Ah, the Chevy Volt. Will it ever make it to market and/or will it save GM? That’s a another post entirely. Anyway, GM-Volt.com founder got behind the wheel of a Chevy Volt prototype and seemed impressed. This mule drive was a battery-only demo and didn’t show off the engine generator switchover, which is what many of us onlookers are curious about. That point and how a $40,000 vehicle will save the nation’s largest automaker during a recession and a period of relatively inexpensive gasoline? Video after the jump.
Everything I’ve read about this car tells me the gasoline motor does not drive the wheels, but rather acts as a generator to recharge the batteries once they are drained to a certain level. Therefore, there should be no “switchover” effect as on standard hybrid cars. The volt propels the wheels using only electrical motors.