Renewable Gossip

Chevy Volt Chief Engineer Andrew Farah last Friday crashed the weekly classic car night at Bob’s Big Boy hamburger joint in Burbank, California.

From its inception, the Chevy Volt was designed to travel 40 miles without using a drop of gasoline. General Motors drew the line in the sand, citing studies that show the majority of US drivers, on average, travel less than 40 miles per day. In a refrain repeated over and over again by GM executives, and bandied about in advertising, the company has held firm to its promise of 40 miles of electric driving before the small onboard engine would be called into service.

However, one year prior to its release, journalists are discovering that the Volt will fall short of the 40 miles of all-electric range under a number of conditions.

Edmunds’ John O’Dell yesterday took a brief test drive of the Volt, and grilled Volt Chief Engineer Andrew Farah. O’Dell discovered that the 2011 will indeed deliver 40 miles of battery-only range on the EPA city cycle, a driving circuit with an average speed of just under 20 mph. But the Volt’s battery range will be diminished under these conditions:

• Aggressive acceleration
• Sustain high-speed driving
• Exceptionally hot or cold ambient temperatures
• Driving in hilly or mountainous terrain

O’Dell writes, “If you pull out of the driveway with a full charge, hop on an uncrowded freeway and motor away at 65 miles an hour, you won’t get 40 miles on battery power alone.”

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