One six hour charge will give you 80 kilometres of emission free (apart from that used to generate the electricity initially) travel, enough for most city bound commuters each day. If needed however the new Holden Volt can extend its range by using petroleum in the normal manner, or assisted by recharging the 16.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
The Volt is due for release this coming November, and is indicative of the kind of changes required in the Australian automotive manufacturing industry. The good news seems that beyond all the cool green technology, the Volt has been designed for Australian conditions (that is, long distance driving) and is proving to be packed with many other innovative safety features.
“As more electric vehicles enter the market, no doubt consumers are interested to learn of any additional safety concerns regarding these vehicles when involved in a crash,” said ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) Chairman, Mr Lauchlan McIntosh.
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Mr McIntosh also remarked, “In addition to the Volt being one of the safest choices for consumers, it also has an innovative range-extending petrol generator making it an attractive green vehicle for non-urban areas.”
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