Australian of the Year tests Holden Volt
Environmental campaigner Tim Flannery samples the Chevrolet prototype and gives it the thumbs upProfessor Tim Flannery, known worldwide for his discoveries of dinosaur fossils, has driven the car of the future.
The 2007 Australian of the Year drove a prototype version of the Chevrolet Volt electric car, which will be sold here from 2012 as a Holden, during a recent meeting of the Copenhagen Climate Council in early May.
Flannery, who is the chairman of the council, said he was "blown away" by the performance of the Volt, which is not due on sale in North America until next year.
"Anyone who thinks electric cars are sluggish is kidding themselves," Flannery told the Carsales Network at the launch of the new Toyota Prius in Sydney this week. "It felt like a sports car. In fact, the Prius felt sluggish by comparison."
Flannery bought a Toyota Prius three years ago but has since become an ambassador for the vehicle. He is due to take delivery of his third generation model in the coming weeks, in return for some public speaking engagements.
"If I was a young bloke, [the Volt] is the type of electric car I'd like to have. It really surprised me how quick it was."
Flannery said although the Volt was by no means as quick as a motorcycle, the thrill reminded him of a 1971 Moto Guzzi 750 sports bike he used to own.
Flannery did have some criticisms of the Volt. He said the interior felt cramped compared to the Prius.
Flannery, who is a Professor of Environmental and Life Sciences in Sydney's Macquarie University, is possibly the first Australian outside of General Motors to have driven the Volt.
GM, the subject of the documentary film, 'Who Killed The Electric Car', is reviving the electric car.
Unlike the Prius which runs primarily on a petrol engine but whose power and drive is supplemented by an electric motor, the Volt's driving wheels are powered by an electric motor, and a petrol generator recharges the onboard battery pack to increase driving range.
The Volt promises to have a petrol-free driving range of 64km. For now, the new Prius can travel a maximum of 2km on battery power alone, although the Japanese maker is working on a plug-in version that increases the petrol-free driving range to 20km.
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