Chevrolet Volt stars at auto show

Written by Steven Macoy
Thursday, 09 December 2010 12:31

The undisputed star of the show at the Connecticut International Auto Show, Nov. 19-21 at the Convention Center in Hartford, was the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Mounted on a wide turntable that kept curious show-goers well beyond arm’s length, the graceful, silver-and-black sedan drew crowds who listened intently as two well-informed hostesses explained how this one-of-a-kind car works.

The Volt essentially splits the difference between conventional hybrids such as the Toyota Prius, which has a gasoline engine assisted by an electric motor and electric-only cars such as the Nissan Leaf. Show-goers dropped by the Nissan display in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Leaf, only to be disappointed there was none to be found. (We did score a slick brochure.)

An oddly worded message on Nissan’s Web site reports 20,000 people have reserved the Leaf, and no further reservations are being accepted at this time.

As for the Volt, the first units should hit the streets this month in a few target markets, and the car will show up at Connecticut dealerships by spring. Both Chevrolet and Nissan report unexpectedly strong demand for these models. Chevrolet expected to sell 10,000 Volts for 2011 but is ramping up production of the car, which costs $41,500 before the $7,500 federal tax credit.

The Volt essentially is a plug-in hybrid with a small gasoline engine, which kicks in to power a generator when battery power is exhausted. The engine reportedly will turn the drive wheels under certain circumstances, so the Volt is not precisely an all-electric car.

But this trade-off makes it more versatile than electric-only cars: It’s capable of running on stored power for short commutes and shopping trips, but also can go 340 miles before requiring gasoline or a battery recharge. By contrast, Nissan claims the Leaf can go at least 100 miles on one charge. “I never matched that with normal driving,” reported Ann M. Job of The Associated Press, who test-drove a Leaf recently.

In addition to the Volt, the auto show featured numerous conventional hybrids from Ford Motor Co., General Motors, Toyota and other automakers.

For historical perspective, the show featured a few early zero-emissions vehicles, including a boxy 1923 Detroit Electric with a plush, drawing-room-style cabin and elegant curved glass. The car, marketed to women who didn’t want to operate a hand crank, adjust the spark or shift gears, could go 80 miles on electricity stored in conventional lead-acid batteries. Its top speed was a leisurely 25 mph.

The Detroit Electric featured a stalk with a horn button on the end. Since conventional cars were quite noisy in those days, Detroit Electric drivers were fearful pedestrians wouldn’t hear them coming and sounded the horn when people on foot came into view.

Back at the Volt’s turntable, the hostesses didn’t know if today’s similarly silent electric cars will be “amplified” for pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

A few other highlights of the auto show:

— Saab is back. Mitchell Auto Group of Simsbury was on hand with a wagon and convertible. Most recently a General Motors product with a much older Swedish pedigree, Saabs are now being manufactured by the Danish firm Spyker, and have been available in Connecticut since August. Spyker recently lowered its projected sales from 60,000 units to 30,000 to 35,000, but expects a rebound next year, according to Reuters.

— We were particularly taken with the styling of the Acura ZDX, a sleek crossover, and the Cadillac CTS V-coupe.

— Admission to the auto show was $10, and parking cost $9, but for people seriously considering buying a new car, events such as this are major time-savers. We slid into the driver’s seat of a few cars that proved to be a perfect “fit” and a few others we simply couldn’t live with because of insufficient leg room or visibility problems. Better to rule out those cars all at once (and to rule in the perfect fits) than to burn fuel and hours visiting dealer after dealer.

— A few automakers were conspicuous by their absence, including some we’ve seen at past shows. Hopefully they’ll come storming back for 2011 as organizers dress up the show with such features as free test drives and a used-car sales event on Front Street near the Convention Center.

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.