Jalopnik: Chevy Volt

GM Dealers Say No To More Chevy Volts

Ray Wert — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:15:00 EST

With NHTSA's closure of the investigation into the Chevy Volt, General Motors is now trying to rebuild the plug-in hybrid's image. But a new stumbling block has appeared on the road to higher sales — dealers turning down Volts from GM. More »

GM Fixing Chevy Volt To Stop Possible Fiery Death After Three-Week-Old Crashes

Ray Wert — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:15:00 EST

After a Chevy Volt caught fire after being left outside in a parking lot in Minnesota three weeks after it was crash tested by NHTSA, GM has announced some changes to make sure this won't happen again. More »

Report: Every Chevy Volt has over $250,000 in government subsidies

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:30:00 EST

The total amount of state and federal subsidies for each Chevy Volt sold is as much as $256,824 per vehicle according to a fiscal analysis by Michigan's Mackinac Center for Public Policy. All for a car that only costs $39,828. More »

Did feds delay public disclosure of Chevy Volt fire risk to protect GM sales?

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crashed a Chevrolet Volt back in May, the car's lithium-ion battery burst into flames in June, and the agency acknowledged the fire to the public and launched a safety investigation in late November. Why the six-month time-lapse? More »

Yes, GM will loan you a Corvette if you're scared your Chevy Volt will catch fire

Ray Wert — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST

With news of more Chevy Volt battery packs catching fire after NHTSA crash testing, General Motors yesterday made an unprecedented damage-controlling offer: Any Volt owner concerned about safety can request a free GM vehicle loan until the issue's resolved. Yes, any car. Even a Corvette. More »

GM to loan cars to owners scared their Chevy Volt will catch fire

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:09:56 EST

GM is responding to increased concern amongst Chevy Volt owners that their cars will burst into flames by mostly dismissing the threat of random explosions and then offering Volt owners free loaner cars while GM tries to resolve the issue. More »

Are electric cars safe?

Wes Siler — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST

After a Chevy Volt caught fire in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) junkyard three weeks after it was crash tested, the agency's now investigating the safety of Lithium-Ion batteries in all electric cars. Is an environmentally-safe vehicle safe for your family? In a word, yes. More »

Chevy Volt fire explodes into federal investigation of electric car safety

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:45:00 EST

The federal government is now investigating the safety of electric cars, and specifically, lithium-ion batteries, after a Chevy Volt caught fire three weeks after a side-impact crash test. More »

Is the Chevy Volt a sales flop?

Ray Wert — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:30:00 EDT

General Motors has repeatedly claimed a sales target for 2011 of 10,000 units for the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt sedan. But, nine months into the year, they've only shipped 3,895 off the lot. In fact, in September sales numbers, released an hour ago, GM sold only 723 Volts. Will GM fail to meet its own sales predictions? More »

Nissan Leaf outselling Chevy Volt 2 to 1, can GM catch up?

Justin Hyde — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 11:45:00 EDT

In the sales slap fight between the all-electric Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, the Leaf has the Volt by the wrists and asking why it keeps hitting itself. Chevy's response: Wait 'til next month. More »

Cadillac ELR is the Chevy Volt of electric cars

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:25:00 EDT

The Cadillac ELR is the more expensive luxury coupe version of the Chevy Volt formerly known as the Cadillac Converj, now officially green-lit for production with its lame three-letter name and not-so-lame sharp-edged design. More »

Why aren't black people driving electric cars?

Charing Ball — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT

Here is something you will not hear come out of a black person's mouth: "That 2012 Toyota Prius? I need that." I hate to generalize but think about it, when was the last time you heard any one of your black friends hype up a Prius, a Nissan Leaf or any other environmentally-safe automobile? You haven't. More »

GM engineer gets 3,108 mpg in his Chevy Volt

Justin Hyde — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EDT

Officially, the Chevrolet Volt gets 60 mpg when running on electricity and gasoline. But one GM engineer who ran electric-only mode for several weeks traveled 1,554 miles on half a gallon of gas — or 3,108 mpg. More »

New York's finest turn a Chevy Volt into a cop car

Justin Hyde — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EDT

The next time you forget to feed a meter or misunderestimate opposite-side parking in New York City, your ticket could come from this: the first police Chevrolet Volt in the country. More »

GM PR man smacks down Nissan over gas-free Leaf ad

Ray Wert — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:30:00 EDT

In response to Nissan's Leaf ad that took a shot at GM's Jesus Car, the Chevy Volt, Jason Laird, GM's product communications head, tweeted: More »

Chevy sells more Volts in six months than Tesla sells Roadsters ever

Ray Wert — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:30:00 EDT

Tesla Motors, hailed by all as the savior of the planet, has been selling the all-electric Roadster model since 2008. Three-and-a-half years later, the automaker reports it has sold "more than 1500" of the electric-powered two-seaters. More »

How Bob Lutz saved GM from Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and itself

Justin Hyde — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EDT

In his new book, former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz calls Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and other right-wing critics of GM "reckless" for their hatred of anything linked to the Obama administration — including the Chevrolet Volt. Here's our exclusive first drive review of the soon-to-be-published book. More »

Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf crash so good

Justin Hyde — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:01:00 EDT

In the first independent crash tests of mainstream all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt took top grades from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on all measures — in part because both outweigh other small cars. More »

Chevy Volt convertible begins the automotive April Fools' Day silliness

Ray Wert — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:15:00 EDT

Road & Track's beginning the automotive April Fools' Day silliness with an absolutely obvious faux story: a Chevy Volt convertible. Sorry guys, but you're one calf-skin driving glove short of a Concours. More »

Forbes attacks Volt, omits shilling for oil industry

Justin Hyde — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:45:00 EDT

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In the latest issue of Forbes magazine, writer Patrick Michaels trashes the Chevy Volt and General Motors, saying the Volt is the socialist evil Ayn Rand warned of. What Michaels doesn't mention? How the oil industry pays his bills.
More »

Chevy Volt price gouging hits less-than-astonishing $4,000 atop price tag

Ray Wert — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:15:00 EST

Ward's Auto claims dealers across the country are dropping mark-ups as high as $4,000 on Chevy Volts. That's a bit less than the $50K mark-up we saw on Corvette ZR1s. More »

How the Chevy Volt gave one reviewer his largest electric bill ever

Justin Hyde — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:45:00 EST

Edmunds' Inside Line editor Karl Brauer put $4.16 of electricity in his Chevy Volt, then hit a long, climbing California road. At 25.8 miles, the battery was spent, an energy-mile per dollar equation similar to a full-size pickup. More »

Chevy sold just 312 Volts in January

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST

GM saw an sales increase 23% in January, but it can't tie much of that upswing to the Chevy Volt, which sold just 321 units during the month. By comparison, they sold 28,172 Silverado pickups. More »

New York Isn't Ready For Electric Cars

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST

After picking up a Hertz Chevy Volt, we found the Big Apple's electric-car infrastructure is still woefully inadequate, and rife with confused parking-lot attendants. Thankfully, the Volt's got a backup engine. With the Nissan Leaf we'd have been screwed. More »

Volt, Explorer Win North American Cars Of The Year

Justin Hyde — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:45:00 EST

An august panel of car reviewers named the Chevrolet Volt the North American Car Of The Year just now in Detroit, while dubbing Ford's reborn Explorer the North American Truck Of The Year, even though it's really a car. More »

Ford C-Max Energi And Hybrid Charge Up

Justin Hyde — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:15:00 EST

Ford's answer to the Chevy Volt isn't just an all-electric version of the Ford Focus. It's also two varieties of its upcoming C-Max hatchback — a regular hybrid and a plug-in hybrid that Ford says beats the Volt in efficiency. More »

Can An Electric Car Run Out Of Gas?

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST

This photo of a GM-owned Chevy Volt being towed away for unknown reasons raises an interesting question: can it be a considered an electric car if it can run out of gas? [via NickBunkley] More »

First Chevy Volt Destroyed In Crash

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST

A 24-year-old woman scrounging around for her phone rammed the back of a Chevy Volt with her Ford Explorer. The Volt, probably a fleet car, was towed away. Anyone know a 44-year-old Free Methodist GM employee from Linden? [via GM-Volt] More »

GM Recycles Gulf Oil Booms Into Chevy Volt Parts

Ray Wert — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST

General Motors will be recycling oil-soaked plastic booms deployed in the Gulf of Mexico into parts for the new Chevrolet Volt hybrid. About 100,000 pounds of boom material are being repurposed as radiator air deflectors. Ironic? A little. [Reuters] More »

First Chevy Volt For Sale Auctioned For $225,000

Justin Hyde — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:15:00 EST

Spurred by a jolt of last-minute bids, the first Chevy Volt built for sale by GM fetched $225,000 in an auction to benefit Detroit Public Schools. That's some pricey joule-ry. [Freep] More »

Chevy Auctioning First Volt For Charity

Justin Hyde — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST

The first Chevy Volts for paying customers arrived today, but GM held back job one for its museum, and will auction Volt #2 to benefit education in Detroit schools. GM's also hiring 1,000 engineers for EV work. [Freep] More »

Motor Trend Smacks Rush Limbaugh

Justin Hyde — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST

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After Motor Trend named the Chevy Volt their Car Of The Year, radio show host and former GM pitchman Rush Limbaugh blasted the award, saying "that's the end of them. How in the world do they have any credibility?" More »

Chevy Volt Fuel Economy: 60 MPG, Asterisks Included

Justin Hyde — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST

The Chevy Volt's official mileage ratings: 93 mpg combined city/highway on electric, 35 miles on battery, 37 mpg on gas-only power, 379 miles of total range. Total combined EPA estimate: 60 mpg, or about 20% better than a Toyota Prius. More »

EPA Red Tape Keeps Chevy Volt Off The Road

Justin Hyde — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:45:00 EST

General Motors execs say they're ready to start shipping the first Chevy Volts to dealers, but can't because the EPA hasn't given it a fuel economy window sticker. Probably finding just the right font for "Your Mileage May Vary" [AutoNews] More »

Chevy Volt Wins "Automobile of the Year" From Appropriately-Named Buff Book

Ray Wert — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:20:00 EST

Source Interlink's wearing a bowtie today as big as the dollar signs in the eyes of their ad sales team. The 2011 Chevy Volt follows up their Motor Trend "2011 Car of the Year" award with Automobile magazine's "2011 Automobile of the Year" award. By the way, given Source Interlink's creative award names, you'd almost expect Motor Trend to have a "Motoring Trend of the Year" award. Sadly, they do not. [Automobile] More »

Chevy Volt Is The Motor Trend Car Of The Year

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:15:00 EST

The Chevy Volt is Motor Trend's Car Of The Year. Editor Angus Mackenzie calls it "the most significant car" in the award's history. More than the '02 Thunderbird or Cirrus? More »

GE To Buy 25K Electric Vehicles From GM, Rivals By 2015

Ray Wert — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:15:00 EST

GE... we bring ~~good things~~ electric vehicle sales to life! [AutoNews] More »

Dan Neil on Bill Maher: Electric Cars, Bailouts and Teabagging

Justin Hyde — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:45:00 EDT

Pulitzer Prize-winning auto writer Dan Neil took to HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher to talk up electric cars and the GM/Chrysler bailout, but really stepped up when radio talk show host Dana Loesch debated the proper usage of "teabagger." More »

The Post Where We Welcome Motor Trend Back To Reality

Ray Wert — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:45:00 EDT

Todd Lassa brings Motor Trend back to reality over this week's Chevy Volt dust-up by reminding us it's about GM's credibility. [MotorTrend] More »

The Chevy Volt Was Nearly Named The "Electra"

Justin Hyde — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:30:00 EDT

Before it settled on "Volt," Chevy considered calling its plug-in hybrid several other names, including "Electra." Why? It still owned the rights from the Buick Electra sold for three decades. And like Carmen Electra, the Volt was filled with silicon. More »