Greetings, Volters! I'm on the verge of buying a 2017 Volt - hopefully this coming Monday 
I was thinking about the MPG rating of the gas engine, which I believe is 42 mpg. As an owner of Prius and Civic hybrids, I became adept at stretching the mileage ratings of those vehicles by 10% or more.
So, I was wondering if I could do the same with the Volt, but I don't think it's possible. Since the gas engine is basically an electricity generator, isn't it true that my driving skills wouldn't have an impact on the MPG? In other words, no matter how fast or slow I drive the gas engine will still spin at the same rate and use the same amount of gas while it's generating more electricity?
Or, does it slow down (or even stop) once the battery reaches a certain level of charge, and then if I drive judiciously and maximize the use of the battery it would delay a restart of the gas motor - thus improving the MPG?
I was thinking about the MPG rating of the gas engine, which I believe is 42 mpg. As an owner of Prius and Civic hybrids, I became adept at stretching the mileage ratings of those vehicles by 10% or more.
So, I was wondering if I could do the same with the Volt, but I don't think it's possible. Since the gas engine is basically an electricity generator, isn't it true that my driving skills wouldn't have an impact on the MPG? In other words, no matter how fast or slow I drive the gas engine will still spin at the same rate and use the same amount of gas while it's generating more electricity?
Or, does it slow down (or even stop) once the battery reaches a certain level of charge, and then if I drive judiciously and maximize the use of the battery it would delay a restart of the gas motor - thus improving the MPG?