Guess How Far The New Chevy Volt's Batteries Will Take You

Chevrolet announced today that the 2016 Volt - the next generation of the plug-in hybrid model that’s so far sold fitfully but its dedicated owners adore - will deliver 53 miles of driving range from its improved lithium-ion batteries. The all-new Volt’s battery range represents a nearly a 40-percent upgrade in the driving metric current Volt owners most cherish.

The company says the new Volt’s improvement in electric-only driving range means that 90 percent of trips won’t require a drop of gasoline. The Volt’s unique design – well, not quite so unique anymore – means that unlike electric cars powered solely by batteries, there is no “range anxiety” about running out of juice. When the Volt’s battery power is depleted, the small and efficient gasoline engine fires up to generate electricity for the Volt’s drive motors and to help recharge the car's batteries.

All told, the 2016 Volt, which goes on sale this fall starting at $26,495 after a $7,500 federal tax credit, can travel 420 miles when its battery and gasoline range are combined. If you can’t find a gas station – or a plug – sometime over that distance, you deserve to be stranded.

There are other plug-in hybrid models out there. But they’ll either cost a whole lot more than the 2016 Volt or their puny battery packs deliver less than half the Volt’s driving range.

General Motors ’ (GM) Pamela Fletcher, chief engineer for electrified vehicles, told us that most Volt drivers can expect to exceed the 53-mile battery range; GM studied the driving data for some 300 first-generation Volts in California and every one at least met its rated electric-only driving range of 38 miles after a minimum of 30 months of use. Many owners consistently exceeded the rated battery-driving range.

“We listened to our customers. They were very clear when they told us they wanted more range and a fun driving experience behind the wheel,” said Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah in a release. “We are confident that the 2016 Volt delivers both.”

Although sales have never been blistering, Chevrolet is staying the course with the plug-in Volt, convinced the market eventually will come around to the car its owners worship almost without qualification. Chevrolet sources admit just about every smallish car, hybrid or otherwise, is a tough sell while gasoline prices are silly low and buyers are enthralled with pickups and crossovers. But they believe the 2016 Volt is a markedly more compelling package than the first-generation model – and it’s more than $1,000 cheaper, proving that improved technology at a lower price isn’t the sole province of the consumer-electronics industry.