New Chevrolet Volt App Tracks Charging Costs

OnStar is testing an app for the Chevrolet Volt that tells owners how much it costs to charge the vehicle's battery.


The EcoHub app will be tested and available first to residents of the Pecan Street demonstration project, a smart grid living community in Austin, Texas, General Motors said on Friday. The company said it plans to make the app available to all Volt owners in the "near future."

The new app works by pulling overall home energy usage data provided by a utility or smart meter company. The app also collects Volt charging information from OnStar subscribers and Volt owners who opt in for EcoHub.

"Based on electricity rates, the data is broken down to show the cost of both total energy usage and Volt charging energy use," said GM.

The EcoHub app will include a "Ticker" screen that shows drivers the national values for Total Miles Driven, Total EV Miles Driven and Gallons of Fuel Saved.

The Ticker screen lets drivers "see they are part of a national effort to reduce fuel use by contributing to the growing number of electric miles driven," said GM.