2012 Holden Volt Reviews

It’s all about performance. We have road tested electric cars in Australia, Japan and Europe, and each time have come away with smiles on our faces. Smiles induced by effortless performance that’s not only quick but quiet – eerily quiet.Battery range is the biggest downside of electric cars and though there have been improvements in the last decade the ever elusive ‘better battery’ is still nowhere in sight.You can tell potential buyers that 90 per cent of people living in metropolitan areas commute fewer than 80 kilometres daily, but they still say that ‘range anxiety’ is their number one reason for not buying an electric car.General Motors has therefore come up with an interim solution, by introducing an electric car, the Chevrolet Volt, that carries around a petrol engine to drive a generator to power the electric motor when the battery goes flat.Volt isn’t cheap at $59,990 but think back to the days of $10,000 plasma TVs and you will understand the desire of some people to be ahead of the pack with the latest and greatest.The infotainment system has two 7-inch colour LCD screens for satellite navigation, Bluetooth, USB with iPod connectivity, a 30GB disk drive and DVD player, many of which can be operated through voice recognition.Bose Energy Efficient Series speakers use 50 per cent less energy than comparable Bose systems, yet sound remains crystal clear. That’s clever.Volt is covered by a three-year / 100,000 kilometre warranty on the vehicle, while an eight-year / 160,000 kilometre transferable warranty covers battery and Voltec components, including all 161 battery components, charging and thermal-management systems and electric drive system components.Capped price servicing of $185 is offered on Volt’s first four standard scheduled logbook services for the first three years or 60,000km, whichever comes first.According to the Volt’s engineers, the latest in lithium-ion batteries allows the electric motor alone to drive the Volt for up to 87 kilometres. In our recent week’s extensive testing we found ourselves travelling 65 to 70 kilometres before the Volt automatically turned on the petrol engine. This engine is a 1.4-litre unit that’s related to the 1.4 in the Holden Cruze.The lithium-ion battery gains charge from regenerative braking when the brakes are applied or when the car is running downhill. This ability to recover energy that would otherwise have been turned into heat by the brakes is a big feature of electric cars.Holden Volt can be recharged from any standard 10-amp household outlet. A six metre charging cord is stowed under the cargo area and normal extension leads, with an appropriate safety rating, can easily extend that distance.It’s a slow process - typically we found that it took about an hour to charge the battery for an indicated eight kilometre increase in range. As most owners would charge the car overnight at home, or all day at work, the slow charge will seldom be a problem.Charging stations, called Charge Spots are being set up around Australia by Better Place. These are few and far between in these early days, but there are major plans for the future.With a discharged battery and the petrol engine running, our Volt had petrol consumption in the five to six litres per 100 kilometre range. This is a very good figure for a petrol car of this size.The touch screen above the centre console displays instant information on energy use and power flow. It also gives feedback based on driving style, climate settings and energy usage.There is an extra level of interaction via a moving ball efficiency gauge that, if kept in the centre of the scale, shows the vehicle is being driven to optimal efficiency. But don’t become too distracted by this - because if you do optimal safety suffers...Holden Volt is a stylish vehicle inside, looking futuristic without going over the top. We love the shape.Occupants can settle into four leather upholstered seats with contrasting-colour panels and double stitching. There is no centre rear seat due to the space taken up by the batteries. The two rear seats have quite restricted legroom unless those people in the front are willing to give up some space.The view out for the driver is masked by huge A-pillars that verge on being dangerous in the way they block front-three-quarter vision. The screen directly in front of the driver is used to display info on speed, battery and fuel levels, tyre pressure and trip computers. Centre stack functions are operated through touch screens.We love the way you can drive an electric car and barely touch the brake pedal in normal traffic. The amount of braking being provided by the regenerative system is surprising at first and for most of the time the Volt can be driven as a one-pedal car.Steering produces a positive feel at normal driving speed but is on the light side at low speeds and when parking. The suspension delivers a comfortable ride and handling stability in day-to-day usage.We found reversing to be a scary at times because the high torque of the electric motor means the Volt wants to take off with a rush when going backwards. Those who don’t left-foot brake could find it a real hassle.The front spoiler is extremely low and rubbed on every speed hump or platform and gutter crossing we drove over - no matter how slowly. We are assured the flexible spoiler won’t be damaged, but the one on ‘our’ car was already looking shabby. The spoiler also re-arranged the gravel on a friend’s driveway and he had to rake it back into place after the Volt left!Drivers can use three driving modes. Sport enhances Normal mode to give a more positive driving experience through faster response times and heightened feedback. The Hold setting conserves battery power, drawing an electric charge from the petrol generator to drive the wheels.Electronic stability and traction control combine with lane departure warnings so that inattentive drivers may be saved from themselves. Front sensors can be set to one of three distances from a vehicle ahead.There is a driver activated horn that makes a gentle noise to warn pedestrians of the almost-silent car approaching at low speed.

My mental list of Holdens that attract attention used to have one entry: any HSV. The Holden Volt -- it's sold as a Chevrolet elsewhere -- is the electric car General Motors wouldn't kill for quids because it tells the world, and the Republicans, that of course it cares about the planet and it can do tech wizardry when it wants to.But that was before the Volt, which goes on sale this month as a US-built import and threatens to tilt the brand's entire demographic. Some of the oglers were not wearing blue singlets.However, the threat is more apparent than real. Conversations with the curious go well until you reveal the price: sixty large. “Tell 'em they're dreaming,” sums up the average response. Holden's Volt is expensive but it is the only electric car available here that can recharge itself on the move.As well as almost 200kg of batteries it has a little petrol engine to power a generator when they run out. That makes it a hybrid of sorts, although the engine is not connected to the wheels.GM says it only ever runs on electric power. The reason for the engine is something EV proponents prefer not to call “range anxiety''. That's the fear that you're going to get stranded, and from my experience, it starts the moment you disconnect the recharger.The Volt has a tiny electric-only range -- compared to other EVs -- of about 80km. But you'll get another 500km once the engine fires up, so it's about the same as a standard car. Under the boot floor is a special connector that you won't want to handle every night when you plug in. It needs to be fixed to a wall. Which means you probably need two of them -- one for home and one to carry.The exterior is a bit more Toyota Prius-shaped than Holden would care to admit, but that's essential in a small hatchback to achieve aerodynamic efficiency. But the cabin presents as modern and premium, with an unusual overlapping dash design capping a centre console housing a large screen and lots of rather randomly scattered touch-sensitive buttons.Distinctive white plastic trim, here and elsewhere, is me-too Apple, and durability might be an issue. In some lights, the button labels can be invisible, and there's a mine's-bigger-than-yours gearshifter. But the Volt gets away with it. The materials are soft where they should be, there are chrome highlights, quality wands and a great wheel.And a blue pulsing power button. Press it, and Star Trek sound effects tell you it's coming to life. The centre console screen plus another in front of the driver become a Times Square of tiny, attention-seeking neon. There's an awful lot going on and the organisation does not lend itself to clarity. But it's mostly useful stuff, with the usual ability to monitor power and fuel use to the ninth degree.However, there are practical limitations including just four seats, with the rear occupants seated under (darkened) glass and nothing between them and a cargo area of modest (300 litre) capacity. The rear glass could do with a wiper and the design compromises rear vision a bit too. The hatch itself is long and heavy.The centre console screen is also helpful because lit screens tell you it's on, and like other EVs it's so quiet it's possible to forget. There's even a special horn with a non-threatening warble to alert sleepy pedestrians. The premium appearance is backed up by a mountain of features, including a lane departure warning system and forward collision alert. You don't have to option this car up.Driving on batteries alone, it's pleasantly quiet and comfortable. Electric motors have plenty of torque so throttle response is immediate and ample for city traffic. On highways it's better than other EVs until the petrol engine starts. Then there's the sound of an angry four-cylinder operating within a narrow rev range. Volume doesn't even move in concert with your right foot. It just drones unpredictably.Its dynamics are not ideal for country roads either -- it's tall, just 4.5m long and a whopping 1721kg. But if short city trips are your thing and you recharge -- from a standard powerpoint -- every night, you might hardly hear the engine. It can be quite a positive experience.

If motorists embraced electric cars as affectionately as mobile phones, Australian freeways would be congested in silence. It may yet happen but compared with mobile phones, it's a long road from creating an electric car to finding ready owners.Apple launched its first iPhone the same time as Chevrolet announced the electric Volt sedan. That was 2007. We're now up to iPhone 5 and Chevy has been making the Volt for less than two years in the US, selling about 15,000 this year to date.The Holden Volt finally gets to Australia next month with a $59,990 price tag. Holden's director of energy and technology, Richard Marshall, admits it's been a long road but says reliability and durability were paramount.”“It has to fit into the way you drive,” he says. “People have to feel confident and comfortable with the technology. New technology suits early adopters and it's those buyers who build the advocacy.” Holden says it already has “very good response” to the car.Is $59,990 too steep for a small car? Undoubtedly, yes. This is a Holden Cruze with a new drivetrain. It seats only four and rear-seat room isn't for big people. But the equipment in the car goes some way to help justify the price. A small way.There is cruise control, sat-nav, lane departure warning, collision alert, an Apple-inspired dash with gloss white panels, upmarket audio, leather and so on. Punch the calculator and at an average of 3.9 litres/100km (it has a small petrol engine to drive a generator to charge the batteries), it would take 52 years to equal the fuel bill of the $25,040 Cruze with a 1.4-litre turbo engine.Even if you never used petrol and kept the electric-only daily drive under 80km, it would take 22.5 years to break even with the petrol Cruze. But - and it's a huge but - you would glow in the knowledge that you are part of a bigger picture to reducing air pollution and only your neighbour who cycles to work is greener.It is a modified Cruze but looks a whole lot better. The shape is close to future-proof, is compact for busy streets and can seat four adults for short trips. The two rear seats are cramped and taller passengers will bounce their heads on the sloping rear glass window. Hard plastics abound and, sadly, cheapen the car. Clearly the big money is in the drivetrain.The dashboard is bright, simple and even attractive until you turn on the ignition key. Then it lights up with a bazillion graphs and letters, numbers and shapes that would make an Airbus 380 pilot shiver. Get used to the complexity of the read-outs and it's all interesting data designed to make you get the most out of the car. Primary school children with a genetic gift for electronics will feel right at home.Where do I start? The 1.4-litre petrol non-turbo engine does not drive the wheels. Simply, it's a generator - a gen-set - that charges the 200kg of lithium-ion batteries. In turn, the batteries run one, or both, of the electric motors through a planetary gear set (automatic) with four driving modes - pure electric, high-speed, range extension and normal.Every time the car brakes or coasts, the rolling wheels power one of the electric motors which changes into a generator. You plug this car into a normal 6amp or 10amp household socket overnight and it should be fully charged in the morning with a respective 10 hour and six hour recharge time.It'll also warm up its electrical circuit and in winter, even turn on the cabin's heater and the heaters in the front seats. It will cost about $2.50 every time you charge the batteries - equivalent to a fridge. If you don't charge up, don't worry - the car will turn on its engine and create electricity to power the electric motors and, at the same time, start recharging the batteries. It doesn't need a fast-charge plug because it has its onboard gen-set as a charger. There are also heaps of electronic features on the dashboard. Volt gets a five-star crash rating, has eight airbags and all the high-end electronic brake and chassis aids. But it also adds a front and rear park sensors, rear camera, collision alert (though not autonomous) and a lane-change warning system. Puncture sealant replaces a spare wheel.The childish chant to breakdown issues: “Silence is golden when you drive a second-hand Holden” now takes on a new, less derogatory meaning. The Volt is beautifully quiet, rolls confidently without feeling like a golf cart and just feels like a really quiet car.There are four modes for the drivetrain but the normal mode is perfect for suburban and city driving while the high-speed, or sport, mode will make you the king of traffic-light acceleration. It is surprisingly quick and the lack of noise - it's more a hushed whoosh like starting an electric fan - masks how fast the car is going. It's fodder for speeding tickets.Ride comfort is good, though there is some low-speed jiggling caused by the suspension coping with a hefty 1720kg dry weight and irregular road surfaces. Steering is better than some electric systems though it can't hide the car's weight and its tendency to understeer into corners. No biggie - this isn't a sports car.I had to overlook most of the instrument features because it was distractive to the art of driving. When the engine finally turned on - I had run the batteries down after more than 60km - there is a muted rumble, but no more than a conventional car.

The Holden Volt offers drivers to perfect reasoning for never queuing at a service station again. Even better, owning one of these means you won't be topping up the annual profits of already highly profit-able oil companies.Built in the United States, the Holden Volt has a recommended price of $59,990, plus on-road charges and will be subject to Holden’s capped service fees. The charging is as easy as topping up a mobile phone; by plugging it into a conventional domestic 10 Amp power point for six to ten hours, costing as little as $2.50. A 15 Amp connection brings the full charge time down to four hours.The lithium-ion battery, developed in conjunction with the LG Chemical Company, can also gain charge from regenerative braking in which energy lost while the brakes are applied is converted to electricity stored in the battery.Occupants are cradled in four deep and highly supportive leather upholstered seats (heated at the front) and benefit from electronic climate control air-conditioning, while the driver has access to keyless entry and engine start, front and rear park assist and rear-view camera. He or she can also activate the pedestrian-friendly alert system.A sophisticated infotainment system makes use of two dashboard-mounted 7-inch full colour LCD screens which deal with satellite navigation, Bluetooth, USB with iPod connectivity, a 30GB disk drive and DVD player. Many of these functions can be operated through voice recognition.The cabin is lined with top quality plastic material (weight is the enemy, remember), while Bose Energy Efficient Series speakers use 50 per cent less energy than comparable Bose systems, yet sound remains 100 per cent crystal clear. The centre stack control panel is touch operated; while the screen directly in front of the driver is used to display info on speed, battery and fuel levels, tyre pressure and trip computers.Holden Volt is an electric vehicle that does away with ‘range anxiety’ that’s suffered by some who drive pure electric cars. That’s because it has two sources of energy – a battery that allows an electric motor alone to drive the car up to 87 kilometres and a petrol generator that can produce electricity to keep the vehicle moving for up to 600 kilometres on a single charge and a full tank (35.2 litres) of premium (95 RON) fuel.The latter, a 1.4-litre petrol motor, extends the range by maintaining a charge in the battery to power the wheels until the battery can be externally charged or the Volt refuelled. The petrol engine doesn’t power the wheels directly.Apart from all of the above the Volt is a conventional car with the ability to carry up to four occupants in quiet comfort, something highlighted on an inner city drive program for the motoring media in Sydney that we thoroughly enjoyed. Based on the Holden Cruze platform, the quality of fit and finish inside and out is high.The Holden Volt rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels and features projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights and an integrated rear spoiler. There is no engine compartment cooling through a radiator grille. That is achieved by directing a flow of air under the bonnet from underneath the vehicle.Safety is paramount, with the Volt calling on a cohort of hi-tech systems to take care of people both inside and outside the vehicle. Occupants are protected in the event of a crash by high-strength steel body crush zones and eight airbags. Electronic stability and traction control look to preventing these ‘unscheduled incidents’ together with the latest technology such as lane departure warnings which alert the driver to wandering out of a lane without signalling.Front sensors can be set to one of three distances from a vehicle ahead. If the Volt edges too close, an alarm will sound. There is also a driver activated alert that warns pedestrians of the almost-silent car approaching at low speed.In the absence of a traditional transmission, electric propulsion, delivered seamlessly through the front wheels, gives the vehicle instant maximum torque off the mark resulting in quick and immediate acceleration. An extra level of interaction is on tap, showing a moving ball efficiency gauge that if kept in the centre of the scale shows the vehicle is being driven to optimal efficiency.The touch screen atop the centre console displays real-time information on energy use and power flow, plus advanced efficiency feedback based on driving style, climate settings and energy usage.Drivers can take advantage of three driving modes – Normal, Sport and Hold – at the press of a steering wheel-mounted button. Sport enhances Normal mode to give an exhilarating driving experience courtesy of added response times and heightened feedback. ‘Hold’ conserves battery power, drawing an electric charge from the petrol generator to drive the wheels.

Wouldn't it be excellent never to enter a service station again to buy fuel? To never pay the extortionate government taxes and oil company gouge at the bowser. If you could cut emissions to near zero, well, that would be icing on the cake.It sounds like a pipe dream but is now entirely achievable if you have a lazy 60,000 bucks to spend on Holden's new Volt extended range electric vehicle.Is it worth the dosh? Depends on your thinking. An "early adopter" or anyone with a green tinge is a potential buyer. More pragmatic types will say it's better spending that sort of coin on something like the super frugal diesel-powered BMW 318d.But the point about Volt is that it ushers in totally new technology in a quest to cut fuel use and reduce emissions. It is part of our driving future, here, now.Fully electric cars are practically useless because of extremely limited range and something like a Prius is just a petrol powered car with an electric helper engine. Volt is something else altogether.The US-made, four seat, five-door hatch drives solely on its electric engine(s). Yes there are two of them mounted concentrically, one inside the other, to one side of the engine bay. For the first 50-90km (depending on how you drive), Volt is on pure electricity from its lithium ion battery pack mounted under the rear passenger compartment floor. After that, the 1.4-litre Holden Cruze petrol engine generates electricity to pump into the battery and then into the electric motor(s) to drive the car. The second, smaller electric motor is engaged at higher speeds to take the load off the larger unit and to alter gearing through a simple gear set for more efficient operation. There are no gears to change and the petrol engine is not connected directly to Volt's drive system.The generator engine will not re-charge the battery once it's depleted. That has to be done by plugging Volt into a (domestic) or dedicated "charge point" electric power outlet. At home, Volt will take about six hours to fully recharge, possibly less and it can be set to only recharge during off peak times. There's a small petrol tank at the rear of the car to feed the 1.4-litre generator engine. Got all that?What you need to know is it all works seamlessly offering similar performance to a 2.0-litre petrol four cylinder car with Lexus like silence and smoothness - or better. If you live within say 30km of work or drive less than say 60km a day, recharge, and you won't need petrol. Drive further and you will - eventually.An unofficial competition among US Volt owners to see who can go without petrol for the longest time is attracting attention with some owners clicking over a petrol free year. But if you don't use the petrol in the tank or if the engine doesn't start once a month, Volt starts the engine itself in maintenance mode.It needs to run occasionally. The drive experience is one of a luxury medium size sedan. It has a sporty feel, plenty of acceleration and thanks to the low centre of gravity, excellent cornering characteristics.Volt is “fully loaded” with luxury kit that includes a centre stack with numerous iPod style controls. The audio is Bose, there's cruise control, full connectivity but no audio streaming. The interior is funky/modern with two-tone leather and looks nothing like any other car currently available. Just like the outside - an elegant looker, distinctive and functional with a five star crash rating.

Range anxiety isn’t an issue with Holden’s electric-powered Volt. The $59,990 price is, which is why Holden is saying the range-extending hybrid will initially appeal to early adopters.The four-seat car combines a battery with a theoretical 87km range - in reality it’s somewhere between 50-70km - along with a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine that generates power for the electric motor, rather than drive the front wheels directly. Fitting the 200kg battery pack has cost the centre rear seat on the Cruze-based platform but other than that it drives - and goes - just like Holden’s most popular car.The high entry price is one of the handicaps electric vehicles and hybrids are still trying to overcome. New technology isn’t cheap, be it an LED TV or the latest iPhone. Early adopters tend not to care … average families will wait for the price to drop and the tech to prove itself before climbing on board.In the case of the Volt, an average daily commute of 50km will translate into roughly $1100 in annual fuel savings. The Volt can be charged at home using a regular 6/10amp power supply, in which case the charging times are around 10/six hours. Opt for a fast-charge point from Better Place and that time falls to four hours.Beyond the concept, the battery pack is the smart component of the Volt. GM-developed software monitors the 288 lithium-ion modules that make up the pack - which is fitted in a T-shape between the front seats and across the rear pews - and regulates the charge to minimise hot-spots that compromise battery longevity.The same system heats/cools the battery to keep it at the optimum operating temperature. The 1.4-litre petrol “generator” that powers the electric motor once the battery charge is depleted is a detuned version of the 1.4-litre engine fitted to the Cruze. A smaller capacity engine would have done the job just as well, but for GM it was an off-the-shelf solution that cut costs - and therefore the final price. Cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, satnav, lane departure warning and a collision alert system are standard.The collision alert isn’t adaptive cruise control, though. Instead it sounds a warning if the Volt is approaching another vehicle too quickly.The Volt is the best-looking hybrid on the road, if you exclude the more exotic Telsa machinery. Optimising drag means the five-door hatch has a rubber front spoiler that will scrape every time its driven over a speed hump or an angled drive. The sound is disconcerting but the fact it tucks up under the car means there’s no visual damage. Inside a white centre stack houses all of the switchgear.It looks futuristic and functional, though some of the displays on the seven-inch touch screen are eco-trendy rather than geniuinely informative: I don’t need to know how efficient the aircon is; I just want it to work. The seats and steering wheel stalks are straight out of the Cruze. Rear visibility is limited by the thick C-pillars, but a reversing camera offsets that.The Volt has earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating, with an overall score of 34.56 out of 37. The safety body notes that “Protection from serious leg injury was marginal for the driver”. There are eight airbags as standard along with the usual software systems. Just as importantly, Holden is educating the emergency services about what and where to cut in the event the Volt is damaged during a crash.Despite the weight - the Volt is heavier than a Commodore - it goes and rides reasonably well. Acceleration is a flat nine seconds from rest to 100km/h and it is only the low rolling-resistance rubber that limits its ability in the twisty stuff. The hard compound means the Volt understeers earlier than a Cruze. Fit a set of decent tyres and that won’t be a problem, though it will reduce the electric-only range.The hatch sits flat through the turns thanks to battery pack being fitted low and in the middle of the vehicle, but fore/aft pitching is noticeable when pressing on over roads with humps and dips. Using petrol to power an electric vehicle seems counter-productive but it makes the Volt a genuine option in a one-car garage.During the week electric-only driving should be achievable and the petrol generator gives owners the freedom to travel where they want on weekends. Over a 300km drive, Carsguide posted 4.6L/100km despite intentionally vigorous driving. I’d be happy with that - if Holden can get the price down to $40K.

Retired rock band manager Chris Brown lives in Santa Barbara, California and calls himself an "early adopter" so it was no surprise that his choice of wheels is a Chevy Volt plug in, extended range EV (electric vehicle).OWNERSHIPChris says he has owned plenty of vehicles in his 55 years but the Volt takes the cake. "I though it would be pretty good by the spec' sheet and when I moved to Santa Barbara, I decided to fully embrace my new, more relaxed life and go green with the Volt," he said."But the ownership experience has been much better than I expected especially the fuel mileage and performance." "I have put petrol in the tank only twice since buying the Volt in February this year and that was only when I was going down to LA for business."THE COSTChris paid only US$34,500 for his car after the US Government slipped him a $7500 tax break with the purchase. Then on top of that, he says running costs are so negligible that it doesn't even register."I plug it into a domestic socket at home in the evening and it's ready to go the next morning." "And besides, if I forget, the petrol engine will kick in if the charge gets low to recharge the lithium ion battery." Chris said service costs are minimal basically because there isn't much to service.TECHVolt is what is called a "range extender" in which the car runs predominantly on electric power stored in its battery pack with a 1.4-litre petrol engine acting as a generator and acceleration booster if needed.The petrol engine hardly ever starts in general running around and then only for short bursts. Volt actually has two 55kW permanent magnet electric motors that give a range on electricity alone of up to 80km. Total range is well over 600km when the petrol engine generator kicks in. The available range on stored electricity is registered on a bar graph in the instrument console.PERFORMANCEVolt is no slouch and is capable of attaining a top speed of 160kmh and of accelerating from 0-100kmh in 9.0 seconds. It is the most practical electric vehicle currently available and the most fuel efficient with combined consumption of 2.5-litres/100km. And if you have solar panels on your house, running costs could be zero with minimal greenhouse effect. It looks good too, certainly not like a kooky cockroach as is the case with some other hybrid cars.THE DRIVEChris Brown invited us to take his car for a drive last week in Santa Barbara and it was a real surprise package. Firstly it has excellent acceleration off the mark right up to freeway speeds and there's only one gear which is eerie especially with no noise. There's plenty of kit inside including leather upholstery, Bluetooth, cruise, climate control, voice control to some functions, Bose audio and a 30 gig music register.It has a cyber style dash with info' panels in front of the driver and festooned down the centre console. The ride is comfortable and there's room inside for five at a pinch. It has a five star crash rating. Volt won't make it here until the end of 2012 at the earliest.PRICELocal pricing is unavailable but the European Volt (Ampera) goes for the equivalent of $58,000 so expect something similar here pity because Volt is a game changer given accessible pricing. Hopefully the federal government will start offering "carbon" incentives to Volt buyers as they do in all other countries where it's sold.NEED TO KNOW  Drives like a 2.0-litre petrol carSlightly bigger than PriusLooks great on the road Two versions likelyPrice is likely to be up around the $60,000 mark 

Retired rock band manager Chris Brown lives in Santa Barbara, California and calls himself an "early adopter'' so it was no surprise that his choice of wheels is a Chevy Volt plug in hybrid.Chris says he has owned plenty of vehicles in his 55 years but the Volt takes the cake."I thought it would be pretty good by the spec' sheet and when I moved to Santa Barbara, I decided to fully embrace my new, more relaxed life and go green with the Volt,'' he said. "But the ownership experience has been much better than I expected especially the fuel mileage and performance. I have put petrol in the tank only twice since buying the Volt in February this year and that was only when I was going down to LA for business.''Chris paid only US$34,500 for his car after the Federal Government slipped him a $7500 tax break with the purchase. Then on top of that, he says running costs are so negligible that it doesn't even register."I plug it into a domestic socket at home in the evening and it's ready to go the next morning. And besides, if I forget, the petrol engine will kick in if the charge gets low to recharge the lithium ion battery.''Chris said service costs are minimal basically because there isn't much to service.Volt is what is called a "range extender'' hybrid in which the car runs predominantly on electric power stored in its battery pack with a 1.4-litre petrol engine acting as a generator and acceleration booster if needed. The petrol engine hardly ever starts in general running around and then only for short bursts.Volt actually has two 55kW permanent magnet electric motors that give a range on electricity alone of up to 80km. Total range is well over 600km when the petrol engine generator kicks in. The available range on stored electricity is registered on a bar graph in the instrument console.Volt is no slouch and is capable of attaining a top speed of 160kmh and of accelerating from 0-100kmh in 9.0 seconds. It is the most practical electric vehicle currently available and the most fuel efficient with combined consumption of 2.5-litres/100km. And if you have solar panels on your house, running costs could be zero with minimal greenhouse effect. It looks good too, certainly not like a kooky cockroach as is the case with some other hybrid cars.Chris Brown invited us to take his car for a drive last week in Santa Barbara and it was a real surprise package.Firstly it has excellent acceleration off the mark right up to freeway speeds and there's only one gear which is eerie especially with no noise. There's plenty of kit inside including leather upholstery, Bluetooth, cruise, climate control, voice control to some functions, Bose audio and a 30 gig music register. It has a cyber space style dash with info panels in front of the driver and festooned down the centre console.The ride is comfortable and there's room inside for five at a pinch. It has a five star crash rating.Volt is manufactured in Detroit and has been on sale in the US since December 2010 but won't make it here until the end of 2012 at the earliest.Local pricing is unavailable but the European Volt (Ampera) goes for the equivalent of $58,000 so expect something similar here ... pity because Volt is a game changer given accessible pricing. Hopefully the federal government will start offering ``carbon'' incentives to Volt buyers as they do in all other countries where it's sold.

The car of the (near) future is up and running in the USA, and heading for Australian showrooms early in 2012. The Chevrolet Volt is the world's first workable electric car, and one that ends the new-age fear of 'range anxiety' with a hybrid system that turns the Prius world upside-down.The Volt runs on battery power but has an onboard petrol engine that works as a generator, providing a potential range of more than 600 kilometres and ending the fear of a running 'dry' beyond a plug-in socket.Holden is an early adopter and plans to have the Volt in its range as soon as possible, although a pricetag estimated in the $60,000 range means it will not be for everyone.But 'range extender' technology could be a widespread hit, providing plug-in city driving and the chance for long-distance trips using gasoline top-ups along the way. "The Volt can be your one car, your only car," says Mark Reuss, former head of Holden and now leading Chevrolet in the USA.The Volt is only a Corolla-sized, four-seater small car but it is packed with technology and GM's engineers have even done an impressive job on driving dynamics. It's not a sports car but it's not as dull as a Prius. The Volt has gone from a great idea to a potential game-changer car in less than 18 months, with the first production cars about to be delivered in the USA.VALUEIt is impossible to rate the Volt without a showroom sticker. The price is likely to be around $60,000 in Australia and that will be costly by any measure. But more and more people are turning to green power and an electric car that can also take a Sydney-to-Melbourne run makes a solid case, with the Prius now priced from $39,990.The Volt comes with a bundle of value-added stuff in the 'states, including roadside assistance and satnav, as well as a 160,000- kilometre, eight-year warranty on its lithium-ion battery pack.TECHNOLOGYThere is a vast amount of technology in the Volt but its foundations are all Cruze. The GM compact car provides the foundation and the engineers and futurists do the rest.The heart of the Volt is its heated-and-cooled, 198kg battery pack. It's so big that it's shaped in a tee and steals space between and around the cramped back seat. There is also a 1.4-litre petrol engine in the nose that's responsible for charging duties any time the battery gets severely depleted, or when there is a need for sustained heavy pulling power.GM originally denied the car ran on anything but electric power but now concedes there is one situation - overtaking under full power beyond 110km/h - when petrol power can briefly turn one wheel. A lot of work has gone into tiny details in the Volt, from its lightweight entertainment system to a horn that gives a polite 'toot- toot' if you nudge the turn indicator stalk.It's intended for warning work in parking lots and should be fitted to every car. The outcome is simple: GM says the Volt can hit 160km/h and has a 0-100km/h sprint time of less than 9.0 seconds, while happily running with similar range to a petrol-powered car.DESIGNThe Volt is designed for minimum drag and that means a relatively sharp-edged body that's not unlike a Prius. Stylists have tried to dress the shape but it's still no beauty.The interior is semi-futurist with a range of digital dash displays, including one that shows how you're driving on an efficiency scale, but with a conventional T-bar shifter to select forwards and reverse. The cabin also has some bright colour trim pieces and leather trim is available, but it is very cramped in the back seat and the hatchback roof glass needs a lot of sun protection to shield people in the rear.GM has two frontal treatments for the Volt - the Chevrolet corporate look and a much more adventurous design for the Volts sold as an Ampera in Europe - but otherwise it is fairly bland and sensible.SAFETYThe Volt comes with the usual stuff, including eight airbags, ABS brakes and stability control. GM says the location of the battery pack provides the best possible protection in a collision, with systems to prevent anything nasty escaping or causing a problem in a crash.In America the car is also protected by OnStar, which uses a back-to- base alarm system in the event of a crash, although this is not currently available through Holden in Australia.DRIVINGMy first drive in the Volt was exactly a year ago, and it was effectively just a lap of the block at GM's technical centre in Detroit. This time there is more than 90 minutes of driving, on freeways and city streets, with a much better chance to know the car. The Volt fires up easily and, despite an icy winter chill in Detroit, the cabin is soon warm without stealing much battery power.Heated seats help. Pulling into traffic the response is seamless and acceleration is good. The car easily matches or betters other cars in city conditions, and pulls out swiftly to merge onto a freeway.Cruising at 110km/h is easy and the car is quiet and relaxed. But the lack of engine and driveline noise means you hear other things, like squeaking trim pieces and some thumping and crashing from the rear suspension. The Volt rides as you would expect for a car in the Mazda3-Corolla class, although it takes time to adjust to the artificial brake feel and the steering is a bit over-keen at times.Generally, the car matches expectations or does a bit better. There are a number of different driving modes and switching to 'sport' sharpens things, as well as providing more regenerative braking. So you only have to lift the accelerator to get a significant slowing.To check the cut-in for the petrol generator engine I deliberately drain the battery by flicking to the 'mountain' mode, which boosts battery reserves. The cut-in is noticeable but the small four is quiet and there is far less noise than a normal car.All-in-all, the Volt makes a strong second impression. It drives nicely, delivers on its electric promises, and is far more than just a science experiment. When Holden gets the Volt it is going to change the hybrid game and make life very, very difficult for Toyota with its Prius and Camry. It also promises the sort of range and peace of mind that electric car shoppers already crave.VERDICTA hybrid hero that's surprisingly good to drive. 9/10WE LIKE: Electric drive, sporty(ish) handling, engine response WE DON'T LIKE: Cramped back seat, likely price, delivery delayCHEVROLET VOLTPRICE: Estimated $60,000ENGINE: Electric motor with 1.4-litre petrol generator engineOUTPUT: 111kW RANGE: 40-80km (electric), 600km (range extended)EMISSIONS: Zero (electric drive)

It's hard to believe the Chevrolet Volt was born in less than half a day.  The hybrid hero of what was, until recently, the world's biggest carmaker is such a good idea that I expected it to have been created after years of painstaking research and smart thinking in a top-secret laboratory in Detroit.  It's an electric-drive car that uses a second onboard energy source to top up its giant battery pack. So it's a hybrid, but not as we know it.One genius at GM sketched the whole thing on a single sheet of paper after being quizzed by car chief Bob Lutz about the corporation's response to the Toyota Prius.  "We reclaimed the electric vehicle from the scrapheap of history. Now the prize is within sight," says John Lockner, vice-president of planning at General Motors.He, and everyone on the Volt team at GM starting with Lutz, have plenty of reasons to be optimistic as the countdown continues to the first Volt production car in November.  After driving the car I am also a fan. It is the single most important new car I have driven since the Honda FCX Clarity, another all-electric car that uses hydrogen from a fuel cell stack to create its electricity.DRIVETRAINJust like the Clarity, and unlike the Prius, the Volt is fully electric. Its petrol engine never turns the wheels and only fires up to re-charge the giant 200-kilogram battery pack that fits in a giant T shape along the centre console and below the back seats.The Volt will run for 64 kilometres on battery power — compared to two kilometres for a Prius — and once the 1.4-litre petrol motor goes to work it will run for as much as 600 kilometres between stops."It's the only electric vehicle that can be your only vehicle," says Andre Farah, chief engineer on the Volt.  I have a full-day dip into Volt-land during a visit to the Detroit Motor Show that covers everything from the basic vehicle concept to the advanced battery laboratories.  It's all done at GM's giant technical centre close to Detroit and culminates in a short drive of the car.DESIGNSo, what about the basics? The Volt is based on the GM Cruze, which makes it a compact car with a hatchback tail.  It looks a little like the Prius and the Honda Insight hybrids because of the rules of aerodynamics, which dictate an optimum shape for the body, although GM has tried to make it a little more sporty.It's a four-seater only, because of the battery, and trying to get much detail on the car is a waste of time.  GM is keeping its secrets until sales start in November this year, although it will all be common knowledge by the time the Volt hits Australia in 2011.  The GM people will not even reveal the size of the petrol tank, or the workings of the transmission system, or the performance or economy figures.  It will not be cheap, with a US base price of about $40,000 - probably $60,000 for Australia.DRIVINGThe Volt is a landmark car and drives extremely well.  That is a big call after less than five minutes at the wheel, and about 15 in the car in total, but the idea of an electric car that can do a Forest Gump and "run, and run, and run" is brilliant.As a driver, the Volt is as simple and easy as any electric car.  Hit the 'start' button, wait for the right lights, then select D and go.  There is a lot of funky stuff in the Volt, from its weirdly shaped shifter to a dash display that rates the economy of your driving, but the basics are solid.GM detuned the performance for the journalist preview, yet the car still gets along fairly niftily with a full load onboard.  It's not as sharp as a petrol car but much better than a Mitsubishi iMiev or Subaru Stella electric car.The steering feel is just like a Corolla, the braking is not as jerky as a Prius, and the quality on the pre-production drive car is good.  It's tight for space in the back, and there are only four seats, and I worry about sun exposure from the big rear hatch.  For me, as well, it's not the best looking future car I have seen.But the Volt is another window on the future and it lets a big breath of fresh air blow over the hybrid world.  Now I cannot wait for a real drive — something like Melbourne to Sydney.