Energy score unfair!
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No. Anytime you do more than precondition the cabin using HVAC (cooling and heating) the energy score is -5. If you precondition while the Volt is still plugged in before you start driving (more useful in cold weather) and then use only the fan you can get the Energy score to -2. The 2019 Volt has an updated Energy Usage on the information screen, breaking out lighting and other accessories.
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I agree with this. If the scoring system is designed, for whatever reason, to score you at the extreme when you're not using the extreme then it is meaningless.
With our 2016 Volt I never bother with the scoring system. I just drive and my wife and I have a good time traveling in the Volt. I do pay attention to the energy screen which states your electric mile traveled and gasoline used, I think this is the one that counts as it tells you quite accurately how you are doing with all factors, comfort control, road conditions, speed, etc. I believe the 2019 Volt will have quite a few soft improvements, and of course the 7.2 KWH charging rate is a big improvement in my opinion, but it should have been a standard feature not an option in the LT....
Same here, although I am sometimes "forced" to look at it as I was cycling through the screen.
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Yeah it's useless. I can set it to 80 and eco for A/C and it will still be -5. Seriously? At least the Gen 1 gave you a % of how much REAL-TIME power the HVAC system drew -- including whether it was using HEAT or A/C. WHY DID THEY GET RID OF THIS FROM THE GEN 1?
Instead, we got this useless score.
I will say, though, that the score will "improve" over time. I've seen at the beginning of the drive it will be -5 but then it may settle to -2.5 at the end of the drive. It seems to be more a cumulative indicator based on how much energy the HVAC system is drawing overall.
Instead, we got this useless score.
I will say, though, that the score will "improve" over time. I've seen at the beginning of the drive it will be -5 but then it may settle to -2.5 at the end of the drive. It seems to be more a cumulative indicator based on how much energy the HVAC system is drawing overall.
I tend not to pay attention to these kinds of metrics. They're supposed to help improve your efficiency but I'm not sure they do. Years ago I bought an 8-cylinder BMW X5 which had the instantaneous fuel consumption gauge. Being my first 8-cylinder vehicle I was using that gauge to improve my fuel economy. Eventually I got tired of doing that and just drove it like I would normally drive any vehicle. To my surprise I found my fuel economy improved a bit.
The climate score is NOT an automatic -5. Forgetting about ECO vs MAX for a minute, if the temp outside is 80 and you set it to 72, sure it will be -5 in not time. But if it's 80 outside, and your car is garaged, you can set the system to 78 and ECO, still get some cooling, and keep the gauge off -5. If you listen carefully you can hear the fan step down as you get closer to an equilibrium point. And if you keep the AC temperature a little higher, on some days you might even realize the heat has kicked in. Then it's time to back if off.
Bottom line: on all but the hottest days, I can usually be quite comfortable and frequently keep the climate score off -5. And much of the time I'm wearing a suit.
Bottom line: on all but the hottest days, I can usually be quite comfortable and frequently keep the climate score off -5. And much of the time I'm wearing a suit.
Yeah, I always precondition the car while plugged in, right after I wake up and prepare for work. After that, I sometimes turn it on and set all maximum settings for comfort while still plugged in for another 5 minutes before I leave for work. Then I switch to fan only, unplug and drive off. The residual heating or coolness can last me 25 miles before I turn on the eco mode.
It is the most boring screen indeed with not much info that I already know. Well, it insulted my driving skills even though I achieved 100 miles to a charge, it only gave me 3.5 for my driving technique. I used the paddle most of the time to achieve better range in city driving 25-35 mph speed limits.
But one day, I was able to score a perfect 5.0 but it was only achieved at 75 miles to a charge driving at 45-60 mph. The only difference is that I used mostly coasting to a stop and very gentle on the brake.
It seems that the scoring isn't calibrated with real life use but based on what the GM Engineers think about real world driving and program the criteria for the scores.
0Volt5perfectIMG_9603 by Joe Real, on Flickr
It is the most boring screen indeed with not much info that I already know. Well, it insulted my driving skills even though I achieved 100 miles to a charge, it only gave me 3.5 for my driving technique. I used the paddle most of the time to achieve better range in city driving 25-35 mph speed limits.
But one day, I was able to score a perfect 5.0 but it was only achieved at 75 miles to a charge driving at 45-60 mph. The only difference is that I used mostly coasting to a stop and very gentle on the brake.
It seems that the scoring isn't calibrated with real life use but based on what the GM Engineers think about real world driving and program the criteria for the scores.
0Volt5perfectIMG_9603 by Joe Real, on Flickr1 - 14 of 14 Posts
