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| 2011 Chevrolet Volt Full Test |
This is new 2011 Chevrolet Volt Full Test Review .You know a lot about the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, one of the first mass-produced plug-in hybrids available.You know that you can plug the Volt into a traditional wall socket to recharge its battery in order to provide miles and miles of electric-only range, at which point the Volt's gas engine fires up to maintain the battery's charge and provide propulsion assistance. And we've extensively detailed how the Volt's powertrain works.2011 Chevy Volt
not to mention devastatingly attractive — IL reader. But what is the Volt like to drive, and to live with, and is it as efficient as you've heard? It's a car, after all, that strives for efficiency in every detail.The Volt's complexity might make you think it's some kind of science project, and in a sense, it is. Yet for all the cold zeroes and ones underpinning its sophisticated powertrain, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt implores us to examine the human side of the transportation equation.
Powertrain Duality
Electric-only operation is exceptionally quiet, as you might expect. Our average range in this mode worked out to 33.9 miles, which falls near the middle of GM's estimate of 25-50 miles per full charge. Range in electric-only mode is rather sensitive to driving style, terrain and ambient conditions so here's another data point — driven conscientiously in a range of driving conditions, our best electric-only range was 39.1 miles.
Dropping the transmission selector into "L" and clicking the button for Sport mode is the most responsive way to drive the 2011 Chevy Volt. This approach livens up both ends of the throttle pedal's response, sharpening tip-in and delivering stronger "engine braking" (regenerative braking) when you lift. If you select Mountain mode a few miles before you climb a long grade, the Volt runs the gas engine overtime in order to build a large buffer charge in the battery that enables the Volt to climb any grade at a steady 70 mph.
