Driving the 2016 Chevy Volt, a car propelled by a rechargeable battery, I find myself playing a kind of game, gambling on how far I can get on a single charge. I coast down hills and ease out of stops, trying to coax a few extra miles out of the battery.
If you’ve driven a fully electric vehicle (EV) with no gas engine, you know that sense of liberation—no more gas pumps!—until you realize, Wait: no more gas pumps! Will I make it home? The Volt, introduced in 2010, and one of The Best Eco-Friendly Cars Of 2016, is a legit electric car, but it packs gas for backup.
As a result, the car—technically a plug-in hybrid—is the best EV for most buyers. The improved 2016 version has a smarter combination of electric and gasoline power, its gas engine is quieter, it’s quicker, thanks to higher-torque motors, and it’s overall more efficient. In electric mode, you get up to 106 MPGe (the electric equivalent of miles per gallon). When burning fuel, it’s 42 MPG.
The biggest news is the all-electric range of 53 miles—16 farther than before. Most Americans drive fewer than 40 miles a day, so you can do it all via battery with this car. By charging regularly, Volt drivers can get about 1,000 miles between gas refuels.
Is it totally green? No. Making lithium-ion batteries for these cars involves strip-mining. But the motors are designed to minimize the use of rare-earth materials, and when you pull a lever behind the steering wheel as you brake, increased resistance in the motor helps slow the car while pumping electricity back into the battery. The charging system can be set to draw electricity only when off-peak rates apply, saving you money. And the cleaner, more aerodynamic lines minimize wind noise, maximize efficiency, and earn style points.
The 2016 Volt starts at $34,000 before tax credits and rebates kick in. Just don’t lose track of the road while you’re trying for your all-time-high electric-only mileage score.