2013 Chevrolet Volt electric range gets upped…by one mile

The politically volatile Chevy Volt has just gone through a refresh, you’ll be able to spot the new ones with body-colored roofs and trunks. Gone is the drivetrain with a mind of its own: owners can now force the car to run on gasoline only if they choose to. It’s a feature that’s been available to the Euro equivalent, the Opel Ampera.

“The best way to explain what we’ve done at the cell level is to compare it to a cake batter recipe. Sometimes if you use more sugar and less vanilla you get a better tasting cake. We’ve done some work at the cell level to modify the ‘ingredients’ to make a better end result,” said Bill Wallace, GM director of Global Battery Systems Engineering. “This attention to detail will allow our customers to experience more pure EV range, which is the true benefit of owning a Volt.”

Headlines here and there highlight range and efficiency increases, but at the end of the day, they are only incremental: three more miles of range and five more mpge, making for 38 electric only miles and 98 mpge, a number that largely just serves those marketing the car. The EPA did not revise their standards, instead the changes are thanks to increased battery capacity and consequently a longer charging time.

– By: Sawyer Sutton