[sharkbait]

I have heard some people complain about the Volt's programming that runs the gas engine in colder weather. I find it a tiny bit annoying if I know I am only driving a few miles, but a welcome alternative to the hardships I had to endure driving a base model Leaf in sub-freezing weather.

The already limited range Leaf would suffer up to a 66% loss of range if I set the heat to a comfortable level, and at least a 25% loss if I just used the heated seats and steering wheel. I frequently would bundle up in a ski jacket, gloves and hat to drive the car. Unfortunately, my need to breathe required me to at least run the defrost fan so I could see out the windows. Limiting it to blowing cold air to preserve range was slightly more fun than a shoving a sharp stick in my eye, slightly. Even with thick wool socks, my feet would be frozen half the time.

Don't get me wrong. I liked the Leaf and I knew about its limitations. Plotting out my day on google maps each night and using range saving tricks to make it home without a tow was actually a fun little challenge for me. But every time I hear my new Volt's engine kick on due to temperature, it brings a smile to my face knowing I have nothing to worry about regarding range or comfort today.

 

[Roostre]

Awesome.

Exactly why we now have 2 Volts in the garage. Loved the Leaf, but the cold weather limits made the wife stress too much. Happy wife, happy life.

 

[radx4]

Yeah, the complaint isn't that the Volt has ERDTT. It's that you can't disable it and it runs in the least efficient way possible.

It's great that you like ERDTT and it works well in your situation. In my case, it's a complete waste as I'm not running cabin heat. But it runs the engine anyway and wastes gas. Fortunately, it wasn't very cold this year, and I didn't get ERDTT at all. Last year was a different story.

 

[BAZINGA]

Driving a modern day Leaf sounds exactly like driving a VW Bug. My 72 Super Beetle couldn't generate any significant heat and I was living in Naples Italy where it never got below freezing. I learned to carry a rag in the car to clear the windows from fogging just from me breathing.

 

[Shivetya]

what is the temperature setting for ERDTT?

As for Beetles, I remember a high school buddies whose Beetle had a gasoline fired heater. As in, just turn it on at night in cold PA weather and the car is toasty

 

[BAZINGA]

what is the temperature setting for ERDTT?

As for Beetles, I remember a high school buddies whose Beetle had a gasoline fired heater. As in, just turn it on at night in cold PA weather and the car is toasty

Ahh yes, mine tried to take heat off the exhaust manifold. It was a joke.

 

[Fyodor]

what is the temperature setting for ERDTT?

As for Beetles, I remember a high school buddies whose Beetle had a gasoline fired heater. As in, just turn it on at night in cold PA weather and the car is toasty

Those heaters worked pretty well until you got the car up to highway speed. Then you had to have a scraper in one hand to clear the frost off the inside of the windshield. I wish I'd had the chance to spend the winter in southern Italy instead.

BTW, I took my Leaf test drive on a cold day in January 2012. Next stop the Chev dealer, and the rest is history.