[cjaama]

My father has a 2014 Premier Volt in Siren Red, which he bought as a CPO about two years ago. My parents live in a heavily deer infested area. A deer ran into the side of his car last summer, which caused pretty decent damage. I got a text this morning that he hit (or got hit, I’m not sure) another deer. He said he wants to get rid of it, because he thinks deer can’t hear it. I told him he was nuts, that any car moving at speed still makes plenty of noise regardless of an engine and that he wasn’t exactly driving V8’s with straight pipes prior to buying the Volt. Unfortunately, both times the car left him stranded after the hit due to mechanical failure, so that annoyed him (don’t really have much details on this at the moment).
He’s mentioned recently that he wants to get into an AWD vehicle and I think this deer thing is another excuse to trade the Volt for an AWD. I’d like him to keep it, since I think he’d take a bath on the trade and because I want the whole world driving EV’s of some sort.
As I mentioned, I told him being an EV shouldn’t make much of a difference when doing 45-55mph compared to an ICE vehicle of about the same size, especially considering he’s still wearing snows (unstudded, but still louder than the low-resistance stockers). What do you guys think? I’m sure he’s just freaking out because he caught two deer in less than a year and it’s been a long time since he hit any deer. I also think deer are particularly in abundance at the moment and perhaps spastic.

 

[SSonnentag]

Agree. The Volt makes just as much noise as an other non-performance car at highway speeds.

 

[G-PA]

Agreed. Too many deer. In most parts of Wisconsin, there are more deer than people. Very common to see deer carcass by the side of the road. Very uncommon to see another Volt.

 

[caskConditionedAle]

Listen kid, let the old man drive what he wants. In what few years he has left, he should be happy. That's what I say to my kids all the time.

I'll bet a Hummer will have no problem surviving a deer hit or two.

 

[cjaama]

I forgot to mention, I read this forum post, which is pretty interesting. I'm going to continue to research it and if it holds true, I'll suggest the electronic version of a deer whistle. I've long known the air-powered whistles were useless.
http://www.thevog.net/threads/deer-whistles-do-they-really-work-an-in-depth-report-by-fred-rau.3439/

 

[Dutch]

Listen kid, let the old man drive what he wants. In what few years he has left, he should be happy. That's what I say to my kids all the time.

I'll bet a Hummer will have no problem surviving a deer hit or two.

Oh I wish I still had the photos of my cousin's H2 after a deer impact. It was UGLY. The deer didn't hit and "fly over" it just HIT and the front end collapsed.

Having said that, I think part of the problem might just be the lack of sidespill with the Volt headlights. I know I've been a lot happier once I installed the Hexfires on mine so I had a wider swatch of light. (I drive a rural route near the Shenandoah Mountains so I'm dealing with tons of Deer, black bear, and smaller critters like fox, raccoon, possum, et-al)

 

[Barry]

I don't think these cars are too quiet. Plenty of tire noise at speed, just like other similar cars. You can't tell the difference at speed. Deer collisions should be of equal likelihood. I personally have had no deer trouble with mine, but I totaled a previous car with a deer.

BUT, If the man has lost confidence in the car, there is no point in fighting it. You may want him in a EV, but you don't want him giving a negative answer every time someone asks him about it. Plus, he has a legitimate gripe if the car was un-driveable after each accident. He should get what makes him comfortable. Maybe an AWD vehicle with a rhino bar across the front of it.

 

[Mister Dave]

Unfortunately, both times the car left him stranded after the hit due to mechanical failure, so that annoyed him (don’t really have much details on this at the moment).

He has a point.

Listen kid, let the old man drive what he wants. In what few years he has left, he should be happy.

+1

 

[SteveSeattle]

I don't want to be too controversial, but I feel sorry for the deer living in a human infested area. ;-)

 

[volt spain]

Any hope with "deer ultrasonic device" in front of the car ?.

 

[Mister Dave]

 

[KenC]

Even if hitting the deer was random coincidence, the issue is being stranded afterward. What is it about the Volt that left him stranded instead of being able to drive home. It's happened twice, so let him get the car he wants and be done with it. No need to fight a battle he'll only be unhappy about.

 

[hellsop]

Even if hitting the deer was random coincidence, the issue is being stranded afterward. What is it about the Volt that left him stranded instead of being able to drive home. It's happened twice, so let him get the car he wants and be done with it. No need to fight a battle he'll only be unhappy about.

Heh. MOST cars will strand you after hitting a deer at any appreciable speed. You'll have an engine compartment full of deer-gore, probably all the coolant all over the road, good odds of a shattered windshield, an airbag in your lap, and ringing ears. There's usually thousands of dollars of damage. If you want something that reliably won't strand you after hitting deer, get a dump truck.

 

[Barry]

The Ford Crown Victoria that I was driving was not disabled. The car was totaled mostly due to cosmetic damage. The only functional problem was a dangling side view mirror.

I think the Volt has some kind of accident sensor that disconnects the high voltage battery and may make the car undrivable even if the actual damage would not otherwise make the car undrivable. A dealer has to reset it. My Ford had something similar to shut off the fuel pump, but it was not triggered, and I think it is easily reset by a button in the trunk.

 

[Mister Dave]

Heh. MOST cars will strand you after hitting a deer at any appreciable speed. You'll have an engine compartment full of deer-gore, probably all the coolant all over the road,

I hear that deer can fly..... right up and over the Volt. http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?283954-Level-1-EVSE-Voltec-for-sale-quot-cuase-deer-fly!&highlight=deer+fly

 

[KenC]

Heh. MOST cars will strand you after hitting a deer at any appreciable speed. You'll have an engine compartment full of deer-gore, probably all the coolant all over the road, good odds of a shattered windshield, an airbag in your lap, and ringing ears. There's usually thousands of dollars of damage. If you want something that reliably won't strand you after hitting deer, get a dump truck.

Oh? Didn't know that. I live in Maine where there are lots of deer strikes, never ever seen a car stranded after a deer strike. I've hit two deer in my old Saab, and besides a broken mirror and dented door, had no issues, driving away. The deer just bounced off and ran away. No blood and guts. Yes, I was doing 45mph. What you describe sounds more like hitting a moose!

 

[snic]

Yes, I was doing 45mph.

And the deer were running in the same direction at 40 mph?

 

[Taser54]

Just keep him from driving after dark

 

[KenC]

And the deer were running in the same direction at 40 mph?

Typically, they bound across the road, so the collision speed is neither additive or subtractive.