The 2016 Chevrolet Volt promises to be a solid option for those looking for an electric vehicle with the range of a conventional vehicle. Like its predecessor, when the battery runs out of juice, a small gasoline engine starts up and acts as a generator to charge the batteries and provide power to the engine.
Unlike a traditional hybrid, the engine never propels the vehicle, it just charges the batteries. This allows for all-electric operation for most short trips, but still allows for long highway runs. When this happens, though, it burns gasoline like any other conventional car.
TFLcar’s Andre Smirnov and Brian Waring recently took a 2016 Volt on a 100-mile test loop to see just how fuel efficient it would be once the batteries lost their energy. The car was filled with gas, ran on the loop at the 75 mph speed limit, then re-filled.
The Volt is powered by a two-motor system that makes 149 hp and 294 lb-ft of torque and is about 100 pounds lighter than the first generation drive unit. The engine is an all-new, all-aluminum, direct-injected 1.5-liter four-cylinder that no longer requires premium fuel and makes 101 horsepower.
The range is 420 miles and although there are no typical city and highway mileage figures, the Volt does have two ratings, 106 mpg-e for the electric motors and 42 mpg for the engine/generator.
The as-tested price of the Volt is $40,825 before tax credits, but the Volt’s MSRP starts at $33,170.
Andre bet that the Volt would get at least 75 mpg; Brian bet it would be less. At stake is a free lunch, the best truck stop hot dog money can buy. So who gets the free lunch? Check out the full video below.
