2011 Chevrolet Volt Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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Following several years of anticipation by the automotive public, the Chevrolet Volt electric car finally makes its debut in late 2010. Powered solely by an electric motor, the Volt uses its 1.4-liter FlexFuel gas/E85-powered engine to charge the powerplant's lithium-ion battery when depleted, greatly extending the Volt's driving range. Running only on electrical power and a single battery charge, the Volt can travel up to 40 miles, depending on the use of air conditioning, headlights, the radio, and other electrical components. When the battery charge runs low, the gas engine effortlessly kicks in to recharge the 16-kilowatt lithium-ion battery, which enables the Volt to travel several hundred additional miles.
The electric motor produces the equivalent of 150 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. The Volt has a top speed of 100 mph.
Owners can charge the Volt's battery simply by plugging it into a standard 120-volt household outlet or a 240-volt outlet. When plugged into a 120-volt outlet, the battery recharges in about eight hours, which drops to just three hours when plugged into a 240-volt outlet. Charge times are reduced if the battery has not been fully depleted, Chevy notes, and estimates that it will cost owners about 80 cents a day to fully charge the battery.
In taking the Volt from concept vehicle to production car, Chevy made a number of exterior design changes. While the concept car had a hunkier look, with a squashed-down roof, huge wheels, and a more aggressive feel, the production version of the Volt features a more aerodynamic shape, especially in the front fascia area, which helps reduce wind resistance and improve the Volt's range when running only on the electric motor. Chevy did carry over some components from the concept to the production cars, including a closed front grille, athletic stance, exterior mirrors, and some rear-end elements.
When powered by the electric motor, the Volt operates very quietly. Even when the gas-powered engine kicks in, drivers will find the four-passenger cabin quiet and comfortable.
Inside, the Volt has a futurist design, with a cockpit that wraps around the driver and front passenger. The high-tech dashboard includes a 7-inch LCD touchscreen display and a 7-inch driver-configurable LCD instrument cluster with digital readouts in place of traditional analog or digital instrument gauges. Drivers can configure the LCD display to project a wide range of readouts related to the powerplant, such as the current charge in the battery and the distance the car can travel on remaining battery power, as well as traditional speed and fuel tank readouts.
Drivers can use the center-mounted LCD touchscreen to view additional engine and mechanical information, and to adjust the audio and climate controls. Bluetooth wireless connectivity for cellular phones and a USB audio connection for music streaming are among the other standard features. Drivers can add such options as an energy-efficient, six-speaker Bose audio system, a 30-gigabyte hard disk drive for music storage, and a navigation system with voice recognition. Owners can also add optional leather seats. Safety features include knee, dual-stage front, side-impact, and roof-rail airbags.
User reviews for 2011 Chevrolet Volt
Write a review2011 Chevrolet Volt Pricing
Trims & specs
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Dual front knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Rear side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: mast · Auxiliary audio input: jack · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · Premium Brand: Bose · AM/FM radio · Satellite Radio: SiriusXM · 1 subwoofer · Total Number of Speakers: 6
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 11.8 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 11.5 · Rear brakes: ventilated disc
Comfort Features
Floor Mats: front
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: front · Dimming rearview mirror: auto-dimming · Multi-function remote: keyless entry with panic alarm · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): 12V front · Power steering: speed-proportional · Power windows: lockout button · Reading lights: front · Rear power outlet: 12V · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: cruise controls · Storage: door pockets · Sunshade: windshield · Vanity mirrors: dual illuminating
Drivetrain
Axle ratio: 2.16
Engine
EV battery capacity: 16 kWh · EV on-board charger rating: 3.3 kW · Electric Charge Cord: 120 volt · Electric Motor Battery Type: lithium ion · Electric Motor HP: 149 · Electric Motor Power Output (Kilowatts): 111 · Electric Motor Torque: 273 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator Displacement: 1.4 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator HP: 83 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator Number of Cylinders: 4 · Electric motor charger connector: SAE J1772 · Electric motor charging time: 4 hours · Electric motor miles per charge: 35
Exterior Features
Front bumper color: body-color · License plate bracket: front · Mirror color: body-color · Paint: premium · Rear bumper color: body-color · Rear spoiler: lip · Rear spoiler color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: liftgate
Header
Geographic Region: CA
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2
In Car Entertainment
Infotainment screen size: 7 in.
Instrumentation
Warnings and reminders: maintenance reminder
Lights
Headlights: Auto on/off
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: heated
Rear Seats
Type: bucket
Safety
Active head restraints: driver · Camera system: rearview · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Parking sensors: front and rear
Seatbelts
Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Second row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: reclining · Front seat type: bucket · Passenger seat manual adjustments: reclining · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: premium cloth
Steering
Steering ratio: 15.4 · Turns lock-to-lock: 2.8
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: semi-independent · Rear Suspension Type: torsion bar
Telematics
Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth · Satellite communications: OnStar
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheels: polished aluminum
Wheels
Wheel spokes: 5
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Power windows: with safety reverse
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Dual front knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Rear side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: mast · Auxiliary audio input: jack · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · Premium Brand: Bose · AM/FM radio · Satellite Radio: SiriusXM · 1 subwoofer · Total Number of Speakers: 6
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 11.8 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 11.5 · Rear brakes: ventilated disc
Comfort Features
Floor Mats: front · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: rear · Dimming rearview mirror: auto-dimming · Multi-function remote: keyless entry · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): 12V front · Power steering: speed-proportional · Power windows: lockout button · Reading lights: front · Rear power outlet: 12V · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: cruise controls · Storage: door pockets · Sunshade: windshield · Vanity mirrors: dual illuminating
Drivetrain
Axle ratio: 2.16
Engine
EV battery capacity: 16 kWh · EV on-board charger rating: 3.3 kW · Electric Charge Cord: 120 volt · Electric Motor Battery Type: lithium ion · Electric Motor HP: 149 · Electric Motor Power Output (Kilowatts): 111 · Electric Motor Torque: 273 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator Displacement: 1.4 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator HP: 83 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator Number of Cylinders: 4 · Electric motor charger connector: SAE J1772 · Electric motor charging time: 4 hours · Electric motor miles per charge: 35
Exterior Features
Front bumper color: body-color · License plate bracket: front · Mirror color: body-color · Paint: special factory paint · Rear bumper color: body-color · Rear spoiler: lip · Rear spoiler color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: liftgate
Header
Geographic Region: CA
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2
In Car Entertainment
Infotainment screen size: 7 in.
Instrumentation
Warnings and reminders: maintenance reminder
Lights
Headlights: Auto on/off
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: heated
Rear Seats
Type: bucket
Safety
Active head restraints: driver · Camera system: rearview · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Parking sensors: front and rear
Seatbelts
Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Second row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: reclining · Front seat type: bucket · Passenger seat manual adjustments: reclining · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: leather
Steering
Steering ratio: 15.4 · Turns lock-to-lock: 2.8
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: semi-independent · Rear Suspension Type: torsion bar
Telematics
Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth · Satellite communications: OnStar
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheels: polished aluminum
Wheels
Wheel spokes: 5
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Power windows: with safety reverse
