The American auto industry continues to limp along. Production was down in February with less consumer demand for big ticket items. One way to combat that is with new, efficient, high tech vehicles.
One of those was in Austin Monday. The Chevrolet Volt is General Motors answer to rising fuel costs and America's thirst for a more efficient ride. 400 pounds of lithium ion batteries will keep the Volt rolling along quietly for 40 miles. But the Volt isn't just a city car. It has the advantage of an engine too.
"The engine is only there for when the battery is depleted and you need more electricity. The total range if you have a full tank of gas and a full battery is over 300 miles," says GM Development Engineer Trent Warnke.
The Volts electric motor delivers full torque immediately giving the four seater a 0 to 60 time of about 9 seconds. It's the equivalent of a 250hp V6 engine.
Something else unique about the Volt is the smart phone app that helps monitor the battery charging process and will even let you heat or cool the car while it's plugged in at home.
"Let's say and the sun is beating down on it, you get on your smart phone and tell it to precondition your cabin to the temperature you want. It will actually take the power from the grid, turn on your cars air conditioning, cool the cabin so when you go out and unplug you still have a full battery and your cabin is already cool," says Warnke.
