Automotive News, Car News

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt continues to be tested rigorously as it prepares for the launch in the US late this year.

Engineers stated that they have clocked 250,000 miles collectively on test Volts since November, and have driven the extended range electric vehicle in extreme cold weather conditions. Some individual test cars have more than 20,000 miles on the clock. The Volt, the most anticipated General Motors vehicle in years, remains on track for its rollout in some parts of the nation, officials said.

The sister car of the Volt, the Opel Ampera, is set for launch in Europe in 2011.

“We’re well on our way to hitting all of our numbers, which we’ve promised,” Andrew Farah, the Volt’s chief engineer said Monday.

That includes mileage and standards, officials said. The Volt should reach its claimed 40-mile range on electricity, and achieve about 50 mpg after the charge is exhausted and a generator kicks in.

GM has also said the Volt responded well in harsh conditions in a variety of environments, including the bitter cold of Ontario, Canada, traction and braking drills in Michigan, and altitude and mountain grades in Colorado.

Next stage of testing is hot weather testing in California, GM said. Additionally, 300 Volts will be on the roads and driven by company employees as GM tries to iron out the final chinks of daily commute.

The company has also simulated the equivalent of 850,000 miles on the battery packs in a variety of circumstances, and said they have held up well.

GM also said Monday it is spending $8 million to double the size of its battery lab in suburban Detroit, which will speed up the development of vehicles like the Volt.

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