"In an Edmunds test of a Volt with the battery pack depleted, the car averaged 31.4 mpg in mixed driving. This isn't a bad mileage figure compared to regular gas vehicles, but it is seriously subpar when compared to the mid-40s mpg that a standard hybrid typically provides."
Lies, misleading, and BS is all you folks can come up with. And as to electric range, here;s a pic of my dash this morning, after driving in almost 20mi:
as you can see, the center console computer says I travelled 19.2mi, consumed 4.9kWh, and if you check the dash, oh my, what's it say? Yes. 21mi left.
Want me to help you with the math? that's almost 41mi. estimated. And guess what, I did the almost 20 home again, and the dash STILL said I had 5mi left in EV mode.
Want me to help you remove that foot that you so vehemently shoved down your throat?
You're quoting some dumbasses you've never met - I'm taking pictures of my dash. We done Einstein? Or you want more pictures and proof?
Oh, and if you look even HARDER at the center console, you'll see it says 66.6mpg lifetime. And that's with dealership idiots putting a couple hundred miles on it, and not driving efficiently.
Never ceases to amaze me the gullibility of people, and believing everything they read as if it's the gospel. How about getting off the computer, and learning a few things on your own, and gathering your own information, instead of taking the lazy way and having someone else do it for you? Knowledge is empowering. Ignorance is the easy way out.
My deal was on a $45,908 Volt, got it at $43,208. 3yr 12k mi/yr, $3500 down, $369/mo. I'm saving about $200/mo in gas just on my daily commute to and from work.
US Bank, my lessor and one of two doing the Volt deal (Ally Bank is the other), uses 45% 3yr 12kmi residual, 1.32% apr (divide by 2400 to get money factor) add the $7500 onto the residual (effectively making it 60%), and they also kick in a $2375 cap reduction. Since I own a 2009 Cobalt, Chevy tossed in another $250 loyalty rebate.
$369 - 200 = net payment of $169/mo, for a fully loaded, 2012 Volt, Crystal Red Tintcoat ($495), with Navi/30GB HDD radio ($1995), Bose premium speaker setup ($495), Premium package (leather on all 4 seats + steering wheel, heated seats - $1395), rear view camera w/parking assist and sensors front+rear($695), 17" polished wheels ($595), Cargo Net ($45), Front Window Shade ($99), and rear seat storage/barrier ($99). Got it for $20/mo more than the base Volt, and $1000 more up-front than the base Volt, if a person just walked in like an idiot asking for the Chevy Volt national lease deal, and didn't negotiate a single penny off the MSRP. Most people don't realize that when leasing, you can STILL negotiate on the price - every 1K you get off the price on a subsidized lease, is roughly worth $20/mo off your pmt. Give or take. My $45,908 Volt should have properly leased at WELL into the 400's/month, but because I ended up with a few grand off, the monthly dropped. The car had been on the lot for a while (Super-high MSRP - with "dealer add-ons" it was $46,606, which I declined), and had a couple hundred miles, although it was not a demo.
Is it worth $169/mo? Damn straight it is! The more I drive on EV, the more I save. My lease buyout at end is like $26-27K, and I'll probably buy it, unless battery/EV technology progresses dramatically, which it most probably will. In that case, if they have a Volt II, then I'm signing on the line again. In my case, I needed to add another car to the family anyway, so having a net monthly payment for the Volt of $169 is a freaking GIFT! And as gas prices continue to rise, and you folks continue to whine and cry, I'll be happy as sh!t in my totally completely loaded-to-the-gills Volt! The car is an absolute dream, rides like a dream, quiet as a whisper, can cruise at 80mph on the highway sans engine (until battery is depleted), and is comfortable as hell.
Actually, your math sucks, and noone should listen. I'm saving over $200-210/mo with my Volt. Need me to do the math for you? It definitely does NOT compute to $985.
Also, there's no 3-5Kmi oil changes... should I keep going? My Volt ended up basically at $35K after tax credit, which is a measly $2-3K more than a bare-bones stripped-down Plug-in Prius which is basically an ugly snooze-inducing, fun-lacking, butt-ugly road appliance, and in my Volt, I ride in leather, with Navi,and all the other toys.
There's your math. Prius != Volt, not in EV efficiency, not in fit and finish, not in standard features and options, not in looks. Not.In.Same.Class. Even your beloved magazines and sites that misinform the public say it - it is NOT a typical Chevrolet, and it is leaps and bounds beyond a Prius. Volt shoppers do NOT cross-shop a dang Prius, and to insinuate that, and continue to compare them apples-to-apples, just shows your ignorance of market forces, and demographics.
The Volt is ideal for a person who has a daily round-trip commute up near it's battery max, or one-way near it's battery max if they can charge at work.
Take me for instance. My round-trip is right near 40mi, and I can easily coax 44-46mi out of my Volt. Costs me about 90 cents to fully charge it (7.3cents/kWhr per Florida Power and Light off-peak residential rates) and I can get to work and back on one charge.
Well, even in a 2003 Suzuki Aerio, that ride used to cost me about $5 each way, because there was some stop-and-go, some highway, all factored in, it was about $10/day. Now, I spend about 90 cents. I save over $9/day, averaging 22 workdays/month, that works out to right around $200/month saved. All of a sudden, the payment doesn't seem so bad, does it? You basically lop $200 right off the top, and you get a VERY nice car (trust me - I have a 2009 Cobalt SS/Turbo, and the fit and finish and materials used in the Volt are not just a step up - they are a quantum leap forward for a Chevy!) to boot!
And as gas continues to rise, so will my savings. When gas is $5/gallon, I'll be saving $240-260/mo, and it'll only continue to increase as gas prices do. Face it - $2.49 gas is over, done with, and gone. It's NEVER coming back.
Again, Volt buyers, we aren't cross-shopping to a freaking prius. That's a butt-ugly baby carrier that looks like hell.
WTF? Are you folks that dense? That's like telling the guy that bought a Vetter, that he was better off with a Scion Tc, because the TCO was lower.
Well, NO SHIT. But I'm not shopping for a stripped-down, POS, etch-a-sketch plastic 4-door hatchback, with the ugliest rear ever devised by man, with space for 3 car seats, and 2 weeks worth of diapers in the hatch, instead of a Volt. I simply do NOT see how people can create that bridge. The fit and finish on the Volt, as well as the standard features, make a Prius look like a damn Yaris or Echo compared to it. If you want to STILL build a fantasy bridge, and compare to the Plug-In Prius, that starts at $33K, and only gets a $2500 tax credit. Volt starts at $39995, and after Tax Credit of $7500, it's like $2100 more than that POS. How's that for math?
Then, you factor in, that if you even fart in the PiPrius, it starts the engine, you're basically burning gas 90+% of the time.
Can't accelerate hard... Can't go over 62mph... Can't climb hills... Can't have excessive torque load... Please... The PiPrius is not EVEN in the same league as the Volt, yet it will cost you only $2100 less, and that's the VERY POINT we're trying to make. You folks need to read a little less, be less of a sheep, and check the Volt out, so at the very least, you can be informed enough to formulate your OWN opinion. That's all I'm saying. Forget Faux News, forget the rags, just go DRIVE one, experience one, and then get back to us.
These people don't understand that we're on borrowed time, and have been living a farce with government subsidized oil/gas. When the nation can no longer afford to subsidize oil, and they see the REAL price, like the EU and UK, they will be in for a major shock. UK pays like GBP1.50 per LITRE that's GBP5.50 per gallon, equaling like nearly $8-9/g. When they see that at their local BP station, then reality will bitch-slap them with the ferocity of a hammer.
So go ahead, and keep the blinders on. Let's see how those Tahoes and Excursions work out for ya when gas is $7-8/g.
Me? I'll be driving my 2012 Volt, with leather, and Navi, and the Bose surround speakers w/sub, listening to MP3s on the 30GB HDD, happy as sh!t that I made a smart decision, and purchased an American car, designed by Americans, built by Americans, for driving by Americans, and running on American-generated electricity to the tune of 1.6cents/mile. I'll be laughing all the way to the bank.
Bunch of people "according to reports" who have never even SEEN one, much less driven one.
I will by LAUGHING my ass off when you dopes are paying $6/gallon, and my Volt gets me 40mi to work and back for like 80 cents.
It's this kind of nonsensical drivel that leads to misinformation. When, and for only like.3g, I have run on gas, it's returned 43 on the highway.
Everyone's a freaking genius because they're reading other peoples drivel, everyone then misinforms everyone else on here, and all of a sudden, volt goes 5mi on battery,which takes 19hrs to charge at a cost of $27, takes $75 to fill the tank, and does 17mpg.
And then we wonder why Europe thinks we're a bunch of morons. They've already got like 6-8K orders for the EU equivalent, because they're smart enough to understand that it does, and what it offers, and that as gas goes higher, the ROI just climbs up. So, you geniuses keep on burning gas. I hope you guys won't be able to afford to drive, and when you ask an EV owner for a carpool, that he send you to where you belong. You'll have noone to blame but yourselves, for continuing to send money to terrorist nations and American haters for oil.
Enjoy that $6/g gas that's coming. And for those criticizing the tax credit, I assume you do NOT fill in your tax form for earned income credit, and also turn down the child credits, and I'm also sure you don't even mention your mortgage interest.
If it truly had an "extended range" by any useful definition, people wouldn't be trying to compare it with the Prius. The fact of the matter is that it is a half-assed compromise between a proper hybrid and a proper EV, with all the disadvantages of both.
The Chevy Volt's battery-only range is a paltry 25-50 miles, which in the worst case is less than twice the battery-only range for a Prius. If you drain the battery to the bottom (which you probably can't before the gasoline engine kicks in to charge it back up), that means that when new, the battery will barely handle the average daily commute in the U.S. (32 miles). After a few years, you would expect a significantly lower capacity, at which point the average driver will be using the engine every day.
I desperately want an electric vehicle. However, I would never even consider an EV with double-digit range. I want some assurance that with ten-year-old batteries, I'll still be able to get a hundred mile round trip. That means EVs will become interesting when they can get, on average, 300 miles to a charge—an order of magnitude greater than the joke of a range that the Chevy Volt can achieve. Until then, they're really just glorified hybrids, not usable EVs. Thus, it is completely fair to treat them like hybrids for review purposes.
Going beyond the rated Plug-In Prius documented range of 11mi, most will probably see 14-15mi.
The Volt is rated at 35mi - I routinely get 44-46mi, and even then, it's telling me I'm only being 75-79% efficient, as my driving style still leans towards gas engines.
I'm learning as I go. people who have owned Volts for 6mos or more, have been able to get 48-52mi consistently
On the few occasions I have used gas, after running out of battery, it's gotten me near 45mpg on the highway, cruise set to 73mph.
It's one thing to read the BS online, and another to own and drive one daily. People can make comments, but they're commenting on what others have written, and those others don't have a clue - usually they have an agenda. I don't need to read any BS reports, and FauxNews reports - I drive one every single day, and am 110% satisfied. It has the fit and finish of a mid-grade luxury car (think IS-250 or Acura TSX) drives like mid-size sedan with 200-225hp, and has enough toys inside to keep most people satisfied and entertained.
All I'm saying, is don't knock it until you try it. Drop by a nearby Chevy dealer, take a look at the interior, and take one for a test drive. THEN form your opinion. Until then, it's just unsubstantiated banter, because you haven't even seen one, touched one, sat inside one, or driven one. Your just going by what others are saying, and most media are just using it as a pawn in a political fight. It's not about politics. It's about one of the most technologically advanced vehicles ever put into the hands of consumers.
If you do 32-38mi daily commute, and don't already have something extremely fuel-efficient, then a Volt could work.
ie, if you're driving a Prius already, it'd make zero sense. Same, if you're already driving a 35mpg Corolla or whatever.
I do 40mi round-trip, and can make it to work and back on one charge, burning zero gas, which costs me about 75-90 cents.
That same drive used to cost me right about $8/day
Labor would be about 8hrs, @ $75/hr = $600 labor + $2410 battery + let's add $250 for ancillaries, add tax (6%) call it $3500 in-and-out, out-the-door.
And my electricity costs either $.07305, or $0.0653, depending on time of year. I'm at 7.3cents/kWhr right now. Takes me 3.6-4.8kWhr to get to work, depending on how I drive the Volt. was 4.1kWhr today, to go 16.7mi (2 accidents, stop-and-go traffic, 75min to get 16mi). In my case, Florida Power and Light rates are available at http://www.fpl.com/rates/index.shtml, right side column. "Residential full schedule" outlines the charges, residential summary is where you see what peak and off-peak is, and when summer/winter rates take effect. I think Summer is Apr-Oct.
I think even "Volt Evangelists" will tell you no one car is for everyone - if you do 11mi round-trip daily, it's a waste of money, unless you just want one, or like the "green upside" of driving a Volt. You'd be better served by a Cruze Eco or something else in that class/category.
Assuming I drive it for 15y, and use the same amount of power 7x365x15 my actual cost is $260/yr x 15y = $3900 Total, as opposed to 240/mo x 12mos x 15y = $43,200 in fuel over 15y. And after the tax credit, Volt actually costs $32495, assuming you didn't negotiate a single penny off the MSRP. If I actually get for-real, and calculate against real-number and not exaggerating to 365 days/yr use, it's closer to $150-180/yr x 15y = $2200-2700. Don't forget your 3-4 oil changes/year, because my Volt will only need 1 per year.
Shame how people are trying to smear the car, and have NO IDEA what they're talking about.
The Volt isn't an electric car, and that's part of the problem. It's a serial hybrid.
Unfortunatly that's not exactly true. The Volt's gasoline engine does directly drive the wheels under certain circumstances, usually highway driving, it's the only way they got the mileage as high as they did. GM has built both a parallal and serial hybrid in the same package. They have a failry well built bad solution. This is GM in a nutshell.
More incorrect info.
The cases where the engine drives the wheels are so rare, it's not even worth discussing.
DO a little more research before ASSuming to know.
The Volt will do up to 12.6kWhr worth of nothing but electric driving, and up to 100mph, without ever starting the engine up.For me, 12.6kWhr has translated into anywhere from 38 up to 45-46mi, depending on speeds, driving habits, etc... 12.6kWhr for me is 92 cents of electricity (7.305 cents per kWhr, off-peak rates, which is when I charge, ie, after 10pm)
There are circumstances outside of the driving situation where the engine may start up, but it's not to drive the wheels, ie, if outside temp. is 25deg or under.
If they just cranked the engine all the time like a Prius, it wouldn't be worth it. I know one instance, is when you have run out of battery, and the engine is running to run the second motor as a generator for the first, and, for example, you are going uphill for an extended distance, ie, mountain driving.Now, I live in Florida. Remind me again how many mountains there are here?
It's posts like those above that are misleading everyone, and it's from people who haven't even a minor clue about the Volt. If it's not for you, that's fine, but there's no need to spread lies and misinformation.
There is nothing wrong with the Volt - I drive one every single day.
The problem, is Big Oil doesn't like the fact that most people, if they drove a Volt, would fill pu the 9.3g tank like once or twice/year!
That wouldn't be good for Big Oil's profits.
Right now, because of that, and because of the bailout and making a big deal out of the tax credits, there's a huge fight on capitol hill, and the Volt is the punching bag.
Everyone bitches about the tax credits on the Volt, but what about solar panel tax credits? Anyone complaining? There's hundreds and hundreds of tax credits on the books.
What about the millions of people who take a thousand or two every year in educational tax credits? Who's complaining about those?
When gas goes up to where it is in the EU and UK (UK is like $8-9/g) and the Volt was killed, you will all be wondering what happened.
Meanwhile, I'll STILL be driving my Volt, for 1.5cents per mile on electricity.
It DOES NOT compare to a Prius, Focus EV, or Leaf, as it is WAY WAY better appointed - twin 7" screens, one being touchscreen, BT, MP3, OnStar, fully integrated efficiency computer, 36-44mi range (YMMV) on battery, twin motors, 1.4L engine.
Best of all, it rides like a car - 0-60 in 8.8sec on battery, and will run straight up to 100mph on only battery.
I was a naysayer, then I drove one. When I drove one, I did the math, and I drove one home!
Your dad made the right choice. A Volt is best for someone who commutes either round-trip at the high-end of it's range, or each way at the high-end and can recharge at work.
15mi/day would not be a smart choice for something like the Volt.
Hope he enjoys the new car!
I've seen some numbers thrown around,and they are incorrect.
The Volt National Lease deal (USBank - Ally sucks) is as follows:
$349/mo, 36mos, 12Kmi/year, $2500 out-of-pocket (due at signing). USBank tosses the $7500 tax credit on the back-end to the residual, and kicks in a $2375 cap reduction, along with your $1520 cap reduction (from your $2500 due at signing). This is on a base model $39995 MSRP.
Mine, is a 2012, $369/mo, $3400 out-of-pocket, loaded with every available option. Of course, I negotiated the price of my car, and got it for abotu $3K under MSRP, which resulted in a $370pmt, and not a $459pmt ($45,908 MSRP).
As to comparing the Prius to a Volt, I can tell you, Volt shoppers are NOT cross-shopping with a freaking Prius, even a plug-in.
I can drive to work, and back home (40mi) on a single charge, which costs me about $0.90. I was paying $45/wk in gas in a 2003 Susuzki Aerio SX doing the same commute. My Volt averages about 1.6cents/mi on electricity, and the Suzuki was about 16cents/mi.
You cannot take the posted averages, and calculate your forecasted expenses, because internal combustion engines are dynamic, and I guarantee you, that NOONE on this planet drives the way they do on the test-loop for EPA mpg estimates.Well, maybe grandma.
And although the Plug-In Prius at $33k (someone forgot the destination of like $80) can go like 11mi (13mi realistic) on battery, it cannot go above 62mph on battery-only. As for tax credits, it's only worth $2500 on the prius, making it's cost $30500, against the Volt's $39995 - $7500 = $32,495.
For 2 grand, dang straight I'm driving a Volt - no WAY I'd be caught dead in those ugly things, moping along at 62mph hoping to keep the engine off...
As to Focus and Leaf, as mentioned, when their battery dies, you're on the side of the road, period. Call a flatbed. It's great as a "CityCar," but I;'d be worried...
And those that CONTINUE to compare the Volt against the Prius, Focus EV, and Leaf, it is a stupid assumption.
You might as well compare the Cadillac CTS against a Camry, or an Acura TL against a Malibu.
Different segments, WAY better appointments and standard options on the Volt, and the two are like apples and oranges.
As to the Tesla, no way I'm getting a car from them. EVs are an unknown variable as it is, but toss in an unknown company?
Who's electronics can't even prevent battery-bricking, and then charge you $40K for a replacement?
No thanks - Chevy thought of that, already. Volt has a 16kWhr pack, but you only really use about 12.6kWhr - the rest is buffer, emergency, and to increase longevity. It also has a gas engine, and when I have run on fuel, which has been for 6mi out of 177mi on most recent trip-meter, it was getting 46mpg on cruise @ 71mph in a 70 zone.
I'd be MORE than happy to answer questions, as I am by NO MEANS a rich person (own a 3/2, wife has a Subaru Forester, work 9x5) and I made the choice to get a Volt.
As to those criticizing the tax credits, why don't you instead complain to GE, oil companies, trump, hell even Apple, who take billions upon billions of ta breaks - matter of fact, last time I checked, hasn't it been a few years since GE even PAID taxes?
And you're complaining about say 8K cars x $7500 = $60M max? Being that no everyone will qualify, as it is a tax CREDIT not a tax REBATE, meaning it is above the line, not below. You don't automatically get $7500 just because you got a Volt.
Slashdot Mirror
All the bashers are talking trash, but have probably never even SEEN a Volt in person, yet feel they can comment on it.
My comments are based on the professional review by Edmunds. I put a lot more faith in Edmunds than in the comments of an Anonymous Coward on Slashdot. Edmunds says the Volt gets low 30s on gas. http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/volt/2012/?sub=hatchback#fullreview
"In an Edmunds test of a Volt with the battery pack depleted, the car averaged 31.4 mpg in mixed driving. This isn't a bad mileage figure compared to regular gas vehicles, but it is seriously subpar when compared to the mid-40s mpg that a standard hybrid typically provides."
So sorry, but you're full of it.
There - seeing a name make you feel better? Want some cookies? As to quoting Edmunds, at least quote it without changing it - they claim 33mpg, which is still off, at http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/volt/2012/?sub=hatchback
Lies, misleading, and BS is all you folks can come up with. And as to electric range, here;s a pic of my dash this morning, after driving in almost 20mi:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l33/Sharkonwheels/2012%20Chevrolet%20Volt/IMG_20120306_095705.jpg
as you can see, the center console computer says I travelled 19.2mi, consumed 4.9kWh, and if you check the dash, oh my, what's it say? Yes. 21mi left.
Want me to help you with the math? that's almost 41mi. estimated. And guess what, I did the almost 20 home again, and the dash STILL said I had 5mi left in EV mode.
Want me to help you remove that foot that you so vehemently shoved down your throat?
You're quoting some dumbasses you've never met - I'm taking pictures of my dash. We done Einstein? Or you want more pictures and proof?
Oh, and if you look even HARDER at the center console, you'll see it says 66.6mpg lifetime. And that's with dealership idiots putting a couple hundred miles on it, and not driving efficiently.
Never ceases to amaze me the gullibility of people, and believing everything they read as if it's the gospel. How about getting off the computer, and learning a few things on your own, and gathering your own information, instead of taking the lazy way and having someone else do it for you? Knowledge is empowering. Ignorance is the easy way out.
$369 - 200 = net payment of $169/mo, for a fully loaded, 2012 Volt, Crystal Red Tintcoat ($495), with Navi/30GB HDD radio ($1995), Bose premium speaker setup ($495), Premium package (leather on all 4 seats + steering wheel, heated seats - $1395), rear view camera w/parking assist and sensors front+rear($695), 17" polished wheels ($595), Cargo Net ($45), Front Window Shade ($99), and rear seat storage/barrier ($99). Got it for $20/mo more than the base Volt, and $1000 more up-front than the base Volt, if a person just walked in like an idiot asking for the Chevy Volt national lease deal, and didn't negotiate a single penny off the MSRP. Most people don't realize that when leasing, you can STILL negotiate on the price - every 1K you get off the price on a subsidized lease, is roughly worth $20/mo off your pmt. Give or take. My $45,908 Volt should have properly leased at WELL into the 400's/month, but because I ended up with a few grand off, the monthly dropped. The car had been on the lot for a while (Super-high MSRP - with "dealer add-ons" it was $46,606, which I declined), and had a couple hundred miles, although it was not a demo.
Is it worth $169/mo? Damn straight it is! The more I drive on EV, the more I save. My lease buyout at end is like $26-27K, and I'll probably buy it, unless battery/EV technology progresses dramatically, which it most probably will. In that case, if they have a Volt II, then I'm signing on the line again. In my case, I needed to add another car to the family anyway, so having a net monthly payment for the Volt of $169 is a freaking GIFT! And as gas prices continue to rise, and you folks continue to whine and cry, I'll be happy as sh!t in my totally completely loaded-to-the-gills Volt! The car is an absolute dream, rides like a dream, quiet as a whisper, can cruise at 80mph on the highway sans engine (until battery is depleted), and is comfortable as hell.
Also, there's no 3-5Kmi oil changes... should I keep going? My Volt ended up basically at $35K after tax credit, which is a measly $2-3K more than a bare-bones stripped-down Plug-in Prius which is basically an ugly snooze-inducing, fun-lacking, butt-ugly road appliance, and in my Volt, I ride in leather, with Navi,and all the other toys.
There's your math. Prius != Volt, not in EV efficiency, not in fit and finish, not in standard features and options, not in looks. Not.In.Same.Class. Even your beloved magazines and sites that misinform the public say it - it is NOT a typical Chevrolet, and it is leaps and bounds beyond a Prius. Volt shoppers do NOT cross-shop a dang Prius, and to insinuate that, and continue to compare them apples-to-apples, just shows your ignorance of market forces, and demographics.
Take me for instance. My round-trip is right near 40mi, and I can easily coax 44-46mi out of my Volt. Costs me about 90 cents to fully charge it (7.3cents/kWhr per Florida Power and Light off-peak residential rates) and I can get to work and back on one charge.
Well, even in a 2003 Suzuki Aerio, that ride used to cost me about $5 each way, because there was some stop-and-go, some highway, all factored in, it was about $10/day. Now, I spend about 90 cents. I save over $9/day, averaging 22 workdays/month, that works out to right around $200/month saved. All of a sudden, the payment doesn't seem so bad, does it? You basically lop $200 right off the top, and you get a VERY nice car (trust me - I have a 2009 Cobalt SS/Turbo, and the fit and finish and materials used in the Volt are not just a step up - they are a quantum leap forward for a Chevy!) to boot!
And as gas continues to rise, so will my savings. When gas is $5/gallon, I'll be saving $240-260/mo, and it'll only continue to increase as gas prices do. Face it - $2.49 gas is over, done with, and gone. It's NEVER coming back.
Well, NO SHIT. But I'm not shopping for a stripped-down, POS, etch-a-sketch plastic 4-door hatchback, with the ugliest rear ever devised by man, with space for 3 car seats, and 2 weeks worth of diapers in the hatch, instead of a Volt. I simply do NOT see how people can create that bridge. The fit and finish on the Volt, as well as the standard features, make a Prius look like a damn Yaris or Echo compared to it. If you want to STILL build a fantasy bridge, and compare to the Plug-In Prius, that starts at $33K, and only gets a $2500 tax credit. Volt starts at $39995, and after Tax Credit of $7500, it's like $2100 more than that POS. How's that for math?
Then, you factor in, that if you even fart in the PiPrius, it starts the engine, you're basically burning gas 90+% of the time.
Can't accelerate hard... Can't go over 62mph... Can't climb hills... Can't have excessive torque load... Please... The PiPrius is not EVEN in the same league as the Volt, yet it will cost you only $2100 less, and that's the VERY POINT we're trying to make. You folks need to read a little less, be less of a sheep, and check the Volt out, so at the very least, you can be informed enough to formulate your OWN opinion. That's all I'm saying. Forget Faux News, forget the rags, just go DRIVE one, experience one, and then get back to us.
So go ahead, and keep the blinders on. Let's see how those Tahoes and Excursions work out for ya when gas is $7-8/g.
Me? I'll be driving my 2012 Volt, with leather, and Navi, and the Bose surround speakers w/sub, listening to MP3s on the 30GB HDD, happy as sh!t that I made a smart decision, and purchased an American car, designed by Americans, built by Americans, for driving by Americans, and running on American-generated electricity to the tune of 1.6cents/mile. I'll be laughing all the way to the bank.
I will by LAUGHING my ass off when you dopes are paying $6/gallon, and my Volt gets me 40mi to work and back for like 80 cents. It's this kind of nonsensical drivel that leads to misinformation. When, and for only like .3g, I have run on gas, it's returned 43 on the highway.
Everyone's a freaking genius because they're reading other peoples drivel, everyone then misinforms everyone else on here, and all of a sudden, volt goes 5mi on battery,which takes 19hrs to charge at a cost of $27, takes $75 to fill the tank, and does 17mpg. And then we wonder why Europe thinks we're a bunch of morons. They've already got like 6-8K orders for the EU equivalent, because they're smart enough to understand that it does, and what it offers, and that as gas goes higher, the ROI just climbs up. So, you geniuses keep on burning gas. I hope you guys won't be able to afford to drive, and when you ask an EV owner for a carpool, that he send you to where you belong. You'll have noone to blame but yourselves, for continuing to send money to terrorist nations and American haters for oil.
Enjoy that $6/g gas that's coming. And for those criticizing the tax credit, I assume you do NOT fill in your tax form for earned income credit, and also turn down the child credits, and I'm also sure you don't even mention your mortgage interest.
If it truly had an "extended range" by any useful definition, people wouldn't be trying to compare it with the Prius. The fact of the matter is that it is a half-assed compromise between a proper hybrid and a proper EV, with all the disadvantages of both.
The Chevy Volt's battery-only range is a paltry 25-50 miles, which in the worst case is less than twice the battery-only range for a Prius. If you drain the battery to the bottom (which you probably can't before the gasoline engine kicks in to charge it back up), that means that when new, the battery will barely handle the average daily commute in the U.S. (32 miles). After a few years, you would expect a significantly lower capacity, at which point the average driver will be using the engine every day.
I desperately want an electric vehicle. However, I would never even consider an EV with double-digit range. I want some assurance that with ten-year-old batteries, I'll still be able to get a hundred mile round trip. That means EVs will become interesting when they can get, on average, 300 miles to a charge—an order of magnitude greater than the joke of a range that the Chevy Volt can achieve. Until then, they're really just glorified hybrids, not usable EVs. Thus, it is completely fair to treat them like hybrids for review purposes.
Going beyond the rated Plug-In Prius documented range of 11mi, most will probably see 14-15mi.
The Volt is rated at 35mi - I routinely get 44-46mi, and even then, it's telling me I'm only being 75-79% efficient, as my driving style still leans towards gas engines. I'm learning as I go. people who have owned Volts for 6mos or more, have been able to get 48-52mi consistently
On the few occasions I have used gas, after running out of battery, it's gotten me near 45mpg on the highway, cruise set to 73mph.
It's one thing to read the BS online, and another to own and drive one daily. People can make comments, but they're commenting on what others have written, and those others don't have a clue - usually they have an agenda. I don't need to read any BS reports, and FauxNews reports - I drive one every single day, and am 110% satisfied. It has the fit and finish of a mid-grade luxury car (think IS-250 or Acura TSX) drives like mid-size sedan with 200-225hp, and has enough toys inside to keep most people satisfied and entertained.
All I'm saying, is don't knock it until you try it. Drop by a nearby Chevy dealer, take a look at the interior, and take one for a test drive. THEN form your opinion. Until then, it's just unsubstantiated banter, because you haven't even seen one, touched one, sat inside one, or driven one. Your just going by what others are saying, and most media are just using it as a pawn in a political fight. It's not about politics. It's about one of the most technologically advanced vehicles ever put into the hands of consumers.
Nope. Battery has 8Y/100K mile warranty, and full MSRP on a replacement is $2997, discounted, the battery is $2410. check http://www.gmpartsdepartment.com/parts/2012/CHEVROLET/VOLT/?siteid=214533&vehicleid=1501836§ion=HYBRID%20COMPONENTS&group=HYBRID%20COMPONENTS&subgroup=BATTERY&component=BATTERY for replacement.
Labor would be about 8hrs, @ $75/hr = $600 labor + $2410 battery + let's add $250 for ancillaries, add tax (6%) call it $3500 in-and-out, out-the-door.
And my electricity costs either $.07305, or $0.0653, depending on time of year. I'm at 7.3cents/kWhr right now. Takes me 3.6-4.8kWhr to get to work, depending on how I drive the Volt. was 4.1kWhr today, to go 16.7mi (2 accidents, stop-and-go traffic, 75min to get 16mi). In my case, Florida Power and Light rates are available at http://www.fpl.com/rates/index.shtml, right side column. "Residential full schedule" outlines the charges, residential summary is where you see what peak and off-peak is, and when summer/winter rates take effect. I think Summer is Apr-Oct.
I think even "Volt Evangelists" will tell you no one car is for everyone - if you do 11mi round-trip daily, it's a waste of money, unless you just want one, or like the "green upside" of driving a Volt. You'd be better served by a Cruze Eco or something else in that class/category.
Shame how people are trying to smear the car, and have NO IDEA what they're talking about.
The Volt isn't an electric car, and that's part of the problem. It's a serial hybrid.
Unfortunatly that's not exactly true. The Volt's gasoline engine does directly drive the wheels under certain circumstances, usually highway driving, it's the only way they got the mileage as high as they did. GM has built both a parallal and serial hybrid in the same package. They have a failry well built bad solution. This is GM in a nutshell.
More incorrect info.
The cases where the engine drives the wheels are so rare, it's not even worth discussing.
DO a little more research before ASSuming to know.
The Volt will do up to 12.6kWhr worth of nothing but electric driving, and up to 100mph, without ever starting the engine up.For me, 12.6kWhr has translated into anywhere from 38 up to 45-46mi, depending on speeds, driving habits, etc... 12.6kWhr for me is 92 cents of electricity (7.305 cents per kWhr, off-peak rates, which is when I charge, ie, after 10pm)
There are circumstances outside of the driving situation where the engine may start up, but it's not to drive the wheels, ie, if outside temp. is 25deg or under. If they just cranked the engine all the time like a Prius, it wouldn't be worth it. I know one instance, is when you have run out of battery, and the engine is running to run the second motor as a generator for the first, and, for example, you are going uphill for an extended distance, ie, mountain driving.Now, I live in Florida. Remind me again how many mountains there are here?
It's posts like those above that are misleading everyone, and it's from people who haven't even a minor clue about the Volt. If it's not for you, that's fine, but there's no need to spread lies and misinformation.
There is nothing wrong with the Volt - I drive one every single day. The problem, is Big Oil doesn't like the fact that most people, if they drove a Volt, would fill pu the 9.3g tank like once or twice/year! That wouldn't be good for Big Oil's profits. Right now, because of that, and because of the bailout and making a big deal out of the tax credits, there's a huge fight on capitol hill, and the Volt is the punching bag. Everyone bitches about the tax credits on the Volt, but what about solar panel tax credits? Anyone complaining? There's hundreds and hundreds of tax credits on the books. What about the millions of people who take a thousand or two every year in educational tax credits? Who's complaining about those? When gas goes up to where it is in the EU and UK (UK is like $8-9/g) and the Volt was killed, you will all be wondering what happened. Meanwhile, I'll STILL be driving my Volt, for 1.5cents per mile on electricity. It DOES NOT compare to a Prius, Focus EV, or Leaf, as it is WAY WAY better appointed - twin 7" screens, one being touchscreen, BT, MP3, OnStar, fully integrated efficiency computer, 36-44mi range (YMMV) on battery, twin motors, 1.4L engine. Best of all, it rides like a car - 0-60 in 8.8sec on battery, and will run straight up to 100mph on only battery. I was a naysayer, then I drove one. When I drove one, I did the math, and I drove one home!
Your dad made the right choice. A Volt is best for someone who commutes either round-trip at the high-end of it's range, or each way at the high-end and can recharge at work. 15mi/day would not be a smart choice for something like the Volt. Hope he enjoys the new car!
I've seen some numbers thrown around,and they are incorrect. The Volt National Lease deal (USBank - Ally sucks) is as follows: $349/mo, 36mos, 12Kmi/year, $2500 out-of-pocket (due at signing). USBank tosses the $7500 tax credit on the back-end to the residual, and kicks in a $2375 cap reduction, along with your $1520 cap reduction (from your $2500 due at signing). This is on a base model $39995 MSRP. Mine, is a 2012, $369/mo, $3400 out-of-pocket, loaded with every available option. Of course, I negotiated the price of my car, and got it for abotu $3K under MSRP, which resulted in a $370pmt, and not a $459pmt ($45,908 MSRP). As to comparing the Prius to a Volt, I can tell you, Volt shoppers are NOT cross-shopping with a freaking Prius, even a plug-in. I can drive to work, and back home (40mi) on a single charge, which costs me about $0.90. I was paying $45/wk in gas in a 2003 Susuzki Aerio SX doing the same commute. My Volt averages about 1.6cents/mi on electricity, and the Suzuki was about 16cents/mi. You cannot take the posted averages, and calculate your forecasted expenses, because internal combustion engines are dynamic, and I guarantee you, that NOONE on this planet drives the way they do on the test-loop for EPA mpg estimates.Well, maybe grandma. And although the Plug-In Prius at $33k (someone forgot the destination of like $80) can go like 11mi (13mi realistic) on battery, it cannot go above 62mph on battery-only. As for tax credits, it's only worth $2500 on the prius, making it's cost $30500, against the Volt's $39995 - $7500 = $32,495. For 2 grand, dang straight I'm driving a Volt - no WAY I'd be caught dead in those ugly things, moping along at 62mph hoping to keep the engine off... As to Focus and Leaf, as mentioned, when their battery dies, you're on the side of the road, period. Call a flatbed. It's great as a "CityCar," but I;'d be worried... And those that CONTINUE to compare the Volt against the Prius, Focus EV, and Leaf, it is a stupid assumption. You might as well compare the Cadillac CTS against a Camry, or an Acura TL against a Malibu. Different segments, WAY better appointments and standard options on the Volt, and the two are like apples and oranges. As to the Tesla, no way I'm getting a car from them. EVs are an unknown variable as it is, but toss in an unknown company? Who's electronics can't even prevent battery-bricking, and then charge you $40K for a replacement? No thanks - Chevy thought of that, already. Volt has a 16kWhr pack, but you only really use about 12.6kWhr - the rest is buffer, emergency, and to increase longevity. It also has a gas engine, and when I have run on fuel, which has been for 6mi out of 177mi on most recent trip-meter, it was getting 46mpg on cruise @ 71mph in a 70 zone. I'd be MORE than happy to answer questions, as I am by NO MEANS a rich person (own a 3/2, wife has a Subaru Forester, work 9x5) and I made the choice to get a Volt. As to those criticizing the tax credits, why don't you instead complain to GE, oil companies, trump, hell even Apple, who take billions upon billions of ta breaks - matter of fact, last time I checked, hasn't it been a few years since GE even PAID taxes? And you're complaining about say 8K cars x $7500 = $60M max? Being that no everyone will qualify, as it is a tax CREDIT not a tax REBATE, meaning it is above the line, not below. You don't automatically get $7500 just because you got a Volt.