[Even-Steven]

Would the Gen 2 Volt be a good vehicle to use for commuting? The trip is 75 mile one way.
Mostly Hwy, high spped 40 miles @ 80 mph, 30miles @ 55mph, 5 miles @40 mph.
This will be a two year contract job, I do NOT believe I will be able to charge in the parking lot.

I've owned a 2014 volt for about year and a half and loved every minute of driving it.
It got traded for a VWsportwagon diesel - also a fantastic vehicle - minus the emission scandal.

I've had the chance to drive the Gen2 Volt for a day.
Fantastic car, much improved, mostly due to feedback from Gen 1 users. But still has a horrible blind spot, no lumbar adjustment, no sunroof option. The rest I can live with. added EV range is nice added power is awesome.
The cabin seemed quiet, nice driving dynamics, hugged the road well. Spare tire option is nice.

The question(s) of the day:
Knowing that the Volt (or other electric cars beside Tesla) was made for city or 50-60 mile commute.
Can the VOlt happily handle 60 and 80+ Mph drive for a longer period of time?
Should I look at the Cruise diesel instead? I would much prefer the EV and not deal with Diesel again- it is a dying breed.
Any other suitable car you could think of for eating up highspeed hwy miles, in an efficient comfortable way without dumping $50K or more?

Thanks

 

[Slotracer577]

Have you looked at a Bolt? It should do that trip pretty easily unless it it really cold or windy even then it should do it. I got back in our G2 Volt last night and after driving the Bolt regularly I really like the Bolt more. You sit up higher, visibility is better, it's faster and one foot driving is making me lazy.

 

[alfon]

With a Gen 2 Volt I would imagine at 80 mph speed it would be wise to just use the gas engine in hold mode. You should get 40 mpg's or so at that speed. At 55 mph I would use electric and of course at 40 mph as well. If you can charge up at work that would be a big help. You should be able to get 50 miles of electric range,if you can charge at work, a total of course of 100 miles of electric. For the total trip I would say you would probably would use somewhere around 2 gallons of gas.

 

[viking79]

The Volt should have no problem handling 100 mph for sustained travel (maybe 60 hp continuous for Volt). I haven't tested that, but 80 mph sustained is fine (only takes around 30 to 40 hp continuous for the Volt). The genset has more than enough power to maintain that unless steep mountain pass, and gen 2 might not actually need mountain mode even, it has a more powerful engine. The gen 2 has a 100 hp engine, so even running 100 mph continuous you are only loading it 50 or 60% on flat ground with no wind.

A Prius or something would probably be less expensive to operate in those situations, but not a huge difference. Break even point for energy use for Gen 2 might be around 150 miles per charge opportunity, after that the Prius's higher MPG will probably win out. I haven't calculated this directly, just guessing.

 

[jcanoe]

You could use the Volt in Normal (EV) mode for the part of your trip that is 40 - 55 mph and use Hold mode for the 80mph portion of the trip. This will maximize the battery range, not that the Volt cannot achieve its top speed of 102mph in EV mode just doing so will draw down the battery faster.

 

[caskConditionedAle]

I'll bet the gen 2 drive train improvements take the Prius out of contention. Remember, even the Prius mpg suffers at 80 mph. Tests performed by jrrosen confirm the gen 2 highway (70+ mph) mpg in the mid 40's. I'm a former Prius driver and I used to brag about my 60 mpg average for a tank of gas. The truth is, that was at less than 40 mph. Take the Prius up to 70+ mph and you'll also see mpg's in the mid to upper 40's.

 

[alfon]

We have a 2010 Prius and at 70 MPH indicated mpg is about 47-48 mpg, which is actually 44-45 mpg as the computer is off between 3 to 3.5 miles per gallon consistently after 155,000 miles. Now below that speed 35-55 mph range overall mpg in summer is usually between 53-57 mpg calculated not by computer readout. So it would be pretty close to a Gen 2 Volt at 70+ mph highway speed.

 

[Loboc]

Get a used ELR and drive the crap out of it.

Lumbar support is standard. ACC is an option, but, not a lot of money in the used car market. Easily cruises at 80mph or more with low engine noise due to Bose noise suppression. MPG is not as good as some, but, getting there rested instead of stressed is worth something.

I drive mine on an 800mi RT 4 or 5 times a year. Best road car I have ever owned. And I've had some really good ones. Grand Marquis, Eldorado, Cougar, Magnum, Toronado.

 

[Jmaj]

I test drove a Cruze diesel and got 45 mpg at 75 mpg. Owners report the DIC readout is about 10% low vs actual so I might have been getting 50.

 

[alfon]

The problem with the Cruze diesel is the added expense in operation. You have to fill the Urea tank every few thousand miles and the Urea fluid is not free. Also diesel fuel is more expensive in most places than good ole regular 87 octane gasoline. Here in northwestern Oregon diesel is $2.639 per gallon and regular gas, $2.459 / per gallon.

Back in the Urea free diesel days, and equipped with a long legged 6 speed manual transmission the Cruze Diesel would have been on my short list.

 

[Bacardi]

A Civic with all active safety features including ACC is like $20K, that would be my vote for a compact vehicle...They even offer a hatchback...

 

[VoltHandler]

Just finished a 3,600 mile road trip in our 2017 Volt. ... Highway mileage for trip with no electric charging except for the downhill regen sections averaged 44.7 mpg. ... This was with a fully loaded car, trunk and backseat filled with luggage, full size spare tire, tools, cooler, and my wife and I. ... Travel areas were in the Sierras, and desert southwest with lots of elevation gains up to 9000 feet. ... Drove mostly between 75 and 85 mph with traffic flow. ... I'm 6' 2" and 295# and was a bit concerned about comfort but even with 600 mile days always finished the day refreshed with no aches or pain. ... Last trip to this area was with our Cadillac CTS and my wife and I both preferred the Gen 2 Volt.
Things we liked;
* Of course the mileage, ... more than double what our Cadillac averages at these speeds.
* The ability to pass as needed, anywhere, no mater the elevation ... the torque really stands out the higher the elevation.
* The quietness and comfortable ride. ... The lack of noise at higher speeds and when passing is superb. ... The Cadillac handles just a bit better but the Volt rides more comfortably and is much quieter.
* My wife really liked the Internet hotspot with the $20/month unlimited data plan which allowed her to work while I drove throughout our trip.
*The navigation system was seamless and accurate during the trip and easy to navigate the menus as needed.
* An last but most cherished, I absolutely loved the Adaptive Cruise Control especially on the last leg of our trip up the length of Interstate 5 from LA to the Oregon Border on Memorial day. Sections of which varied from 0 to 85 mph and I never had to touch either the brake or throttle, the car just maintained a safe distance all day! ... This is the one option I will always make sure is on the option list for all future vehicle purchases.

 

[Jmaj]

The problem with the Cruze diesel is the added expense in operation. You have to fill the Urea tank ...

Urea consumption is like 1% of the fuel. Negligible.
Just priced a diesel at 21,800 OTD didn't bother to haggle out the last buck. At least 4000 cheaper than I could get a Volt, tax credit included.
I could also point out it more expensive to register and insure a Volt.

 

[Qinsp]

The Volt is very stable at higher speeds. It has the feel of a larger car than it is at high speed cruising.
But it is also very nimble and surefooted if you need to throw it around.

If you ignore the whole powertrain issue, the Volt is excellent as an 80+ mph cruiser.
But the fact it get good mileage and has instant punch is icing on the cake. It accelerates WAY faster than most economy focused cars at 75 mph. And like above, has great punch in thin air where ICE cars feel very sluggish.

 

[alfon]

Just finished a 3,600 mile road trip in our 2017 Volt. ... Highway mileage for trip with no electric charging except for the downhill regen sections averaged 44.7 mpg. ... This was with a fully loaded car, trunk and backseat filled with luggage, full size spare tire, tools, cooler, and my wife and I. ... Travel areas were in the Sierras, and desert southwest with lots of elevation gains up to 9000 feet. ... Drove mostly between 75 and 85 mph with traffic flow. ... I'm 6' 2" and 295# and was a bit concerned about comfort but even with 600 mile days always finished the day refreshed with no aches or pain. ... Last trip to this area was with our Cadillac CTS and my wife and I both preferred the Gen 2 Volt.
Things we liked;
* Of course the mileage, ... more than double what our Cadillac averages at these speeds.
* The ability to pass as needed, anywhere, no mater the elevation ... the torque really stands out the higher the elevation.
* The quietness and comfortable ride. ... The lack of noise at higher speeds and when passing is superb. ... The Cadillac handles just a bit better but the Volt rides more comfortably and is much quieter.
* My wife really liked the Internet hotspot with the $20/month unlimited data plan which allowed her to work while I drove throughout our trip.
*The navigation system was seamless and accurate during the trip and easy to navigate the menus as needed.
* An last but most cherished, I absolutely loved the Adaptive Cruise Control especially on the last leg of our trip up the length of Interstate 5 from LA to the Oregon Border on Memorial day. Sections of which varied from 0 to 85 mph and I never had to touch either the brake or throttle, the car just maintained a safe distance all day! ... This is the one option I will always make sure is on the option list for all future vehicle purchases.

Thats pretty darn good gas mileage for going that fast and with a pretty full load as well. I think more than a few people forget how fuel efficient the 2016-17 Volt gasoline engine is. At 80 MPH I doubt if even our 2010 Prius would get much more than 40 mpg.

Our 2016 Volt on recent trips down the coast of Oregon via Highway 101, 25-55 mph speeds, on a few fishing trips to the Tillamook rivers the gas engine has been delivering a true 50 mpg, along with a 65+ miles of electric travel.

 

[Even-Steven]

Get a used ELR and drive the crap out of it.
....

Yes, That is a great idea, but my search of a used ELR does not come back with a stellar report.
2014 - that is a 3-year-old ELR most with at least 30,000 miles is around $28,000. It has a shorter EV range too, but the car body surly looks good.
I hope that Ican score a new VoLt for less... I think... with $7500 rebate.
thank you all for the feed back on your travels with your VOLT at 80mph.

 

[mikenky]

16 volt mpg

on a 800 mile trip from frankfort,ky to baton rouge on gas only i averaged 35 mpg running on cruise at 78 mph. i had a 2011 that would only get 30 mpg. thats with 2 people and coolers, luggage and 2 small dogs.

 

[llninja]

Yes, That is a great idea, but my search of a used ELR does not come back with a stellar report.
2014 - that is a 3-year-old ELR most with at least 30,000 miles is around $28,000. It has a shorter EV range too, but the car body surly looks good.
I hope that Ican score a new VoLt for less... I think... with $7500 rebate.
thank you all for the feed back on your travels with your VOLT at 80mph.

You can have my volt, I'll take the ELR in a heartbeat. Sometimes I wish the car wasn't so solid and trouble-free, or someone would t-bone me so I have an excuse to get an ELR.

I have a 50-60 mile daily commute with my g1, and my lifetime mpg on the dash is around 70 mpg. I don't drive 80 mph, though, but with a g2 and 80 mph, you should be able to exceed my numbers. But don't think this is a great excuse to go out and buy a new car. It takes a while lot of miles with very expensive $4 per gallon gas to be able to break even vs. a paid-for 20 mpg gas guzzler plus premium fuel. After fuel prices dropped, in 2014/15, ithe ROI wasn't there. My only condolence was that I wasn't paying for additional maintenance on the old beater, the newer car was, well, new.

 

[thetoad]

Urea consumption is like 1% of the fuel. Negligible.
Just priced a diesel at 21,800 OTD didn't bother to haggle out the last buck. At least 4000 cheaper than I could get a Volt, tax credit included.
I could also point out it more expensive to register and insure a Volt.

really? I could have gotten a Volt LT for $28-29K without any haggling (and that's before the $9500 in rebates available in CA). Leased instead as for my purposes a lease was better, but I'm shocked that you think its $4K cheaper.

 

[bjrosen]

At 72 mph expect about 45 MPG, at 80 my guess is that you'll be down to around 40. Driving backroads, i.e. 30-35 MPH, the Volt can do about 70 miles on the battery, at 72 mph it will be down to around 48, at 80 it will be lower than that. The car will have no trouble handling those distances. I routinely do trips of 300 miles or more.