Gen 1 GM Volt Plug-In Hybrid (2011-2015)

[TomT]

If it is the engine that was originally discussed, it is a much more modern turbo charged engine that supposedly not only makes considerably more power than the old four but is much more efficient as well...

Depends whether it's a 'real' mpg improvement, or just an EPA improvement. In the real world, very small engines often get worse mileage than larger ones, because the small engines have to be thrashed in anything other than ideal conditions while the larger ones don't break a sweat. I think CR or maybe it was GCR had an article on this, which was in line with my own and others' experience.

 

[GRA]

Depends whether it's a 'real' mpg improvement, or just an EPA improvement. In the real world, very small engines often get worse mileage than larger ones, because the small engines have to be thrashed in anything other than ideal conditions while the larger ones don't break a sweat. I think CR or maybe it was GCR had an article on this, which was in line with my own and others' experience.

If it is the engine that was originally discussed, it is a much more modern turbo charged engine that supposedly not only makes considerably more power than the old four but is much more efficient as well...

Rumors from last year indicated it would be a 2.0L turbo, but current rumors are leaning towards a smaller engine. Last year's rumor (and update):

http://insideevs.com/insider-1-4l-engine-discontinued-in-chevrolet-volt-for-next-year/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Found the article re small turbo engines, it was in CR:

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2013/02/consumer-reports-finds-small-turbo-engines-dont-deliver-on-fuel-economy-claims.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

FWIW, although the two cars were 15 years apart and differed in just about every way, my '88 Subaru GL turbo 4WD wagon had a 1.8L turbo 4 rated at 115 hp and 21/25 mpg, while my '03 Forester, bigger, higher, heavier but probably better Cd has a 2.5L, 165 hp normally aspirated four but is rated 21/27 mpg, possibly under a more restrictive rating system. I can go significantly further on the highway on a tank in the latter, even beyond the one extra gallon of tank capacity.

 

[cwerdna]

Sigh... Nightly Business Report just reported on the $4K incentive but made some factual errors and misleading statements. They said it doesn't require any gasoline and called it "all electric". :roll: They also referred "lowering the price" rather than an incentive.

One can see the coverage at the 13:10 mark of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2CuGcnLIkY&feature=youtu.be&t=13m10s" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

 

[rv6abob]

Also thinking about becoming a Leaf+Volt family. Local dealer is advertising $6000+ discounts on their inventory of Volts. Before we got the Leaf I didn't think a 35 mile range would be that practical for us. Now we know it would work fine.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Also thinking about becoming a Leaf+Volt family. Local dealer is advertising $6000+ discounts on their inventory of Volts. Before we got the Leaf I didn't think a 35 mile range would be that practical for us. Now we know it would work fine.

The two cars make a great combo, especially if you can get good lease deals.
miles < 35 take either car
35 < miles < 50 take leaf
miles > 50 take volt

 

[MrIanB]

Also thinking about becoming a Leaf+Volt family. Local dealer is advertising $6000+ discounts on their inventory of Volts. Before we got the Leaf I didn't think a 35 mile range would be that practical for us. Now we know it would work fine.

RV6ABOB;

I have both cars and they work flawless as a combo. The Leaf and Volt for in town errands and the Volt for long trips. No range anxiety and great highway mpg with the Volt.

Ian B

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

An EV purist would tell you that a Model S is the preferred companion for the leaf, but a) you aren't getting one of those on a $250 a month lease and b) good luck finding superchargers when and where you need them any time soon. The Volt really is the pragmatic solution for today's realities.

 

[IBELEAF]

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11947283/1/the-dramatically-improved-chevrolet-volt-20.html

Big things in store for the Volt.

Looks like just some minor updates. Perhaps they would make it bigger that's what I would call a "big thing".

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Seems like the Volt only uses about 10kwh of its 16kwh battery capacity, don't know if going to 20kwh raises the usable to 14kwh (40% increase) or just 25% increase. Getting to prius-like consumption on gas is a plus.

 

[edatoakrun]

If the report below is correct, I think you have to consider the possibility that GM will decide to dump the Cruze platform for future PHEV offerings.

Meaning, essentially, that there will be no Gen 2 Volt (or Voltec MPV5/CrossVolt SUV) as currently conceived.

By 2016, the number of public DC charge stations, the number of DC-capable BEV offerings on the market, as well as BMW's I-3 (and hopefully other) BEVxs utilizing dedicated charging/range-extending designs, may make the entire concept of converting an ICEV platform and drivetrain into a large-kWh-battery-capacity PHEV seem an overly expensive and inefficient endeavor.

Did The Next Generation Of The Chevrolet Volt Just Get Pushed Back A Year? Looks Like It

It Now Appears We Will Be Seeing Another Model Year Added To The Volt’s First Generation Offering

Sometimes, what is good for the Chevrolet Cruze is not good for the Chevrolet Volt.

About three months ago, we heard (via a Canadian Union that represents an auto parts maker) that the all-new Chevy Cruze would not be released in 2014 as a 2015 model as originally scheduled.

Now comes word through Reuters that future Cruze production will not start until December 2015 – that is about a 15-month delay. Given the Volt and Cruze are inseparably linked, that is probably not a good thing for those of us patiently waiting to see what GM has it store for its ground-breaking extended range car.

So, why the delay for the Cruze?

It is a fairly simple answer – Chevy doesn’t want to mess with what is working, or rather – selling…and the Cruze if definitely selling.


...A Volt Delay Would Also Likely Mean A Delay To The Voltec SUV, Which Was Reported By Morgan Stanly To Be Arriving in 2015

Unfortunately, as both the next generation Chevrolet Volt, and long planned Voltec MPV5/CrossVolt SUV (which the Du22 would have enabled) will make the jump to this platform, this delay also likely means the anticipated release date of fall of 2015 for the 2016 (model year) Gen 2 Volt will have likely slipped to at least the fall of 2016 as a 2017 model.

When asked about the reported timeline changes, GM spokesperson Annalisa Bluhm declined to comment on any future product plans.

In the end, GM could decide to still continue the development of the Volt on the new platform in their Hamtramck facility (where the Volt is made today) exclusive of the Cruze, but that seems highly unlikely. What is more likely is that we are seeing the case of the success of one car in a auto-maker’s lineup hurting another.

http://insideevs.com/did-the-next-generation-of-the-chevrolet-volt-just-get-pushed-back-a-year-looks-like-it/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[MTNRanger]

Nice overreaction. The Cruze is postponed for one year. That doesn't mean other members of the platform will be necessarily delayed. The D2XX/D2UX platform will be used by 12 GM models including next Volt, ELR, Cruze, Verano, Equinox, Terrain, and others. The Volt is one of the top selling plug-in vehicles; nothing is getting cancelled.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Will the Detroit bankruptcy have any impact on GM or the Volt?

 

[DaveEV]

2014 Chevrolet Volt Price Cut By $5,000, To $34,995

Chevrolet has "made great strides in reducing costs as we gain experience with electric vehicles and their components,” said Don Johnson, Chevy's vice president for U.S. sales and service.

“The 2014 Volt will offer the same impressive list of features, but for $5,000 less" than its predecessor. And the lower price "broaden its exposure to price-sensitive prospective buyers," Chevy notes.

Lower price aside, the 2014 Chevy Volt is largely unchanged from the outgoing 2013 model, which gained a marginally larger lithium-ion battery pack and a few trim updates and color changes.

Note that the '13 Volt currently has $5k in GM cash in incentives and many people are able to negotiate up to an additional $4k off MSRP when buying Volts, so the cut in MSRP really just puts the Volt in-line with the incentives GM has been pushing to move the Volt.

Cutting the MSRP really should open up the market to more buyers, though. I'm sure a lot of people are scared off by the "$40k" entry point.

 

[scottf200]

Will the Detroit bankruptcy have any impact on GM or the Volt?

Detroit: Myths and truths about bankruptcy
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/28/detroit-myths-and-truths-about-bankruptcy/2593001/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The fact is that the auto industry — now posting strong domestic profits as demand rises — has not been connected financially to the city proper and its operations for decades.

 

[GRA]

Note that the '13 Volt currently has $5k in GM cash in incentives and many people are able to negotiate up to an additional $4k off MSRP when buying Volts, so the cut in MSRP really just puts the Volt in-line with the incentives GM has been pushing to move the Volt.

Cutting the MSRP really should open up the market to more buyers, though. I'm sure a lot of people are scared off by the "$40k" entry point.

+1. Now let's see if the other shoe drops, and Toyota cuts the price of the PiP. At the current price it's getting really hard to justify unless you need that fifth seat, or you exceed the Volt's AER by a significant amount regularly.

 

[edatoakrun]

Watch the video at the link below.

IMO, the ~50-60 mile Volt EV range predicted by the ~2017-8 MY, reflects the inherent BEV range limitations for any PHEV based on an ICEV drivetrain.

And the fact GM flacks are still using the term "range anxiety", even after the Spark EV rollout, is an indicator of GM's lack of commitment to BEVs.

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson was recently interviewed by Bloomberg News on the topic of today’s Chevrolet Volt and on what the future may hold for the Volt.

The discussion ranged from the recent $5,000 Volt price cut to eking out more electric-only range on the next-generation Volt.

The brief interview tells most of the story, though it’s worth pointing out a few highlights:

The $5,000 price cut on the 2014 Chevy Volt was made possible by declining production costs, mostly attributed to decreasing battery costs.

The 2014 Volt won’t see an increase in its electric-only range.

A 20% range increase is expected in 4 years or less, most likely in 3 years’ time.

As GM-Volt points out, Akerson stated this:

“The next generation, we hope to extend that [all-electric range] significantly.”

“For something to be significant to me, I’ve got to get at least a 20-percent improvement in performance. So, if we can get it up to 50-60 miles – or more – we will, but that’s going to be another 3-4 years out. So we’ll watch evolutions.”...

http://insideevs.com/video-gm-ceo-akerson-says-next-gen-chevy-volt-needs-50-to-60-miles-of-electric-range/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Weatherman]

IMO, the ~50-60 mile Volt EV range predicted by the ~2017-8 MY, reflects the inherent BEV range limitations for any PHEV based on an ICEV drivetrain.

And the fact GM flacks are still using the term "range anxiety", even after the Spark EV rollout, is an indicator of GM's lack of commitment to BEVs.

Or, maybe, GM is just being pragmatic in their approach and saying a vast majority of people will drive less than 40 miles a day a vast majority of the time. Why add the extra expense of a 60-mile-plus-range battery, when you have an ICE backup for the very, very few times someone might need it or want it?

Since I'm, currently, leasing both cars, I can say that GM's commitment to the Volt matches, if not exceeds, Nissan's commitment to the LEAF. As a customer, GM has, certainly, treated me far better than Nissan has.

Although on a purely emotional level, I prefer the LEAF to the Volt, on a pragmatic level, the Volt is a superior car for the climate and charging infrastructure in my area. Whenever I check my LEAF's battery temperature and see it hanging around in the upper 80s to mid 90s and watch the AHr capacity drop with each passing day, and see how hard the Volt's TMS works to keep its battery cool, I know which one is the best designed for my climate.

 

[DaveEV]

Or, maybe, GM is just being pragmatic in their approach and saying a vast majority of people will drive less than 40 miles a day a vast majority of the time. Why add the extra expense of a 60-mile-plus-range battery, when you have an ICE backup for the very, very few times someone might need it or want it?

Pragmatically, it's a cost / benefit situation. Look at the BMW I3 - the range extender costs $3850 and doubles your range and can be refilled nearly anywhere in minutes. Say batteries cost If batteries cost $300 / kWh, so for the same cost you can get 12.8 kWh, getting you about 50% more range, but you are very limited in where you can quickly refill.

What makes more sense at this stage in the game - and likely for the next 5-10 years?

Since I'm, currently, leasing both cars, I can say that GM's commitment to the Volt matches, if not exceeds, Nissan's commitment to the LEAF. As a customer, GM has, certainly, treated me far better than Nissan has.

I am seriously thinking of replacing our Prius with a Volt - especially since now you can get one for less than $32k. After taxes and rebates it costs the same as a Prius, but has a plug, 38 mi EV range.

Only drawback are the small rear seat and ~40 mpg on the highway instead of mid-upper 40 mpg. But still - you have to drive over 200 miles between charges before you burn more gas than a Prius, so the effect is pretty negligible in the long run.

Although on a purely emotional level, I prefer the LEAF to the Volt, on a pragmatic level, the Volt is a superior car for the climate and charging infrastructure in my area. Whenever I check my LEAF's battery temperature and see it hanging around in the upper 80s to mid 90s and watch the AHr capacity drop with each passing day, and see how hard the Volt's TMS works to keep its battery cool, I know which one is the best designed for my climate.

I hear you. Heading out on a 70 mile up-hill trip into the desert this weekend - wonder how hot the battery will get...

 

[evnow]

+1. Now let's see if the other shoe drops, and Toyota cuts the price of the PiP. At the current price it's getting really hard to justify unless you need that fifth seat, or you exceed the Volt's AER by a significant amount regularly.

C-Max Energi as well.

 

[GRA]

+1. Now let's see if the other shoe drops, and Toyota cuts the price of the PiP. At the current price it's getting really hard to justify unless you need that fifth seat, or you exceed the Volt's AER by a significant amount regularly.

C-Max Energi as well.

All the PHEVs. The Accord's price was bad enough before, but now? And the Fusion will have to come down too.