[PanJet]

I read a lot of folks on here who claim they are easily getting 40-45 or even higher MPG when running on gas. I’ve had my 2018 about six months and driven about 7,500 miles with about 2,000 miles on gas - mostly over a few longer trips but a handful of short trips around town beyond the battery range for the day. I’ve found I’m usually getting only about 39-40 mpg. My Voltstats figure shows my lifetime MPGcs at 39.0, yet that still shows me in the 69th percentile meaning I’m still getting better gas milage than the large majority of Volts out there (granted, I think Voltstats combines Gen 1 and Gen 2). I’m really curious how people are getting 45 and higher MPG on gas. I do drive moderately aggressively, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Even when I drive slow and steady around town (hybrids do better around town than standard ICE), I still barely crack 41 on a good day.

 

[UtahK]

Here in Utah, 85 octane gas is sold as "regular". I get much better mileage burning true 87 octane gas in my Gen 2.

Costco doesn't sell 87 octane "mid-grade" so I blend my own by filling up with 1 part 91 octane and 2 parts 85 octane.

 

[vectormax]

I have a 66 mile commute. I’ve found that the trick is to use the engine when I can get the highest mpg. So I put it on hold on level sections of the highway and speeds below 65, for approx 9 miles or .10 gals of fuel. Averaging 52 mpg on gas. I’m then able to complete the rest of my commute on electric, arriving home with 2 to 6 miles of EV range left.

 

[Sheldon]

I read a lot of folks on here who claim they are easily getting 40-45 or even higher MPG when running on gas. I’ve had my 2018 about six months and driven about 7,500 miles with about 2,000 miles on gas - mostly over a few longer trips but a handful of short trips around town beyond the battery range for the day. I’ve found I’m usually getting only about 39-40 mpg. My Voltstats figure shows my lifetime MPGcs at 39.0, yet that still shows me in the 69th percentile meaning I’m still getting better gas milage than the large majority of Volts out there (granted, I think Voltstats combines Gen 1 and Gen 2). I’m really curious how people are getting 45 and higher MPG on gas. I do drive moderately aggressively, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Even when I drive slow and steady around town (hybrids do better around town than standard ICE), I still barely crack 41 on a good day.

See this thread https://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?326947-What-is-the-MPG-when-using-just-the-gas-generator. Make sure you inflate the tires properly (37-38psi). The mpg will be a little bit lower in cold/hot weather. After the first 1000-1500 miles gasoline (which you've reached), your ICE engine and the planetary gear set should be broken in, which will also improve gasoline mileage a little.

The sweet spot for gen2 ICE mpg seems to be driving around 50-65mph. Here are my personal results. I have a carefully maintained spreadsheet where I split up my results by months. My ICE only turns on for road trips so my engine is warmed up for most of these miles. Most of my road trips are pure interstate driving but some road trips were at slower speeds. I divide my monthly ICE mpg results into two groups.

• 38mpg ICE over 2200 miles on interstates at 72-80mph mostly in hot/cold weather.
• 44mpg ICE over 680 miles at slower speeds and milder weather conditions. Both speed and mild weather help!
• 39mpg ICE overall 2890 miles combined over both of these two groups; which also matches your overall ICE mpg

My gen2 drive is capable of getting impressive mpg figures even though my overall ICE mpg average is dominated by interstate mileage. This chart is a conglomeration of all of the gen2 data I could find here on gm-volt, along with my experiences; mpg in mild weather with moderate AC and heat.

 

[P0234]

Keep it under 60 and you will get around 50mpg. Once you get over 75 you are looking at high 30s. The volt is no Prius when using the ICE.

 

[Edward Tyer]

I-95 to 1600 miles from NC to Miami .....cruise set on 80 mph but bursts to 90 to get in the right lane. In other words I best the sxxx out of it. Or you could say I treated it like my other car, a 2018 SS Camaro. Mild temps. 2 Passengers and luggage....
36 MPG

Ok What would a Prius have done? I really want to know? Does anyone ever drive a Prius like that....seems they are mostly in the slow lane.

 

[alfon]

We have both a 2010 Prius and a 2016 Volt Premier. Gas only mpg on our Volt for 16,000 miles per voltstats.net is nearly 49 mpg. Gas is for the most part Costco regular 87 octane, the least expensive gas in the area. During the summer many of our trips were over 50 mpg on the Volt for just gas. A few summer trips, 130 miles round trip or so, were high 50's to low 60's mpg on the Volt. Pretty much what our Prius would have obtained perhaps the Volt did even better.

Winter the Prius takes a bigger hit on mpg's than the Volt. Right now the Prius is averaging 45-48 mpg , winter conditions. The Volt can still obtain high 40's to even low 50's mpg's this time of year on trips just on gas only.

 

[obermd]

The volt is no Prius when using the ICE.

Thank God

 

[obermd]

I-95 to 1600 miles from NC to Miami .....cruise set on 80 mph but bursts to 90 to get in the right lane. In other words I best the sxxx out of it. Or you could say I treated it like my other car, a 2018 SS Camaro. Mild temps. 2 Passengers and luggage....
36 MPG

Ok What would a Prius have done? I really want to know? Does anyone ever drive a Prius like that....seems they are mostly in the slow lane.

The Prius doesn't have the acceleration of the Volt, so you can't do bursts of acceleration at high speed.

 

[obermd]

I read a lot of folks on here who claim they are easily getting 40-45 or even higher MPG when running on gas. I’ve had my 2018 about six months and driven about 7,500 miles with about 2,000 miles on gas - mostly over a few longer trips but a handful of short trips around town beyond the battery range for the day. I’ve found I’m usually getting only about 39-40 mpg. My Voltstats figure shows my lifetime MPGcs at 39.0, yet that still shows me in the 69th percentile meaning I’m still getting better gas milage than the large majority of Volts out there (granted, I think Voltstats combines Gen 1 and Gen 2). I’m really curious how people are getting 45 and higher MPG on gas. I do drive moderately aggressively, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Even when I drive slow and steady around town (hybrids do better around town than standard ICE), I still barely crack 41 on a good day.

It takes 5 to 8,000 miles for an ICE engine to break in. During this time the engine efficiency will improve. The time you're on battery doesn't count towards this break in. Also, boost your tire pressure to 40 PSI (you can go as high as the Sidewall pressure but the Volt's tire/suspension combo really gets harsh above 42 PSI or so on the OEM tires).

Sheldon's graph of MPH vs. MPG is basically right. My experience is my MPG tends to run a little higher, but I live in Colorado with thinner air and serious hills. The Volt's downhill regen is better than 80% efficient so I get a lot of natural Pulse & Glide hypermiling improvements even when running at a steady speed on cruise control.

On my two round trips from Denver to New Hampshire I averaged 38-40 MPG while running on gas. On long road trips I set the cruise control at the highway posted speed limit or one - two over as I've discovered that's as fast as it's safe to drive across many States. In cities and towns I set it to the posted speed limit.

I agree with UtahK, if your local "regular" is 85 octane, either find a pump with 87 octane or mix your own while filling. GM's Ecotech line of engines do NOT like 85 octane.

 

[mrick]

Still new to Volt world. I try to ice out on highway only. I try to leave about 5 miles on the battery at end of day. That way any additional drive to the store is battery. In the morning when I get on the highway, I find a rocking chair place, set the cruise and switch to hold for a few miles - usually at about 65. When I get closer to my destination or if I enter stop and go traffic or if I exit the highway, I switch back to Normal and drive on the batter.

My theory is if you have ice out, do so on the freeway and out of traffic.

 

[jcanoe]

Still new to Volt world. I try to ice out on highway only. I try to leave about 5 miles on the battery at end of day. That way any additional drive to the store is battery. In the morning when I get on the highway, I find a rocking chair place, set the cruise and switch to hold for a few miles - usually at about 65. When I get closer to my destination or if I enter stop and go traffic or if I exit the highway, I switch back to Normal and drive on the batter.

My theory is if you have ice out, do so on the freeway and out of traffic.

When you use Hold Mode, watch the engine coolant temperature. It takes at least ~8-10 miles of highway driving to get the engine coolant to 185F or higher; a fully warmed engine should be your goal when you use the gas engine. There is no need to switch back to Normal mode in traffic. The Volt will stop/start the gas engine as needed while you drive in Hold Mode. You can observe this on the Energy Information screen propulsion graphic.

 

[mjones21]

I have about 7500 miles on my Volt, which are probably around 80% electric, so presumably not past the break in period, either. I tend to get up to the mid-high 40s MPG in warmer weather, high 30s in colder weather on smooth highway driving using the ICE around 60 or so MPH. Stop and go and city driving can drop me into the low-30s.

 

[VoltenRock]

My experience with my '17 was similar. The Gen 2 is MUCH more sensitive to temperature, terrain, and speed--and it takes a few thousand miles to break in. Also, I noticed a difference with the winter vs. summer blend of gasoline. However, I can now get upwards of 40-45 in perfect temps and conditions.

I will say though there is a part of me that believes the rated number also reflects how much it "borrows" from the battery in power split mode (and doesn't "put it back" from the ICE into the battery). Watch the energy usage and you'll see how often the battery provides energy. Not sure what that means, but my Gen 2 Volt's CITY gas MPG can often be outrageously high.

My Gen 1 Volt would pretty much stay the same 37-40 under all conditions, but it was a much different setup for the use of the gas engine.

 

[Don M]

I’m really curious how people are getting 45 and higher MPG on gas. I do drive moderately aggressively, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Even when I drive slow and steady around town (hybrids do better around town than standard ICE), I still barely crack 41 on a good day.

'Moderately aggressive' driving will never get you great mileage and any mix that includes around town driving will also kill your average. The Volt gets it's best mileage at 50 to 55 without a stop sign in sight. When on those kinds of roads, I usually switch to Hold Mode so as to make sure there's plenty of EV range left for the stop and go stuff

Don

 

[Sabuu]

I-95 to 1600 miles from NC to Miami .....cruise set on 80 mph but bursts to 90 to get in the right lane. In other words I best the sxxx out of it. Or you could say I treated it like my other car, a 2018 SS Camaro. Mild temps. 2 Passengers and luggage....
36 MPG

Ok What would a Prius have done? I really want to know? Does anyone ever drive a Prius like that....seems they are mostly in the slow lane.

When I owned my '10 Prius, this is essentially how I drove on I-35 between Austin and Waco, if memory serves me right I averaged 40-41mpg over the course of a ~300mi round trip made every few months

Honestly, the way I drive I'd rarely hit 50s for mpg in my Prius, hah. I averaged 45s - but you also wouldn't find me in the slow lane, or slowing down the fast lane.

 

[KenC]

...My gen2 drive is capable of getting impressive mpg figures even though my overall ICE mpg average is dominated by interstate mileage. This chart is a conglomeration of all of the gen2 data I could find here on gm-volt, along with my experiences; mpg in mild weather with moderate AC and heat.

That's exactly what my Gen 2 did. I just traded in my 16 yesterday, and I looked at all my stats, 40.26mpg for 7800 ICE miles driven almost exclusively on highways at between 72 and 73mph. Sheldon's chart shows just a touch over 40mpg at that speed.

 

[mrick]

When you use Hold Mode, watch the engine coolant temperature. It takes at least ~8-10 miles of highway driving to get the engine coolant to 185F or higher; a fully warmed engine should be your goal when you use the gas engine. There is no need to switch back to Normal mode in traffic. The Volt will stop/start the gas engine as needed while you drive in Hold Mode. You can observe this on the Energy Information screen propulsion graphic.

Thanks for the tip. I am usually in hold for only about 5 to 8 miles. Just enough to pad me to drive battery the rest of the way and back. Since I don't have quite enough battery for my current daily commute plus a trip to the local grocery, I thought it best to get the ICE miles on the highway.

 

[hellsop]

Thanks for the tip. I am usually in hold for only about 5 to 8 miles. Just enough to pad me to drive battery the rest of the way and back. Since I don't have quite enough battery for my current daily commute plus a trip to the local grocery, I thought it best to get the ICE miles on the highway.

Seems like it's best not to be on the highway at all. At least if there's a nice 55 MPH county road going in the same direction... You could trade 20% more time for 20% less fuel.

 

[mrick]

Seems like it's best not to be on the highway at all. At least if there's a nice 55 MPH county road going in the same direction... You could trade 20% more time for 20% less fuel.

Or to be on the highway less. The Waze APP rules my world but there are times I take the street route. Especially when I get close. I live in Texas. It is a state of toll roads now. I probably should put that in my signature.