[wainair]

Well Yesterday I traded in my venerable 2012 Volt, HAL. It was a great car and totally won me over to EV's. I had my problems with the car. The 3rd day I had it,the drive battery developed a fault and required a new battery from Detroit. I had some problems with the charging system that eventually was completely replaced but GM always took care of me while the car was in the shop. In fact they have given me the best customer service I have ever received from any automaker and I've driven a lot of different makes over the years!

But those issues were definitely the exception. The quite,smooth power of the Volt was great and spoiled me for anything other that an EV. I loved the interior of the car. The tech gizmos were and the comfortable seats were great for road trips. The few things that I would have loved to have, they have added to later model years(like a hold button, more range!).

With my 110km round trip commute I averaged 1.9L/100km in the summer and 3.3L/100km in the winter. After the first winter I used heat in the cabin anytime I got below freezing. My best gas tank was 7500km and my worst in the cold of February was 640km!! On average I spent $250CAD per year on gas and about $200CAD per year on electricity! The car I had before the Volt was a diesel Smart Fortwo and I was averaging $2750cad in fuel for that! So an amazing upgrade in fuel efficiency and comfort!!

It was truly a great car.

Introducing HAL's successor, HAL2!!

 

[Dutch]

HAL 1... we Salute you!
HAL 2... welcome to the world!

Congrats on your new purchase.

 

[Jim Fallston Md.]

Congrats and good luck with your new ride.

 

[jegund]

Someone likes blue! They both look amazing.

 

[Neromanceres]

Nice upgrade. Should work awesome for your commute. My wife is looking at getting a Bolt EV just like the one you got.

 

[Nebula]

Congratz man! I just replaced my 2014 Volt at the end of last year with a 2017.

That Bolt looks great in Blue.

 

[ampera_jed]

With my 110km round trip commute I averaged 1.9L/100km in the summer and 3.3L/100km in the winter. After the first winter I used heat in the cabin anytime I got below freezing. My best gas tank was 7500km and my worst in the cold of February was 640km!! On average I spent $250CAD per year on gas and about $200CAD per year on electricity! The car I had before the Volt was a diesel Smart Fortwo and I was averaging $2750cad in fuel for that! So an amazing upgrade in fuel efficiency and comfort!!

Volt's a great car, and a Smart doesn't even inch into sight as a comparison, in any respect at all.

But can I just check out these numbers?

I also had a routine 110km trip so I also know exactly how to get the best out of the car on that sort of length. I agree on the mileage, I got exactly the same.

But if all your mileage is this commuting then you are paying 14 times as much in gas than the Volt, and you are getting 1.9litres/100km, then that means you were only getting 26litres/100km from a Smart?!?! You'd get better mileage from a 20 ton tank.

I think you must be saying that you are not only doing commuting, yet $2750 is about 50,000 km worth in the Smart, isn't it? If you are already doing 110km a day then that is a further 30,000 km.

So on your figures, I assume you are doing around 80,000 km a year, about a half is commuting and the other half are shorter journeys all on electric.

Is that right?

(I'm assuming ~$1/litre)

If you said you were burning $750/year then I could understand that and it'd add up to around 30,000km, so would be your commuting costs. Was it a typo?

 

[calvinist]

Did you ever get the AE-35 Unit fixed?

 

[mikeg3]

Did you ever get the AE-35 Unit fixed?

Don't hold your breath.

 

[quirkySquirt]

How's the seat comfort between Volt and Bolt? I couldn't stand the Bolt's seats but find the Volt's seats perfectly fine. The Bolt's were too narrow and the side bolsters dug into my sides (both my back, hips, and thighs).

 

[Ladogaboy]

Welcome to the fold, HAL2!

 

[wainair]

If you said you were burning $750/year then I could understand that and it'd add up to around 30,000km, so would be your commuting costs. Was it a typo?

I drove the smart a lot more. I was averaging 4.9l/100km in the smart and diesel was usually about $1.20/litre. I was doing around 55k per year, I don't drive that I much anymore(I may start driving more again now that I don't have to care about if I use gas!!). So it is a combo of things that bend the numbers . Good eye though!!

 

[wainair]

How's the seat comfort between Volt and Bolt? I couldn't stand the Bolt's seats but find the Volt's seats perfectly fine. The Bolt's were too narrow and the side bolsters dug into my sides (both my back, hips, and thighs).

There is no denying that the Volt has more comfortable seats but I don't mind the Bolts. If you skoot right over to the middle and centre yourself in the set well, it is not too bad. For me at least. So far that is the only thing I wish they had done better though. The Volt seats, both gen1 and 2, are very plush! The Bolts are light.