Second Generation Chevy Volt In Development
In the past couple weeks, the Chevrolet Volt integration prototypes (pictured above) have been going through extensive testing prior to the model’s full-scale production. The introduction of the Volt, and its Voltec propulsion system, seemed to many like a technical exercise that would lead to the propulsion technology being coopted into other models while the original Volt faded into the background. This is apparently not the case, however, as a General Motors spokesperson has confimed that the company is already deep into production on the next generation of the Volt.
This confirmation seems to indicate that the Volt may become to Chevy what the Prius is to Toyota. Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system gets its major refinements and press coverage in the form of the Prius, then the company integrates variations of the system into the rest of their models, like the Camry or the Lexus RXh. But the Prius sticks around. The Chevrolet Volt will probably be the same way. A dedicated electric vehicle like the Volt may end up being a small portion of the new GM’s overall sales, but the technology will probably find its way into a variety of GM cars.
What’s to come in the next generation of the Volt? Due to the early stages of the vehicle’s development, there aren’t too many details available, but it isn’t hard to figure out a main concern: batteries. In order to make electric vehicles widely palatable to U.S. drivers, automakers need to be able to offer extended range. People aren’t going to shell out an extra $15,000 premium for an electric car that can go for 40 miles on electricity before needing to be plugged in for a few hours. They would probably pay that for a car that goes 100+ miles, however. The key is to advance battery technology to the point where a battery pack can deliver that charge without being too large and heavy, and without being too expensive.
