![]() ![]() Well, I was completely and indisputably wrong. I also thought GM’s designation of the Volt as an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) was a presumptuous marketing gimmick – why not just call it a plug-in hybrid (PHEV)? It seemed like an awkward compromise – buyers who wanted to go electric would surely prefer a pure EV, and buyers who weren’t ready to take that plunge had every reason to stick with a hybrid like the Toyota Prius, which cost far less than the Volt and had comparable gas mileage. When the Chevrolet Volt was launched at the end of 2010, I must confess that I gave it little chance of success. Posted Septemby Charles Morris & filed under Features, Vehicle Features. Might have a look see! If capital cost was a concern, and battery replacement, don’t buy a car and use your bike.2016 Chevy Volt: GM’s top electrification engineers on designing the all-new EREV Chevy is coming out with a Caddy in the same form mat soon. The lease is up this march and I might just purchase an EV vehicle after all. Now, I do miss my Durango, the room and being up high is what I miss most. I return home from work with 10 to 12 miles left on the battery daily. I went from a Twenty year old Durango into a brand new car for less then I was paying in gas monthly, and money to spare. The lease payment is offset by the fact I rarely use gas any longer and my electric has only risen $20 more a month. I was doing $350 to $400 a month in gas with my Durango, and the price of gas wasn’t as high as it is today. I honestly forget what side the gas is on. I only have a 30 mile commute to and from work each day. Well, the car is fun to drive and I am starting to see more of them on the road. I also wasn’t sure on the long term replacement value just yet. I leased it because I wanted to see if I was going to like it first and how the performance was. I was reading up on it for over two years before I jumped in and leased it. ![]() I can’t tell how more then happy I am with the volt. I have my volt for more then two years, it replaced my durango I had for twenty. While temperatures in the ’90s and even rising above 100 are not unusual in states like Texas and Arizona, a recent heat wave in the Midwest and North East is causing more people to notice just how much of an effect hot days can have on an electric car. That is perhaps the real reason behind the spate of complaints from owners. “That’s why the Volt uses a liquid cooling/heating system that helps to minimize the range loss.” Still, she admits, “range will be affected when an EV is operated in hot or cold weather.” Still, GM has worked to put in place preventative measures to help deal with temperature extremes says Bunker Malcho. The Volt, however, with it’s gasoline range extender, makes the electric only range less of something owners have to worry about. This is true of any EV, not just the Volt.”Įarly reviews of modern electric cars tested in the North East during the winter months showed similarly dramatic losses of range. “That means that if it’s either extremely cold or hot where an EV is operating, range will be affected. “Batteries are like humans when it comes to operating at peak performance in various climates - they operate best at a comfortable temperature, ” she explains. The issue, however, is about more than just running the A/C on high admits Michelle Bunker Malcho, of the Chevy Volt communications team at General Motors. At night when the temperature drops the milage goes back to normal (45 miles per charge) but during the day if its 100 degrees, I run the fan on HI in comfort mode, and get about 30.” “It’s been in the high 90’s, and I’m using air-conditioning and still driving the same speed…and my mileage has dropped to 32-33! I didn’t realize the air-conditioning sucks up that much power.”Īnother poster, with the handle HOUSTONVOLTAGE responds with a similar problem. “I’d been getting 43+ miles on battery since I got my Volt,” writes forum member Trakehner. In a thread on owners are reporting reduced electric only range by as much as 30 percent, and in some cases even more. In fact driver’s of the Chevy Volt extended range electric car are noticing reduced electric-only distances when the mercury spikes. It’s shaping up to be a hot summer, taxing not just electricity grids, but electric cars too. ![]()
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