Thread: Top 12 cars of 2012: Chevrolet Volt

The Chevrolet Volt is the most credible electric car we've seen in this era. There was no better preparation for a year driving the Chevrolet Volt than spending a year in a Nissan Leaf. The biggest downside of the Leaf was its restricted range and prolonged recharging time. Unlike the Leaf, which relies entirely on its battery pack, the electrically driven Volt has the advantage of a back-up, petrol-powered generator. At a stroke, the Volt overcomes the problem of range anxiety and has a potential generator range of 270 miles per (small) tank of fuel.
Although the battery pack is smaller and less powerful than the Leafs, the Volt should (unless it is the middle of winter) deliver a 35-mile range from the battery pack, enough for a daily round-trip commute. And it you want to take the Volt further afield, it will run happily just on the petrol engine/generator, which is why it is the first really viable car driven primarily by electricity.
Based on a heavily modified and widened version of the GM Delta platform (which is also used under the Astra), the Volt has a five-and-a-half-foot, 198kg, T-shaped battery that runs down the centre tunnel and under the rear seats. Up front, it has a transversely mounted, 1. 4-litre petrol engine, good for 85bhp, driving a 72bhp generator, which can supply an electrical charge straight to the electric motor that drives the front wheels.
In terms of down-the-road performance, what really matters is the output of the electric motor. This delivers 149bhp and a very healthy 273lb ft of torque from the moment it starts running. The electric motors combination of silence, smoothness and fat torque curve is enhanced by the single-ratio transmission. You cant get smoother gearchanges than no changes.
Like the Leaf before it, the Volts effortless pace and drivetrain refinement in battery mode would shame a serious luxury car, although the Volt doesnt quite have the exceptional urban ride and refinement that marks out the Leaf. And when the Volt is in generator mode, the peace of the cabin is sometimes intruded upon by the engine. Compared with a typical diesel, however, the Volt is almost executive-car silent.
And this is one of the unexpected things about a car that is primarily engineered for its environmental performance: its surprising luxury. The Volt is an exceptionally comfortable place to spend long hours. The driving position is first class. The ride is good in town and very good elsewhere. The boot is big and the fold-flat rear seats make for a substantial load bay.
This is not a car to fling around, but the chassis tuning makes it feel impressively taut and controlled, with very accurate steering and great high-speed stability. Overall, the Volt has a nice, clipped, controlled balance and it is very happy at higher motorway speeds – unlike the Leaf.
It was developed while GM was bankrupt, so it is a minor miracle that the Volt even exists. But by mixing everyday electric commuting with an otherwise unlimited fossil-fuel range, the Volt is the most viable mainstream EV in the 110 years that the concept has been around. Of course, we still have no real answer to the cost and complexity of electric cars and their battery packs. The Volts fossil fuel economy is still poor compared with similarly priced production hybrids and diesels and it is very expensive when seen solely as a zero-emissions commuter car.
But the Chevrolet Volt is one of the most original, thoughtful and innovative mainstream cars that weve seen for decades, not just over the past 12 months.