GM has invited current Chevrolet Volt owners to an event in Hollywood where they were able to take a look at the 2016 model, scheduled to debut at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.
Guests weren’t allowed to take photos, but Chevrolet’s announcement featured a teaser pic that was sent to Jalopnik by one of the participants. As you can see, the second-generation Volt has a more dynamic front end, with an upper grille that houses the bow tie logo and a much bigger lower grille.
The redesigned headlights and new vertical LED DRLs are also significant changes compared to the current model, with the car also looking wider and lower. According to the owner who sent the photo, the new Volt looks “fantastic,” but we should take into account that this is the opinion of a current Volt owner, a car that is not exactly a standard of beauty.
GM didn’t tell Volt owners anything about the new model’s price and specs, but it released details on its press site about the 2016 Volt’s charging system. The automaker says it has made it easier for customers to recharge the battery and to check the charge status.
The new model features GPS location-based charging, which allows owners to set their charging preferences exclusively for their “home” charging location, with the vehicle automatically adjusting to that setting when it is at that location. The car will recognize when it arrives “home” based on GPS data.
This function will allow owners to pre-set their charging level (8 amps or 12 amps on 120V only) and whether they wish to charge immediately, set a departure time for each day of the week, or set a departure time and a utility rate schedule to charge only at off-peak rates.
Additionally, the new Volt features more intuitive charge status indicators. An updated charge status indicator light on the on the top of the instrument panel will show the approximate charge level through a series of flashes. In addition, an available illuminated charge port makes it easier to plug in after dark as well as indicate approximate charge level through a series of flashes.
Finally, GM will offer a new 120V portable cord set including a cord nearly 25 feet (7.6 meters) long, longer than the current 120V portable cord.
Update2: Chevy released some new photos – thanks to Edgar for the tip!
