For 2012, the Chevrolet Volt gets a slightly lower price tag, but its formerly standard navigation system and Bose audio system are now on the options list. The Volt is essentially a plug-in hybrid, meaning it has the ability to run much faster and farther under just electric power than a normal hybrid.
Once you run out of battery juice, the gasoline-powered inline-4 engine kicks in, producing electricity for the motor and actually powering the wheels in some circumstances, stretching the Volt's range as much as an additional 300 miles. In an Edmunds test of a Volt with the battery pack depleted, the car averaged 31.4 mpg in mixed driving. Even with a $7,500 federal tax credit, a base Volt will still cost about $32,500 -- and that's without the home charging station, which is essentially mandatory for a plug-in hybrid like the Volt.
Overall, we think the 2012 Chevrolet Volt represents an agreeable middle ground between a pure electric vehicle (which is usually limited to about 75 miles before needing a time-consuming recharge) and a standard hybrid (which doesn't offer the all-electric range and speed of the Volt).
The 2012 Chevrolet Volt is a midsize four-door hatchback sedan with seating for four.
The front-wheel-drive 2012 Chevrolet Volt is primarily powered by an electric motor rated at 149 horsepower (111 kilowatts) and 273 pound-feet of torque. This motor draws power from a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack until the battery charge is 70 percent depleted. At that point, the Volt's 1.4-liter four-cylinder internal combustion engine, which requires premium fuel, comes to life as a replacement power source for the electric motor. In Edmunds testing, we found the Volt had an electricity range of about 25-50 miles. When the battery is depleted, our testing showed the Volt gets an average of about 33 mpg. In Edmunds performance testing, the Volt went from zero to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds in electric mode and 9 seconds flat with the engine generator.
Safety
Safety features on the 2012 Chevrolet Volt include antilock brakes, stability control, front side airbags, front knee airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. In Edmunds brake testing, the Volt came to a stop in a respectable 124 feet.
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