American Mark Reuss, is understood to have used his contacts in Detroit to fast-track the Volt coming to Australia. Indeed, the Volt’s 2008 Sydney motor show appearance is its first outside the US and only the second public showing globally.
In his address to media Reuss officially confirmed the Volt would be sold here.
A statement issued by Holden said: “It is a reflection of the importance of the Australian market for General Motors that a vehicle as significant as Volt has been provided for this show. This technology is potentially the most exciting addition to GM’s range of alternative fuels on the horizon … by reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”
Holden is yet to decide if it will be called the Chevrolet Volt or if the car will wear a Holden badge. It has a few years to decide.The Volt is due to go on sale in the US in 2010 and other countries will follow. A right-hand drive Volt is yet to be developed but the car has been designed from the outset to be made in both left- and right-hand drive.
The Volt can run on electric power alone and not use a drop of petrol for 64km. A study in the US found that this covers the daily commute for 78 per cent of motorists in North America.
However, a tiny petrol engine powers a generator which, in turn, recharges the battery pack while on the move, gives the Volt a total driving range of more than 1000km.
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