Left your Chevrolet Volt on overnight? That's okay

2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ever wonder what the result would be if a Chevrolet Volt was left “running” for hours on end? Well, it just so happens that the folks over at the duPont Registry accidentally left their Volt “on” overnight. The result? A sudden blast of air from the vehicle’s climate control system when the passenger door was swung open.

Since the Volt is nearly silent when it’s running on battery power, it can be difficult to audibly detect that the vehicle is on. The folks over the duPont Registry guess that the Volt’s lights kicked on sometime after sunset and stayed lit for the night. Additionally, the plug-in’s climate control system blasted out air, keeping the unoccupied cabin quite cool until the door was opened by a duPont Registry staffer.

What effect did this have on the Volt’s battery? Well, when the duPont Registry team parked the Volt, eight miles of battery-only range and 250 miles of extended range remained. Upon returning nearly 24 hours later, the car’s battery was depleted, but 150 miles of extended range still remained, indicating that the Volt’s gasoline engine must have cycled on and off throughout the night.

Here’s something else to ponder: Florida statute 316.1975 reads:

A person driving or in charge of any motor vehicle may not permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, and removing the key.

But, as the folks over at duPont point out:

The [Volt’s] engine was not on (when we left it) and there was no ignition to lock or key to remove.

So, did they actually violate Florida’s law?

[Source: duPont Registry]

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