[STEPHEN HASKILL]

I live in the Blue Ridge of VA so see little of the Interstate system. Had the car a month now and doing close t0 265 miles /charge. Last night took 3 other adults down into Franklin County moonshine country and came back up the mountain on a road not usable by trucks. Amazing power and silent. Commuting is a different drive then climbing 2000 ft. in the dark and getting up the twisty road before you know it not even realizing you were climbing. Incredible drivers car. Really is a "hot hatch".

 

[freshcut]

No experience with the Bolt, but definitely love the climbing power of my Gen 1 Volt. In my previous '94 Olds (3.1L) I noticed some decrease in climbing speed when going to the LA area with a climb from an elevation of about 900 at the base to 4400 or so at the peak. The Volt can maintain 70 and even accelerate where the Olds was lucky to maintain 65. Definitely loving my experience with electric propulsion.

 

[Dutch]

I live in the Blue Ridge of VA so see little of the Interstate system. Had the car a month now and doing close t0 265 miles /charge. Last night took 3 other adults down into Franklin County moonshine country and came back up the mountain on a road not usable by trucks. Amazing power and silent. Commuting is a different drive then climbing 2000 ft. in the dark and getting up the twisty road before you know it not even realizing you were climbing. Incredible drivers car. Really is a "hot hatch".

Agreed. another forum member let me drive his Bolt EV and I was amazed! Won't be long before some people put stickier tires on them and give 'em an autocross run or something similar!

 

[llninja]

Sadly, IL is flatter than flat, no windy, twisty mountain roads to speak of here. Plus no Bolts until later this year for us. That's OK I don't want one anyway.

 

[Norton]

..... I noticed some decrease in climbing speed when going to the LA area with a climb from an elevation of about 900 at the base to 4400 or so at the peak. The Volt can maintain 70 and even accelerate ....

And Bolts and Volts (when operating as an EV) DON'T lose power at high altitudes the way non-turbo gassers do!
You have the exact same amount of power at 14k ft. on the top of Pikes Peakas you do at sea level!

If you run the Volt hybrid battery buffer out on the ascent you have way less than a 84 HP Volt trying to climb a mountain on gas only...

 

[Slotracer577]

The power loss on pikes peak is huge. When racing there we dynoed just above Glenn cove which is about half way up and the power at that elevation was about half of sea level. I would expect that you make maybe 35% or so at the top. Even in Colorado Springs it's a 25% loss due to elevation.
Turbos don't make up for all the power loss. On the tdi's they start reducing boost above 4000ft to prevent the turbo from spinning too fast. Electric is pretty amazing at elevation and that is one of the reasons EV's have done so well on the peak.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Sadly, IL is flatter than flat, no windy, twisty mountain roads to speak of here.

Look on the bright side - that's a great thing for electric range!

 

[BAZINGA]

My son was stationed at Cheynne Mountain in COS with his 2010 Camaro SS and he said as soon as he got on 70 east bound back home to St Louis the Camaro got it's V8 back. He said in COS it felt like a V6.

 

[gbobman]

And Bolts and Volts (when operating as an EV) DON'T lose power at high altitudes the way non-turbo gassers do!
You have the exact same amount of power at 14k ft. on the top of Pikes Peakas you do at sea level!...

I have to say, I can attest to that. Just went up there towards Pikes Peak as well as Georgetown and fairly smoked everything on the way up. Funny watching the same guy in the SUV riding my ass on the way down a section and totally falling back on an up-slope. Cruise control.

 

[gbobman]

Double post, somehow...