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HOLD driving mode does not allow SPORT mode

8K views 22 replies 19 participants last post by  KNI 
#1 ·
I've been test driving Volts and will probably buy a 2013 end of year model. I noticed that when the Volt is completely discharged, you can drive in SPORT mode, which has great acceleration! But when there is any kind of charge in the battery and you want to HOLD the charge, the default driving mode appears to be NORMAL.

Is there anyway to HOLD a charge and still drive in SPORT mode?

Seems a shame if you can't. The acceleration is astonishing for an electric vehicle.

Thank you,
Ian
 
#2 ·
I could be wrong but I would think this is intentional. When in hold mode, you are saving battery capacity for use later on. If you use sport mode while holding the charge for later, it will consume more battery for that extra 'pep' lowering the level instead of preserving it.
 
#3 ·
It's a design flaw IMO. The Spark EV has a separate Sport button so the battery management modes (Hold, Mountain, Normal) are sorted from the performance function (Sport). In my mind it's like putting the faucet for the sink on a switch for the lights. You can have "low light", "medium light", "bright light", or the water running. :confused:

They got so much right with the Volt during very trying times that I cut them some breaks.
 
#9 ·
It's a design flaw IMO.

They got so much right with the Volt during very trying times that I cut them some breaks.
Not really a design flaw but a mishap in not looking into future upgrades. Ofcourse when you're first there's nobody to copy the design from. Point taken with Spark EV it seems, retrofitting would require new center stack.

In begining there was.. Normal, Sport, Mountain. Then some Europeans wanted Hold, turns out that US customers want it too, and how about Sport&Hold.. :) We'll see similar mishaps (with other manufacturers too) in future as nobody can figure those out in the begining.
 
#11 ·
It's not an illusion. Remapping the pedal creates a completely different driving experience, and it's perfectly reasonable for someone to prefer a more sensitive pedal to a less sensitive one. There is much more to the experience than simply what the fastest potential rate of acceleration is. For many of us, sport mode simply feels better. I agree with the OP that it would be nice if sport mode had been a separate button that applied that particular pedal mapping to whichever mode you were in.
 
#6 ·
Couldn't delete my own post - but I found the answer elsewhere. Apparently HOLD and SPORT are mutually exclusive, and another post said to just stomp (my word) on the pedal because NORMAL mode is merely a different power curve in the pedal travel.
 
#8 ·
SPORT Mode is a nice feature but it's a gimmick. All it does is re-map the throttle, it does not OFFER or PROVIDE any MORE POWER. You can accomplish the EXACT same response with your right foot. Just like any car built in the last 110 years. Just mat the throttle.
 
#16 ·
I think threads like this are a measure of the success of the Volt. It means more than just the hypermilers and energy efficiency folks are buying (and liking) the car.

Sport and Low, for me, make the response for one pedal driving more equal acceleration and regen for a given pedal modulation. It's pretty apparent GM initially err'd a bit on the side of the hypermilers and that the Spark and the ELR are a recognition of the wants of more performance oriented drivers. I think that's good risk management.

I also think sport mode changes the parameters of the green ball. I can accelerate significantly quicker at low speeds in sport mode and keep the green leaves spinning than normal mode.
 
#17 ·
Hold mode is most effectively used to allow the operator to optimize use of the range extender for steady-highway stretches with power-split engaged, saving battery power for variable speed driving on surface streets. Sport throttle mapping isn't relevant for steady-cruising.

....or after assigning the TP button, they just ran out of room for more buttons and lumped sport into the drive mode switch. I'd be fine with that, because like Don said, they got so much right with this car the lack of hold+sport doesn't bother me.
 
#20 ·
on another forum.....they have put the smartmadness go pedal on the electric accelerator.....and have gotten increased response like the sport mode.....has any body tried this on the Volt.....if it works for one electric car...it should work for another......then we would have something like sport mode during Hold? anybody? Sport Mode might even be faster?
 
#23 ·
Since this got bumped up, lets compare to Golf GTE. Obviously the guys at VW have been scouting out this forum since GTE boasts..

- D1, D2, D3, B1, B2 driving modes
- Separate GTE "sport button"
- Separate screen on the GUI dedicated to different charging modes

Clearly a more technological aproach there
 
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