Visitors to one of the world’s top tourist destinations now have the option to drive electric. Enterprise Rent-A-Car has added 14 Volts to its Orlando car rental fleet. EVs have a high profile in Florida’s tourism capital, thanks partly to Drive Electric Orlando, a local organization that partners with the major theme parks and over… Read more »
When the Chevrolet Volt was launched at the end of 2010, I must confess that I gave it little chance of success. It seemed like an awkward compromise – buyers who wanted to go electric would surely prefer a pure EV, and buyers who weren’t ready to take that plunge had every reason to stick… Read more »
Tesla may have made it trendy, but the California company is far from the only automaker exploring the commercial energy storage market, which is expected to grow from $200 million in 2012 to $19 billion in 2017, according to research firm IHS CERA. Nissan has joined forces with Green Charge Networks to deploy second-life EV… Read more »
The 2016 Chevrolet Volt is on its way. MSRP for the base LT model will be $33,995 including delivery – $1,175 lower than the 2015 Volt, and close to the $33,560 average price of a new vehicle, as estimated by KBB (via Green Car Reports). There’s also a snazzier trim level that has a host of high-tech… Read more »
The plug-in hybrid version of Cadillac’s CT6 large luxury sedan, which made its debut at this month’s Shanghai Motor Show, will use a version of GM’s second-generation Voltec hybrid system. The 18.4 kWh battery pack is the same size as the one in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, which should give the new Caddy an electric… Read more »
The Cadillac ELR has always been a bit of an odd duck. When it went on sale at the end of 2013, most of the media, including Charged, found it to be a fine vehicle, but some were skeptical that buyers would be interested in paying $75,000 for what is basically a luxury version of… Read more »
GM has suspended production of the Volt at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant in order to get ready for the revamped 2016 Volt, which is to go on sale in the second half of this year. The company plans to invest a total of $343 million to retool for its lineup of next-generation hybrid vehicles. The production… Read more »
The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu will be offered in a hybrid version that uses an adaptation of GM’s Voltec plug-in hybrid system. This will be the third generation of Malibu Hybrids, but the previous two had only a “mild hybrid” system that assists the gas engine. The new ‘bu is a “strong hybrid,” and can drive… Read more »
How will low oil prices affect the growth in vehicle electrification? It’s a question we’ve heard a lot since the price of crude began to plummet about six months ago. A few studies have come out recently that find cheap oil has little or no effect on PEV sales. It seems that either buyers don’t… Read more »
With new technology come new and unforeseen problems. Apparently, some Volt drivers, lulled into absent-mindedness by the plug-in hybrid’s silent running, forget to shut the car off. This drains the battery, causing the gasoline engine to turn on and possibly leading to dangerous carbon monoxide buildup. General Motors is recalling about 64,000 Volts from the… Read more »