In a move clearly designed to allay customer fears about battery life - and more crucially replacement cost - the battery's thermal management system, charging system and electric drive mechanism are all going to be similarly covered too. Importantly, the eight year period should also help the Volt’s prospects as a used car, as the warranty will be transferable to subsequent owners.
North American Volt sales are due to start in October or November this year. A European launch will follow during 2011, and it’s expected that the Volt will get an eight year warranty here as well. It will be interesting to see whether the closely related Vauxhall / Opel Ampera, which uses the same technology, also enjoys the same level of cover.
It’s beginning to look like the Volt (and Ampera) is going to have some real-world advantages over other electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Renault Fluence Z.E.
As well as the long warranty period, the Volt is the only one that also has a petrol engine. This acts solely as an on-board generator to power the electric motor when the batteries are low, giving it an overall range of around 340 miles (550 km).
By comparison the Nissan and Renault will manage 100 miles (160 km) before a recharge is needed, while the Mitsubishi runs out of juice after just 80 miles (130 km). What’s more, there’s no danger of getting stranded in a Volt with a flat battery.
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