For several years now, the Chevy Volt has been a plug-in hybrid work horse that doen’t get much attention. General Motors is hoping that it can change that with some fairly serious electric charging overhauls that should allow it to charge in half the time it took before.
In addition to the new 7.2 kilowatt-hour charging system, which comes standard on the Premier and is an option on the LT model, Chevy has added more tech to the Volt with things like adaptive cruise control, an updated pedestrian alert system and a digital rear-view camera. The car will also sound its horn when you’re filling the tires and the desired pressure has been reached. That’s pretty dang convenient.
The 2019 Volt will run for 53 miles in pure-EV mode, then the gasoline-powered range extender kicks in, giving the car an all-in range of 420 miles.
“With about twice the range added during 240V Level 2 charging sessions, the 2019 Volt’s 7.2 kW system makes opportunity charging more worthwhile,” said Jesse Ortega, chief engineer, Chevrolet Electric Vehicles. “It effectively extends the vehicle’s all-electric driving range, while providing about twice the range for the money when plugging in at public facilities that charge by the hour.”
The 2019 Volt’s party piece is the inclusion of a 7.2 kWh charger which halves the time it takes to charge fully. The Volt’s interior is getting a bunch of upgrades, too, like an available Power Convenience Package which gives the LT a power driver’s seat and a wireless charging system for devices, making it more comfortable as well as easy to live with, which is always a Volt strong suit.
The 2019 Volt should go on sale this falland exact pricing has not been announced.
