What's New with the 2019 Volt?

Here are several things that are new with the 2019 Chevy Volt.

7.2kW Charger Onboard

I’ve had 3 Chevy Volts so far, and even though the slower 3.6kW onboard charger seemed to be an unnecessary limitation. I think that Chevy was concerned initially that owner’s home electrical systems would potentially not be able to keep up with faster charging capabilities. But faster charging offered on rivals like Nissan’s Leaf (optional 6.6kW), BMW i3 (7.7 kW) and Tesla (11.5-17.2) Showed them the importance of faster Level 2 charging. This will pay off for the new Volt in cutting the charging time nearly in half, down to 2 hours and 20 minutes. For the public charging stations that charge by the hour it could be a real savings. It is unfortunate that they didn’t offer the DC Fast charging option that they have on the Chevy Bolt (50kW/U.S.) But it is still a good upgrade.

The 2019 Chevrolet Volt Has a Stronger Regen

This is something good that Chevy did bring over from the Bolt. When you put the shift selector into L (low) it does initiate more aggressive deceleration, slowing down more quickly when you let off of the accelerator pedal, or press the Regen on Demand steering wheel paddles. In my log daily commute I have gotten used to doing “one pedal” driving where you simply press the accelerator to go and let off to slow down.

But I always thought that there should be a more aggressive regen braking if you let off really fast. And this two-step method (put in Low, pull the paddles) looks like a good solution. I always thought that it was funny when I saw the recent Nissan Leaf’s advertising for their “new” E-Pedal driving, when the Volt has had that capability for 8 years now.

Cold Weather Gas Engine Lockout

The reality of electric powered space heaters is that they are all inefficient, and suck power up quickly. By default the Volt would automatically turn on the gas engine to assist in heating the car when the outside temps dropped below 32 degrees. Now you can maximize your electrical range by overriding the gas engine assist down to -17 degrees F (Brrrr). Personally, I would just manually turn the gas engine on (Hold Mode) for the first 20 minutes of my commute to heat up the gas engine, and take the chill out of the car on cold days.

New Infotainment Energy App

To go along with the charging, regen, and cold gas engine lockout, Chevy updated their 8.0 in. touchscreen infotainment system with a new energy app that shows how different driving factors impact range better than before.

Other New Additions To The 2019 Chevy Volt

The Premier Volt models now include a power driver seat. There are changes in the pedestrian alert system. You can switch between standard and adaptive modes for cruise control (when so equipped) and the car will bleep it’s horn when the tire pressure hits the proper level, when refilling them.

Not earth shattering changes for the 2019 Volt, but welcome ones for sure.

Also See: GM Should Advertise Chevy Volt: Here's My Sample.