Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf Electric Cars get Tested
Auto-test Positives and Negatives
Later this week, two new electric powered automobiles will be in Austin, Texas. The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf will face the experts of industry for inspection and the results will be revealing.
In the meantime, both vehicles have been subjected to tests by “Consumer Reports”, that are reported to show both positive and negative aspects.
One specific difference between the two vehicles is that the Chevy Volt has a “back-up” gasoline engine, while the Nissan Leaf is one hundred percent electric. This has created a major issue as to the distance an electric vehicle can travel on one electrical charge.
The testing process found that operation in cold weather conditions are a problem. The Chevy Volt experiences trouble when fully heating in low temperatures. It can travel any distance between 25 to 50 miles before the gasoline engine engages, which can provide about 300 miles of travel. However, you will pay a price for this facility.
The re-charging of the vehicles can be from your home, with the use of a 220-volt charger. The Chevy Volt will take about four to five hours to complete, with the Nissan Leaf taking about eight hours.
There is a difference of about $10,000 in the prices of the vehicles, with the Nissan Leaf at about $3500 and the Chevy Volt About $45,000. It does appear financially, that even with the benefit of Federal state tax credits, neither of the vehicles can be classified a money saver.
The consensus seems to be that although electric powered vehicles have improved dramatically, they still have t improve a great deal more, before they become the average motorist’s prime means of transport.
It will now be interesting to see what the results are in Austin this week.
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