Is This a Buick Volt?
Electric vehicles (EV) are the wave of the future – and Chevrolet already struck paydirt with their advanced Volt. Now Buick may want to get in on the action.
Recent reports suggest that while GM is not going ahead with their Volt convertible drop-top, they are looking towards a more luxurious Buick Volt-style electric car. Several immediate questions are raised – Will this be a rebranded Chevy? What features can be added to make it ‘luxury’? Will the already pricey Volt go up even more with a Buick logo on it?
Chevrolet Volt’s ‘Voltec’ technology, developed by General Motors, was designed to underpin more than one vehicle. One Voltec concept GM unveiled was the Cadillac Converj, which was given the green light then quickly canceled.
It makes sense that GM would look towards Buick, their once almost extinct brand that has been making a huge comeback, thanks to the likes of Buick Regal. GM already debuted its ‘eAssist’ mild hybrid tech on the Buick Regal and Lacrosse.
A Bloomberg report suggests this ‘Volt’ will be a re-badged Opel Ampera. That vehicle is already built alongside the Volt in Warren, Michigan. It would receive a Buick-styled front end and grille, and a slew of unconfirmed add-ons. But the Ampera costs around $60,000 USD in Europe. Being Green and Luxurious can get costly.
There’s also the question of power. Buick cars are known to have a little more speed and horsepower then their Chevy siblings. Will the same go for Buick’s EV? Maybe they’ll reach out for a greater driving-before-recharge range.
Via: Gas2
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