Consumer Reports has performed a full test of the Chevrolet Volt in their October 2011 issue. They provide some performance statistics that I thought might be interesting to anyone interested in the car.
On the average, they were able to drive about 35 miles on the car's 16 kWh battery pack before the IC motor kicked in. However, they say that the range on battery power would vary considerably, depending on the ambient temperature and driving style. Running on electricity alone, the Volt costs about 4 cents per mile. The Volt averaged 2.9 miles per kWh, or the equivalent of 99 mpg, using the Government's EV fuel mileage system. Each recharge consumed 12.7 kWh and took 9 hours to recharge using a 120 V wall socket or 4 hours using 240 volts. A 240-volt charger costs an additional $750, not including home installation. When using the IC motor, the Volt obtained an average of 29 mpg.
They note that the biggest range sapper is the Volt's heater. Using the Volt's cabin heater, seat heaters, lights, wipers and other accessories on cold-weather days would cut the range on electric power to around 20 to 25 miles. Driven slowly on back roads in warm weather, the range would be about 50 miles before the battery was exhausted.
Here are some performance figures: 0-60 mph took 9.4 seconds; 45 to 60 mph took 5.5 seconds; the quarter mile took 17.3 seconds (no terminal speed was mentioned); braking from 60 mph took 136 feet in dry conditions and 144 feet in the wet; maximum range is given as 350 miles on a full battery charge and a full fuel tank; the curb weight of the car is 3,750, with 61% of the weight on the front wheels.
