Automotive | Cars | Chevrolet | Reviews
Prepare to be electrified by the 2015 Chevrolet Volt #ChevyAmbsdr #NextGenVolt
When I think of eco-friendly vehicles, one of the first things to come to mind is fuel efficiency. The price of gas is ever increasing and if you’re like me and wince as you drive up to the gas station, afraid of what new price hike has hit the pumps, you will definitely want to keep reading. I was thrilled to recently review the 2015 Chevrolet Volt. My husband has been OGGLING this car for the past couple of years. Any time we pass one, he absolutely must slow down, check it out and tell me how cool it would be to drive an electric car. I couldn’t agree more. A significant portion of Chevrolet Volts sold in Canada are sold in Quebec so we see quite a few of them on the road. After having driven one around, it’s easy to see why.
My first impression when I sat inside the 2015 Chevrolet Volt was that it was breath taking. It was SO gorgeous! In fact to be perfectly honest, I pulled into a parking lot and made an impromptu video that I shared on my Facebook page and Instagram just to tell you how GORGEOUS the car is!
The beautiful leather bucket seats cradle your passengers like a bassinet and split-fold into a perfect 40/40. My kids loved the center console between the two rear seats. They kept telling me how grown up it was to have a console in the center just like we do. It comes equipped with a 12-volt power outlet perfect for your friends (or kids) to charge up their electronics while cruising in your hot ride.
I love that I can turn the electric component of the vehicle off if I’m driving long distance. Once I’m within proximity of my destination I can simply turn it back on. How awesome is that?
This Volt is whisper quiet when you start up. You do not hear….a…sound.
As with many other 2015 Chevrolet vehicles, the Chevrolet Volt is equipped with OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot capability. For my kids: this translates to being able to watch Netflix ON the road. Game=changed.
I loved the enticing curves of the black leather interior accentuated by the smooth, crisp white center console with a gorgeous royal blue push button start. The digital display is both informative and well placed. I can see how much of the battery is charged, how much distance until the fuel tank will become engaged and other useful facts on the vehicle. It is easy to navigate and even easier on the eyes.
I was honoured to be at the reveal of the 2016 NextGenVolt in Detroit this past January. I got to see the gorgeous stud muffin of a car in person and hear about the new addition of a third rear seat and an extended travel distance between charges. The new Volt will be able to travel 420 miles / 676 km (estimate including EV on fully charged battery and full tank of fuel).
Taking Eco-Friendly to the next level
One of my favourite parts of the Detroit press trip with Chevrolet was getting to visit the lab where the Volt batteries are built and tested. It was a top secret mission, our phone cameras were covered with tape and our laptops and cameras were taken away from us. It was such an incredible facility!
It was amazing to learn how the Volt batteries are tested in climate controlled chambers for virtually every climate on earth. After our tour we got to speak with some incredible leading edge scientists and engineers responsible for many of the ecological initiatives General Motors is involved with.
Given that the composite for the battery cases is made to withstand very high temperatures, it means it is difficult to recycle, therefore old Volt battery cases are re-purposed to build beautiful habitat boxes for ducks simply by adding scrap wood, some screws and hinges. Hundreds of these cases have been built and distributed across GM facilities in the US and overseas. The idea was the brainchild of John Bradburn, GM’s global waste-reduction manager.
The scaly-sided merganser, is a species of duck that lives along the border area between China and Russia, they have taken very well to these duck boxes. As with most birds, they search for a safe place to lay their eggs in the spring. There are only about 2,500 known to exist in the wild, so providing a secure home for these ducks is critical for their survival.
The manner in which these bird houses are designed allows a local NGO to monitor the houses without needing to approach them too closely which would not only scare the birds but could also leave a scent behind for their natural predators.
General Motors announced last December that eleven more of their facilities have achieved landfill-free status. That makes for a total of 122 manufacturing and non-manufacturing operations spanning Asia, Europe, and South and North America that recycle, reuse or convert to energy all waste from daily operations.
The 2015 Chevrolet Volt has bridged the gap between beautiful design, technological advancements, ecological sustainability and affordability. That combined with the major strides with respect to sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint are deserving of the CanadianMomEh two thumbs up.
The only thing I disliked about the 2015 Chevrolet Volt was having to return it once I was done my review.
This looks like a great car. I will keep this mind when we go car shopping.
Wow, I’d never tried a car like this before. I’d definitely be open to buying an electric car like this.
Chevy are awesome cars. We have a Chevy Tracker right now. I would love an electric car like this.
Chevrolet are good brand, I haven’t heared any bad word about them. We will see how will prove electric.
Wow it looks like a really nice car! Chevy have some great cars, and are a really great trusted name!
What an interesting tour. I like the bird house process and the process of keeping the birds safe.
I would love an electric car…Tired of paying for gas!
That car is awesome! My friend has a Volt and loves it!
I think this car is awesome. I test drove one in January and loved it.
This car sounds amazing, I used to drive a chevy a while back; really liked how their cars were made!
The Chevy Bolt is a really sleek car. I love how compact it is and yet so elegant.
I would love an energy efficient car, not just because of the cost, but because you so rarely have to go to the gas station. I hate that. I’ll check this out in our search.
I love the style and functions of the volts. We just bought a Lincon connentional so we are not shopping for a car but attending a event like this one is cool.
Sounds like a great car. Looks very gorgeous and spacious as well. Chevrolet is really a trusted name for a branded car. Its great that it is an eco friendly car as well. Will have to share this post with my husband. Thanks for sharing.
I need to get a new car – this looks amazing. I would love to drive this car
That’s awesome about the landfill-free status. I bet it’s not easy either, making it more admirable that the effort is being made. I’d like to test drive one of these cars.
Wow, that looks like such an amazing vehicle!
Game changer is right. They are really doing some great innovative things at Chevy. I am curious about these cars and would definitely take one for a spin. Is it easy to adjust to charging the car?
It was for us because we were able to park it in our garage and plug it in. I would say it depends where you live. If you live in an apartment with outdoor parking, it may be an issue although there are more and more charging stations popping up everywhere. It’s relatively easy to find them online. The Volt converts to gas powered if you run out of charge. That is a huge advantage.