The 2016 Chevrolet Volt will have an electric range that is 39 percent higher compared to that of the 2015 model, as the electric vehicle has received an EPA-rated electric range of 53 miles compared to the 38 miles of the current Volt.
The rating by the Environmental Protection Agency affirms the expectations set by officials of General Motors when they unveiled the 2016 Chevrolet Volt back in January. Back then, the officials said that they expected at least 50 miles on one charge for the second generation of the plug-in hybrid car.
The overall range of the 2016 Volt, which is slated to be released to the market in the early fall, will also increase from 380 miles in the current model to 420 miles. The improvement was made possible by a gasoline-powered generator that is more fuel efficient compared to the outgoing model. The 2016 Volt will be packing a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine that has a rating of 42 mpg, compared to the 1.4-liter engine of the 2015 Volt that only has a rating of 37 mpg.
The overall miles per gallon equivalent of the new Volt comes in at 106, compared to only 98 for the car's predecessor.
General Motors expects that the future owners of the 2016 Volt will be taking more all-electric drives compared to the owners of the 2015 Volt. According to the company, around 80 percent of the trips that the 2015 Volt owners take are in electric mode.
"We listened to our customers," said Andrew Farah, the chief engineer for the 2016 Volt in a statement. "They were very clear when they told us that they wanted more range, and a fun driving experience behind the wheel."
The drive unit and the battery pack of the Volt underwent a full redesign to be able to create more efficiency for the 2016 model while providing a boost to its power. General Motors also developed an electric transaxle which utilizes two motors to power the 2016 Volt in both its electric and gasoline mode. The transaxle of the 2015 model used only one big electric motor for both modes.
The new transaxle utilizes one motor when at low speeds, a combination of the two motors at less than their full power when moving at cruising speeds and both motors at their full strength when the car is rapidly accelerating. There is also a third motor, with this small motor tasked with lubricating and cooling the components of the car.
The price tag of the 2016 Volt is $33,995 including destination, which is actually cheaper by $1,115 compared to the 2015 Volt.
