Posts Tagged ‘chevrolet volt’
January 18th, 2013
The 2014 Cadillac ELR takes the range-extending electric car formula from GM’s successful Chevrolet Volt and applies it to a gorgeous new luxury coupe design, creating in the process the sexiest EV yet.
With a design closely based on the Cadillac Converj Concept we’ve been seeing on the auto show circuit for years, you would be forgiven for thinking at a glance that Cadillac’s newest was the promised coupe version of the 2013 ATS sport sedan. The compact 2+2 coupe is in actuality in essence a much better looking version of the Volt, using the same Voltronic powertrain.
Powertrain: 35-mile EV Range, Sporty Response
That means a powerful 295 lb-ft. torque electric motor and 16.5 kW-h lithium ion battery pack, good for around 35 miles of combined city/highway driving without dipping into the gas tank. Recharging will take around 4.5 hours using a 240-volt home high-speed charger.
Once that range is exhausted, the ELR uses a 1.4-liter gasoline engine predominately as a generator, with total system output measuring 207 horsepower. Combined range is around 300 miles, and we expect the ELR to achieve at least 100 MPGe on EPA cycles, making it the most efficient luxury car on the market.
One trick new feature is a new Regen on Demand mode, which allows the driver to convert inertia into power to charge the batteries via a paddle on the steering wheel. Coasting toward a red light? Use that energy to charge the ELR’s batteries for even longer EV-only cruising.
The ELR’s interior design is cohesive and opulent, with leather seating surfaces and Cadillac’s new CUE with Navigation voice and touchscreen-based infotainment system coming as standard equipment, along with a Bose 10-channel premium audio system.
2014 Cadillac ELR Pricing and Availability
As for pricing, we expect the ELR will start at around $50,000-$55,000 when it goes on sale nationwide in very early 2014. The car will be eligible for the full $7,500 Federal electric car tax credit as well as State incentives, and will qualify for solo access to California HOV lanes.
October 18th, 2012
Chevrolet Volt sales are finally gaining some steam, setting a new record of 2,831 units in August, thanks in no small part to GM and Chevy dealers willing to cut thousands off the car’s $39,145 base price. Just how much off? Reports from all over the country state Chevy buyers are getting into a Volt for up to $10,000 off, and that’s before factoring in Federal and State electric car tax credits.
In some states, that could mean finding your very own plug-in hybrid with a 38-mile EV range and 37 combined gasoline mpg for as little as around $20,000 when factoring in purchase price, incentives, the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit and state-by-state programs.
Looking to lease? Chevrolet now advertises 36-month lease specials of $299 per month, though our sources tell us some lucky consumers have been able to work with dealerships to get that payment under $200 per month.
Politicians may continue to argue about the Volt’s merits, shortcomings and business case. Let them: it’s the consumer winning here, as the Volt is a good-as-gold money saving proposition at these prices, not to mention a great daily driver.
June 15th, 2012
The Nissan LEAF is holding strong on the used car market, with a used 2011 model valued at $23,975 or 95% of the 2011 car’s sticker price new, after factoring in Federal electric car tax rebates. The used car market experts at the NADA Guides predict that the LEAF will hold value better than the Chevrolet Volt (90% of its value after 1 year) and the Toyota Prius (88%).
The reasoning lies behind still-high gas prices and the lack of available Nissan EVs on the used car market. If you’d like to find a used LEAF (or Chevy Volt) for a great deal, you should act in the next few months. NADA predicts that by the end of this year, prices will go up as a higher number of LEAFs hit the market after being retired by rental fleets.
Nissan’s pioneering electric car can travel for around 73 miles from fully charged, while a recharge at a 240V home quick-charging station takes around 7 hours. The attractive hatch has gone through a recent price increase while adding more standard equipment, now available from $36,050 before any Federal and state electric car tax credits.
December 27th, 2011
The Chevrolet Volt, which is heavily subsidized by both Federal and state governments, is costing taxpayers more than you might think. The US Government pumped tons of money into GM to be used in the Volt’s development and the infrastructure of US companies that produce many of the car’s components.
Through the end of November Chevy moved a total of 6,142 Volts since the plug-in hybrid car went on sale. James Hohman, assistant director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, estimates that around $3 billion in government incentives have been pumped directly into the Volt project to date. That’s around $250,000 for each Volt GM has sold. Not to mention the $7,500 or more to be given to most Volt buyers in the near future; buyers who make an average of $170,000.
While the Volt broke ground in technology from a major automaker, that’s a lot of taxpayer money going to fund a $40,000 car (pre-subsidies) that a huge portion of taxpayers could never afford to buy, or own.
September 7th, 2011
2012 Chevrolet Volt sales are picking up as GM ramps up production to meet consumer demand. Dealers moved 302 Volt cars in August, up from just 125 in July. The plug-in hybrid, which can travel for around 35 miles without firing up its gasoline engine, has seen monthly sales averaging around 400 units so far in 2011.
Chevrolet dealers nationwide are now taking new Volt orders, with deliveries to all 50 states to commence by November. Sales will as the car becomes available in more markets, though GM’s goal to produce 45,000 units for the U.S. market in calendar-year 2012 may prove highly optimistic.
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