December 14, 2010

Chevy Volts to hit the road as GM meets year-end deadline

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Amidst frigid weather conditions, 350 ice-covered Chevrolet Volts hit the roads aboard transport trucks headed from General Motors's Detroit assembly plant to car dealerships in California, New York, Texas and Washington, D.C. As such, GM just makes its self-imposed deadline of shipping the car, which features both a battery-powered electric drive unit and gas-powered engine, by the end of the year.

To further prime the public for the Volt's arrival (after nearly four years of hype and speculation), Chevy is auctioning off a Volt online. Despite the Volt's $41,000 sticker price, bidding has reached $185,000 with a few hours left—the auction closes at 6 p.m. ET. The auction's proceeds will be donated to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation (DPSF), which supports science, technology, engineering and mathematics initiatives in the city's public schools.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Chevy claims the front-wheel-drive, four-passenger Volt can travel up to about 56 kilometers powered solely by its electric engine before the vehicle's gas-powered internal combustion engine kicks in to recharge the electric engine's lithium-ion battery. The Volt is designed to travel an estimated 610 kilometers with a fully charged battery and full tank of gas.

Photos by Jeffrey Sauger for Chevrolet

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American