It wasn't easy for the Chevrolet Volt during my test period: The weather and its batteries were against it; my expectations, on the other hand, are extremely high. So he could only lose - right?
My test was preceded by a discussion about the definition of the Chevrolet Volt. E-car with a range extender or just a plug-in hybrid, as you can get it from other manufacturers? In principle, the answer is trivial: if the built-in petrol engine does not drive the wheels directly, it is an electric car with a "range extender". The Volt's 86 hp Ecotec motor (same as the Ampera), however, drives the front wheels under certain conditions. The Volt is a serial hybrid (Because: a vegetarian who eats a sausage once a week is no longer a vegetarian - quote from Ralf Bernert!) - Thank you!) - but the Volt is also a hybrid with “power split”, similar to the principle of the Toyota Prius.
Power split hybrid:
At higher speeds, the petrol engine, connected to the electric motor and drive axle via the planetary gear, can act directly on the propulsion of the Volt. This becomes noticeable at full acceleration above about 100 km / h. The petrol engine then relieves the electric motor. This means that the Volt is not an electric vehicle with a “range extender”, but a “serial hybrid” with Power split.
But that doesn't make the Chevrolet Volt any less interesting!
For my test drive, I was primarily interested in how everyday life looks like with this new variant of drive technology in cars and what compromises you have to make as a driver of a Chevrolet Volt. Not a real compromise, but a disappointment: Instead of the promised 80 kilometers range, the Volt, which is charged from a socket in the garage, welcomes me with an electric range of only 40 kilometers. The test car, which shows almost 10.000 kilometers on the speedometer, has probably already become a "realist". You can only reach the full 80 kilometers if you convert the "watt supply" into electrical power in an almost tenderly dosed manner.
However, due to the 370 Nm of the electric motor, hardly anyone succeeds in doing this; it is too tempting to call up the entire power - and this is electric car norm - from the first turn. As if pulled on a rubber band, the Volt accelerates without any interruption by switching operations until the electric motor is just before its maximum speed.
At the end of the rubber band ecstasy, the Volt's speedometer shows 160 kilometers per hour and the petrol engine hums the old Nikolaus Otto's evergreen.
For 40 kilometers you drive in a completely different world. Quiet. Really quiet. The Volt impresses with its relaxed form of locomotion. Responsible for this are the less ambitious steering and the somewhat wooden dampers. Overall, however, the Volt remains a comfort-related companion that wants to present everyday life to the four possible occupants wrapped in a cotton ball.
The cockpit is somehow so different
Two large monitors serve as a source of information for the pilot of the Volt. In addition to a quiet “Wuuusch”, the lighting up of life in the monitors is the only signal that you are ready to perform after you have pressed the start button. The operation of the main screen is pleasantly well solved. The various information can be called up using a rotary knob to the left of the steering wheel. Always in view: the speed you are driving, the remaining range (both electrically and with regard to the fuel level) and an eco display that shows you how economically you are driving. It's a colorful, new world - but one that is confusing in the center console and its 500 touch buttons. In the test car, the center console was also coated with white piano lacquer, which in the twilight did not help to make the lettering more legible.
Makes space for the batteries
Despite its not short external length of 4,5 meters, the Volt is only a four-seater. And in terms of optimized aerodynamics (Cd: 0,28), it is also blessed with an interior that is further restricted by inclined A-pillars and side windows. You can feel the attempt to ensure optimal use of space. On the other hand, however, it is also clear: two engines, a petrol tank and enough space for batteries - that poses enormous challenges for the designers.
The 16 kWh batteries weigh 198 kilograms and, in a T-shape, take up the space that was previously reserved for exhaust systems and cardan shafts.
16 kWh battery power and a range of only 40 kilometers?
In terms of maximum service life, only 10 kWh of the batteries are used for storage. The Volt technicians want to anticipate premature aging of the lithium-ion batteries and extend the entire system to the classic lifetime of an automobile.
Chevrolet states an average consumption of 1,2 liters per 100 kilometers - this corresponds to an NEDC measurement method and has nothing to do with everyday life.
And finally ...
The time is ripe for a new and above all ecological drive technology - the Volt is an interesting intermediate step and even if it is chasing a possible success in terms of sales figures - it is definitely not a loser.