Chevy amps up the Volt

A fresh design, longer all-electric range and zero ‘range anxiety’ makes the Chevy Volt the ideal electric car, at least for now

With gas prices as cheap as they’ve been in a decade, electric cars are admittedly a tough sell.

Still, for those who want to save money at the pump or buy a more environmentally friendly — but still comfortable and capable — vehicle, the second-generation Chevrolet Volt “extended range electric car” is hard to beat. Chevy kept what was good about the original Volt and made it better, with cleaner styling, added connectivity, convenience and safety features, and a noteworthy boost to its all-electric operating span.

We tested a redesigned Volt over the course of a week and found it to be a pleasant companion in most respects, acting and feeling largely like a “normal” car with lively driving dynamics and peppy acceleration.

Thanks to a new two-motor electric drive system, a lighter curb weight, enhanced battery capacity, and other improvements, the Volt can now run for an estimated 53 miles solely on battery power. Once it drains to a set level, a new 1.5-liter range-extending gasoline engine kicks in to run a generator that, in turn, motivates the motor. The original Volt could only muster around 35 EV miles on a charge.

Though that’s less than most pure electric cars that can run for 75-100 miles per charge (not to mention Chevrolet’s own Bolt that’s expected by year’s end with a projected 200-mile range), 53 miles comes close to covering most daily commutes, and we’d guess a large percentage of buyers will rarely visit a gas station.

Of course the great advantage here is that, unlike a conventional EV, the Volt’s ultimate range is limited only by the amount of gas in the fuel tank, which makes it the rare EV that can easily accomplish extended road trips — it can go for over 400 miles with a full charge and a full tank of gas. That means an owner will never become stranded with a depleted battery, nor will he or she be forced to search for a public recharging station or count the miles back home when the battery starts running low.

That feeling is what industry observers call “range anxiety.”

The Volt is rated at the electric equivalent of 106 mpg in combined city/highway driving, and 42-mpg once the engine engages. The EPA says a Volt owner will save $3,500 in fuel costs (at $2.25 a gallon) over five years as compared to the average new vehicle.

The car’s interior is more attractive and functional than before, with high-quality materials used throughout for an upscale look and feel, and cool blue ambient lighting helping to set the mood. As with most compact cars, the Volt falls short in terms of back seat legroom and cargo space suffers a bit, though at least the rear seatbacks can fold flat to accommodate longer items.

Charging is easier than with the previous version thanks to a new power cord that tucks away into a side cubby in the trunk. A full charge takes 13 hours on a standard power line and around 4.5 hours on a dedicated 240-volt line, which we’d recommend having installed.

The biggest downside to the revamped Chevrolet Volt, however, remains its sticker

price. Starting at around $34,000 (including the destination charge), the Volt is about $10,000 costlier than a top-of-the-line Chevrolet Cruze. Buyers are still able to avail themselves of a $7,500 federal tax credit for buying an EV, which brings the price down to a more-affordable $26,500, but also means the car takes an extra big hit in resale value once it’s driven off a dealer’s lot.

Though 200- to 300-mile EVs are likely to become common in a few years, at least for now, the Chevrolet Volt effectively bridges the gap between full-electric and petroleumbased vehicles, and vastly blows away the paltry range of any conventional plug-in hybrid on the market.