Review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt

Gary Gastelu reviews the new Chevrolet Volt for Fox News.  Short form: It's a good car that performs well.  If you drive it correctly, you will save considerably on operation costs vs. the Toyota Prius, although it does cost quite a bit more to purchase.

Something to note is that the way the drivetrain works is not actually what I originally heard.  My original understanding was that the internal combustion engine was not mechanically coupled to the wheels in any way.  It only served to run a generator which fed electricity into the electric drive system when the batteries drained to a certain point.  However, according to the review, the IC engine actually does have a mechanical coupling to the wheels which engages under certain circumstances.

In brief, the Volt’s powertrain has three main components: a main electric motor, a smaller electric motor/generator, and the engine. All of which are connected by a series of clutches and a planetary gearbox that takes the place of a traditional transmission. But, unlike grief, there are four stages that the Volt goes through while you’re driving it.

Start off with a full charge and the motor moves the Volt, getting an assist from the otherwise idle motor/generator from time to time under certain conditions. Deplete your battery, and the gasoline engine kicks in, coupling to the motor/generator to create electricity and, under similar certain conditions, send some mechanical torque through the gearbox to help propel the car.