Details on the model year 2013 Chevrolet Volt hybrid electric car are beginning to leak as order guides make their way to dealerships.
There are two major changes on the Chevy Volt that’ll interest consumers. The first involves the Volt’s exterior. Chevrolet will color the Volt’s roof and liftgate to match the rest of hatchback’s body. Currently, the Chevrolet Volt’s roof and liftgate are black, regardless of how the rest of the car is painted.
The second change involves the hybrid electric car’s powertrain. Normally, the Chevrolet Volt is powered by its battery until depleted. The Volt then starts its small gasoline engine to recharge the battery. This arrangement is called “extended range mode.” The 2013 Chevy Volt will now sport a new driving mode. Called “EV Hold Mode”, the new setting keeps the Volt in its “extended range mode” even when the hybrid electric car could switch to pure electric-only mode. This new mode will allow 2013 Volt owners greater control on how their hybrid electric vehicle is powered by both modes. There are no changes to the Chevrolet Volt’s other modes (i.e., standard, sport, mountain).
Pricing changes, if any, have not been released on the 2013 Chevrolet Volt.
Overseas, Volt’s European counterpart is being embraced by buyers. Sales of the 2012 Opel/Vauxhall Ampera have already beaten earlier target numbers and will easily meet the 10,000 unit sales goal for the year. Note that the starting price of the Opel/Vauxhall starts over $55,000, which is comparable to premium European vehicles. The U.S. Chevrolet Volt, on the other hand, starts a hair below $40,000 before tax credits and any state rebates.
Most Ampera buyers, states Opel, are fleet and commercial companies.
Source: Detroit News, GM Inside News
