MM Condensed Review: 2011 Chevrolet Volt
Driver
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From: Colorado
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Lexus Fanatic
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And, as pure-electrics and plug-in hybrids becaome more popular and better-selling, look for places of buisness, motels/hotels, etc....to provide plug-in stations for the convienience of their customers.
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Thanks. 
Agreed.
I agree that the white center-stack has the finish of a refrigerator, but it actually molded out of quite durable-feeling material.....it's hard to tell if it is metal or plastic. The problem is that the matching white-buttons, with the gray-lettering, make for a legibility nightmare.
Good point on the SVX. I had forgtten about those taillights....there is somewhat of a similiarity. Fortunately, the Volt didn't copy the SXV's quirky, half-roll-down windows.
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What turns me off from this car is the styling. It tries to look futuristic, but falls short.
As mentioned, the center stack looks cheap. Which home computer, stereo, or micrwave has this same finish? Have crowds of people begged car manufacturers to design their interiors to look like appliances? I've never heard of it.
The rear and, especially taillights, we saw 20 years ago on the Subaru SVX. Are simple rectangular shapes all they could think of? Then, the gimmicky beltline trim underneath the windows is unecessary and looks heavy. Don't care for the grille either. It looks like a plastic shield off a Revell car model kit. Cheap.
Maybe I'd have a better opinion if we hadn't seen this car for the last five/six years. It looked interesting the first few years, but no big deal now after all this time (ditto showing the new Camaro four years prematurely).
Maybe I'd have a better opinion if we hadn't seen this car for the last five/six years. It looked interesting the first few years, but no big deal now after all this time (ditto showing the new Camaro four years prematurely).
Lead Lap
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All the more reason for alternative forms of energy. However, which is worse? Burning coal on a large scale or millions of individual oil burning generators all over the place? Time will tell.
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The ideal solution might be an alternative-fuel internal combustion engine in the hybrid, instead of a gas-engine, to recharge the batteries. There's no law that says that a hybrid-car has to use a gas or diesel engine for recharging. A number of alternate-fuels, such as ethanol, propane, natural-gas, etc.... can be used. The main problerm is, of course, the lack of a nationwide-refueling infrasturtcture for these fuels, although E85 is readily-available in the Midwest.
Driver
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From: Colorado
The ideal solution might be an alternative-fuel internal combustion engine in the hybrid, instead of a gas-engine, to recharge the batteries. There's no law that says that a hybrid-car has to use a gas or diesel engine for recharging. A number of alternate-fuels, such as ethanol, propane, natural-gas, etc.... can be used. The main problerm is, of course, the lack of a nationwide-refueling infrasturtcture for these fuels, although E85 is readily-available in the Midwest.
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Hydro-electric power-plants from waterfalls and dammed-up rivers are generally more reliable than direct solar power.
Let's not get too far off-topic, though (including myself). We want to concentrate on the Chevy Volt itself here, and not necessarily on future energy-sources for power-plants.
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mmarshall
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Nov 26, 2010 01:45 PM
