General Motors quietly pulled the plug on the Volt last week. Here's a look back at the electric car.
It was billed as the beginning of an automotive revolution, a vehicle that motorists could use for their typical daily commute without using a drop of fuel, but which would also avoid the severe range restrictions of a pure battery-electric vehicle, or BEV.
While that helped reduce fuel consumption, Prius still burned gasoline whenever it moved. The Chevy Volt was seen as the next step. It featured a larger battery capable of being plugged in to draw energy from the grid. In use, the battery pack could propel the hatchback up to 38 miles in its first-generation – 53 miles for the second model – while producing zero emissions.
The second-generation model"should've been an SUV," said analyst Peterson, staying in step with the dramatic shift reshaping the American marketplace. Sport and crossover-utility vehicles now account for more than half of new vehicle sales, a radically different equation from 2010. Despite its demise, not everyone sees the Chevrolet Volt as a failure, however."While it was a financial loser, it did what was intended," the now retired former GM Vice Chairman Lutz, told the Associated Press."We viewed it as a stepping stone to full electrics, which were totally out of reach due to the then-astronomical cost of lithium-ion batteries."
This shift in focus doesn't mean Volt was a failure, agrees Stephanie Brinley, principle auto analyst with IHS Markit."GM learned a ton from Volt in terms of technology that they have applied to the Bolt EV" and other long-range battery-electric vehicles to follow, she said.
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