The Chevy Volt was one of the original models that gave rise to the trend of driving electric vehicles, and since then, the car has seen various improvements to its design over the years. Now, the 2016 Chevy Volt comes with even more advancements in its technology, and it’s clear at this point that the company is striving for perfection in this market, and they want to be at the forefront of all the innovations that surround electric vehicles.
The most notable improvement in the 2016 Volt, and the feature that everyone is talking about, is the increase in its all-electric range. Reports claim that the car can now run for 53 miles on its battery alone, up from 38 in the previous model. That’s obviously a serious improvement and something that the company’s engineers have put a lot of effort into, but it’s still not the best deal on the market compared to offers from other companies, and even some of Chevy’s own models.
In the end though, a range of 53 miles is more than enough for most people’s everyday needs, and there shouldn’t be too many cases where a driver needs to go for longer without recharging their battery. Of course, driving on electric power is far from the only option available in this vehicle, as when the battery runs out, the car simply switches to its regular gas engine.
According to the company’s own estimates, about 80% of the trips made by their electric vehicle owners right now are made without ever powering on the gas engine. They also expect to bring that number up to 90% with the new improvements in the 2016 Volt, and we’re curious to see if the trend will continue beyond that as well.
Many people firmly believe that one day we won’t even need to think about gas when on the road, as we’ll be powered entirely by electricity, and while it’s definitely reasonable to assume that this is going to happen sooner or later, we’re probably still a bit far off from that time.
It’s worth noting that Chevy have also lowered the starting price of the model – interested buyers can now get it for $33,995, a reduction of roughly $1,000 compared to the last entry in the line. While it’s not much, it’s also not very traditional for companies to readjust their prices downwards, especially for a new release in an already popular line.
It’s not like the Volt has been struggling with popularity, and if anything, it’s one of the company’s most talked-about vehicle lines right now. But in the end, if GM think that a price reduction is the adequate move here, we have nothing to say against that decision. Obviously, it’s going to benefit consumers, and it’s probably going to have a good effect on the company’s performance too, so it’s likely going to turn out as a good move.
Is this price point going to be preserved in the future though? That’s very hard to say, if not impossible. The car market is very unpredictable, especially right now with all these new developments popping up left and right. We wouldn’t be surprised if Chevy maintained that price level in the future, but on the other hand, it’s also possible that the car might become slightly more expensive further down the road as they switch to a more electric-centered configuration. That will require new technology, which in turn will be more expensive to produce.