Drove Dad's Volt today

"Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing." (granfury)
09/03/2018 at 00:56 • Filed to: None

And you know what? I like it. It’s much better built than I expected, and the interior materials are better than what I’ve come to expect from GM. Acceleration was more brisk than I expected, ride fairly good (although there was some well-damped but still stomach-unsettling float over imperfections - chock it up to weight) and braking good. Dad seems pleased with the acquisition, and although he quibbles about a few minor items he’s fully aware that this is not the Mercedes he got rid of, just like I accept that my cheap Mazda minivan is not my old 5-series or Porsche.

A few years back my folks put solar panels on their roof to mitigate the problem of electric rates that are in the top five in the nation (they were #2 when I lived here and may have changed). Given the low residual value of the old E320, any accident would be a total and any component failure would likely exceed the value of the whole car. Now that dad’s retired he doesn’t have to commmute long distances in horrendous SoCal traffic anymore, so a luxury car was no longer needed. Range anxiety is still a problem, so a plug-in hybrid charged by his excess solar energy just makes sense. I , with my 2.3 mile commute each way, could probably get used to a vehicle like this.

I have become accustomed to the extra headroom that a minivan provides, and was reminded of that every time I banged my head getting in or out of the Volt. It’s relatively sleek and aerodynamic and that comes at a cost. Thankfully the area where I keep hitting my head is well padded.

This is the future, folks, albeit perhaps just a temporary one. Hydrogen and fuel cells? I was a big proponent but now I think that it a in’t gonna happen. Battery technology will continue to improve and charging infrastructure will be developed, and before long charging will be as quick and easy as filling with gasoline but cleaner. As soon as that happens there really won’t be a need for the complexity of a hybrid, but in the mean time this is a fine and efficient way to get around.

DISCUSSION (10)

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
09/03/2018 at 06:03

I drive about 25 miles round trip each day and I think a Volt would be pretty cool because at that range you’d almost never use gas.

Altho it would be funny having a gas station manager drive an electric car. Maybe I could buy a leaf and convince my company that it’s time to add a charging station.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
09/03/2018 at 06:03

hydrogen is the answer.

deekster_caddy > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
09/03/2018 at 08:40

Yup. All of this. I’ve had my Volt for almost 6 years now and have learned to duck my head getting in and out. It’s one of the smallest cars I’ve had, and coming to the Volt from my old 3/4 ton Yukon XL was a big adjustment... but driving it still puts a smile on my face and that’s something very few cars can do after 5 years. That’s usually when I get rid of them, but this one’s a keeper. I really enjoy driving it.

The thing about the Volt is that to my knowledge it’s still the only PHEV that WILL NOT call for the gas engine to come on if you floor it - it’s fully electric. That’s why GM still sticks to calling it an “EREV” instead of a “PHEV”, which everyone else uses. There is one volt out there with 450,000 miles on it (and a fair amount of gas use). I know another Volt that just finished 95,000 EV only miles. It’s the most flexible drivetrain around and this technology is ready to carry us to the next decade. Until high speed charging infrastructure improves dramatically, PHEV or EREV is the way to go.

deekster_caddy > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
09/03/2018 at 08:40

Can you plug in at work? Because that’s the best form of irony...

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > deekster_caddy
09/03/2018 at 10:08

i guess i probably could

BaconSandwich is tasty. > deekster_caddy
09/03/2018 at 10:39

I was just thinking about your Volt the other day, and wondering how it was doing.

I think the 2nd gen Volt really has been flying under the radar. Yes, it’s not a pure EV, but it still takes care of 90%+ of the public’s driving needs on electricity alone. It’s really a shame they still haven’t come out with a minivan or other family-type hauler based around the Volt power train.

deekster_caddy > BaconSandwich is tasty.
09/03/2018 at 11:21

They have though (well someone has) - we just replaced my wife’s car with a Pacifica Hybrid - a plug in with a 30 mile all electric range based on the Volt’s drivetrain. It has the same size battery as the Volt and seats 7. The electric drivetrain is very similar although it will fire the gas engine up if you punch the throttle hard enough. If you don’t go over ~50% throttle it will stay all electric and accelerates good enough for most driving. If you punch it, the thing really takes off. I think it’s faster than my Gen1 Volt. If not plugged in or on a highway trip, it’s a 30 MPG minivan - that’s pretty impressive by itself!

I recall reading somewhere that the drivetrain in the Volt was created as a joint venture between GM and Chrysler, this is the result on Chrysler’s side. It has larger electric motors and a 3.5 V6 (Atkinson cycle) to push it’s extra weight around and does a pretty damn good job of it!

The Vibe Guy, Apparently > deekster_caddy
09/03/2018 at 12:49

GM-Chrysler hybrid tech was the Two-Mode system in the pickups and SUVs. Voltec was a solo GM effort.

deekster_caddy > The Vibe Guy, Apparently
09/03/2018 at 13:51

Thanks for clarifying. Although the drivetrains are extremely similar... it can operate in EV only mode at full speeds.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > deekster_caddy
09/03/2018 at 16:42

I have to say, the 2nd g en V olt has some really clever engineering in it. I remember reading a few engineering focused articles when it came out. It’s just sort of a shame that it’s only been in one car so far. There’s a ton of potential there.