Comparing the Toyota Prius and the Chevy Volt
Here is a quick comparison of the Toyota Prius and the Chevy Volt for those interested in the differences between the two hybrid cars. The Chevy Volt runs on electricity over the first 40 miles. Then the gasoline engine kicks in and recharges the battery as it runs. The wheels are always driven by the electric system however. The Toyota Prius is a gas-electric hybrid that uses both sources of energy. It primarily uses the gas engine and the electric motor is supplementary.
The Chevy Volt has a little more kick to it gaining 60 mph in 8 seconds while the Prius takes 10 seconds to achieve the same speed. The Prius is estimated to get about 51 miles per gallon of gasoline. The Chevy Volt is harder to estimate as one has to assume nightly battery charges. If the battery is kept charged then it is estimated the Volt can get over 200mpg for the average city driver. Once off energy the Volt is estimated to average 50mpg. The Chevy Volt needs a nightly charge of around 6 hours to be fully charged while the Prius needs no plugin as the motor recharges the batteries on its own.
Pricing. The Toyota Prius begins around $23,000 while the Chevy Volt is over $30,000. Both have tax incentives as well. Either way both the Chevy Volt or the Toyota Prius are wonderful alternatives to traditional gas engine autos.
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