Chevrolet Volt owners have accumulated more than half a billion all-electric miles since the electric vehicle’s (EV) launch in late 2010, according to a recent announcement.
Based on a General Motors (GM) study of more than 300 Volts in service in California for more than 30 months, many owners are exceeding the EPA-rated estimate of 35 miles of EV range per full charge, with about 15 percent surpassing 40 miles of range.
Volt owners are doing more than 63 percent of their overall driving in EV mode. While the driving range in EV mode can be greatly impacted by temperature, driving technique and terrain, the ease with which Volt drivers are avoiding gasoline use further shows the Volt’s suitability for almost any lifestyle, GM says.
Volt owners who charge regularly typically drive more than 970 miles between fill-ups and visit the gas station less than once a month. The 2014 Volt provides owners with fuel economy of EPA-estimated 98 MPGe (electric) and 35 city/40 highway on gasoline power, saving $1,450 in annual fuel costs with no change in daily driving habits.
In an independent study conducted between July and December 2013, Volt drivers who participated in the Department of Energy’s EV Project managed by Idaho National Labs totaled 1,198,114 vehicle trips of which 974,692, or 81.4 percent, were completed without the gasoline-powered generator being used.
Since the Volt was launched in 2010, owners have helped to reduce gasoline consumption by more than 25 million gallons, the equivalent of no gasoline being used in Washington D.C. for 2½ months.
GM, which owns Chevrolet, ranked low this year on the Union of Concerned Scientists' 2014 Automaker Rankings report, which analyzes the most eco-friendly automakers in the world through their 2013 model year passenger cars and trucks. However, GM’s fleet of fuel cell vehicles recently passed three million miles of hydrogen-powered, real-world driving, avoiding 157,894 gallons of gasoline consumption. The company’s specially equipped fleet of Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles are part of the company’s 119-vehicle Project Driveway program, launched in 2007. Since then, more than 5,000 drivers have provided feedback on the functionality and drivability of fuel cell technology.
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Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact
Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published Jun 18, 2014 2am EDT / 11pm PDT / 7am BST / 8am CEST