There is a lot of confusion out there on how the new Chevrolet Volt works. Count us in as those who are still trying to figure out the high price tag when compared to other hybrids. Oops! I forgot that the Volt isn’t a hybrid but rather an electric car that uses a gas engine to create electricity. Our friends at Insideline.com break it down for those of us who need a lesson or two on the Volt!
Imagine a straight line across a piece of paper. All the cars that have ever been made exist somewhere on that line, including the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.
At the left endpoint, let’s write “Gas” to represent vehicles powered by gasoline. Go ahead and add diesel, E85 or any other combustible fuel along with gasoline if you must. Point is, our left endpoint is not associated with batteries or electric motors.
That’s because “Electricity” is the label we’ll apply to the right endpoint of our line. This represents the pure electric vehicles — EVs for short. These have an electric motor, a battery pack and a place to sit. You plug them in and charge them up. When the battery runs out of juice, you’re walking.
