X

2011 Chevrolet Volt (photos)

The power train in the Chevy Volt--one of the most innovative cars on the market--drives the front wheels with an electric motor, which gets electricity from both a battery pack and a gasoline generator. The cabin tech is the best Chevrolet currently has on offer.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
34168732_OVR.JPG
1 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Chevy's Volt is a bold move for the automaker, an experiment with a completely new type of automotive power train. Technically a hybrid, the Volt uses an electric motor to drive the front wheels, which gets electricity from both a battery pack and a gas engine.

Back to the review..

34168732_FT.JPG
2 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The Volt's styling looks benign, a simple sedan-like front-end and an inconspicuous roofline. The grille has minimal venting, as it is designed more for aerodynamics than cooling the radiator. As the small engine doesn't have to rev high, its cooling needs are minimal.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS03.JPG
3 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
A plug-in port sits up on the driver side of the car and uses a standard J1772 plug. It can be plugged into a 110- or 220-volt home outlet, or a quick charger. The lithium ion battery pack can run the car for 35 miles on a full charge.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS01.JPG
4 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
A conventional 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine sits buried among power modules underneath the hood. As it runs at steady speeds, its maintenance needs should be minimal.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS02.JPG
5 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The Voltec power control module is a computer that notes when the battery is exhausted, and decides when the engine needs to turn on. It also governs regeneration and other electricity flow within the car.

Back to the review..

34168732_SD.JPG
6 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
With the Volt's cabin size, it could easily be a five seater, except the battery pack runs down the center of the car, splitting the rear seats. As such, it can only carry four people.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS04.JPG
7 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The 16 kWh battery pack adds a lot of weight to the Volt, but Chevy engineered it to sit low in the chassis, contributing to stability.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS09.JPG
8 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The cargo area is very roomy, especially with the rear seats folded down.

Back to the review..

34168732_INT.JPG
9 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Chevy shows it can do good coachwork with the Volt's cabin. Fine materials with a pleasing layout give the Volt a quality feel that had been lacking in older Chevy cars.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS10.JPG
10 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
As a nice touch, Chevy creates some Volt-specific design elements around the car, such as these door panels.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS11.JPG
11 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The Volt necessarily uses an electric-power-steering unit, but the whole rig is well-tuned for road feel.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS12.JPG
12 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The center console changes little from the concepts shown at auto shows, using touch buttons and a high-resolution LCD. It really sets the look of the Volt apart from other cars.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS13.JPG
13 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Although the Volt has a large shift lever, it is merely an electronic control, running the car through Drive, Low, Reverse, Neutral, and Park, familiar settings for most drivers.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS19.JPG
14 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The navigation system uses high-quality maps and integrates traffic information, which helps to avoid jams.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS21.JPG
15 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The LCD is a touch screen, useful for input with the onscreen keyboard.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS23.JPG
16 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Weather information is another data feed into the car.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS24.JPG
17 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The climate control screen has an Eco mode button to help save electricity, and therefore, range. But the Fan Only button goes a longer way to preserving range.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS26.JPG
18 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The satellite radio interface is excellent, showing channel names as well as the current song playing for each.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS27.JPG
19 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
For music on a connected iPod or the car's hard drive, this library screen categorizes it all by artist, album, and genre.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS28.JPG
20 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
A Bose audio system built especially for the car has low-energy usage, but still gets six speakers and a subwoofer.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS29.JPG
21 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The Volt's phone system is full-featured, even making a paired phone's contact list available on the car's LCD.

Back to the review..

34168732_SS30.JPG
22 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The backup camera not only has trajectory lines, but also detects obstacles, flashing a warning icon over them. The reverse light is also useful for illumination, unlike in most cars.

Back to the review..

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos