[microVOLT]

Ground-breaking electric Chevrolet Volt runs out of juice

DETROIT (AP) — As their company was swirling around the financial drain in the early 2000s, General Motors executives came up with an idea to counter its gas-guzzling image and point the way to...

apnews.com

I understand the reasoning behind it all. It was a good business decision too. But I'm still sad to see this model line disappear especially when the competitors are still at full production with this concept.
The Volt is the first electric car I can stand behind. I drive 50 miles through nothing but corn fields with no charger in sight and I only charge my vehicle at home. I was super happy when I was allowed to charge at work.
I'm also a fan of the propane/electric refrigerator in an RV as well as the propane/electric water heater. Granted these dual fuel devices are expensive to buy and produce but they offer unmatched flexibility. If anything we should have more not less of them.

 

[WhatAShocker]

Ground-breaking electric Chevrolet Volt runs out of juice

DETROIT (AP) — As their company was swirling around the financial drain in the early 2000s, General Motors executives came up with an idea to counter its gas-guzzling image and point the way to...

apnews.com

I understand the reasoning behind it all. It was a good business decision too. But I'm still sad to see this model line disappear especially when the competitors are still at full production with this concept.
The Volt is the first electric car I can stand behind. I drive 50 miles through nothing but corn fields with no charger in sight and I only charge my vehicle at home. I was super happy when I was allowed to charge at work.
I'm also a fan of the propane/electric refrigerator in an RV as well as the propane/electric water heater. Granted these dual fuel devices are expensive to buy and produce but they offer unmatched flexibility. If anything we should have more not less of them.

No PHEV to this day will every match what the Volt can do. It's still a legend and still compared to when any new PHEV comes out. Hahaha! My Model 3 never ever meets what it's rated for. Meanwhile my Volt even in not optimal temps and with 5 people on board still does this. I can not see myself replacing the Volt anytime soon. Just masterpiece of engineering.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[niccolo]

My impression is that the fundamental problem with the Volt is the cost of dual powertrains, hence Chevy allegedly had to sell the cars at a significant loss. Having said that, is the Volt powertrain really that much more involved than a conventional hybrid like the Prius?

 

[Steverino]

is the Volt powertrain really that much more involved than a conventional hybrid like the Prius?

Yes. A conventional hybrid is gas powered with an EV assist. For example, when was the last time that accelerating hard with a full battery caused the Volt's ICE to come on? Never. Hybrids are frequently using the ICE even if the battery has a charge. Also, no recharge plug on a conventional hybrid

Yes, I know too many people who simply will not buy a BEV because of the amount of time to recharge compared to filling a gas tank on very long road trips. So I have to suggest they look at PHEV's such as a Honda Clarity, Toyota RAV4 Prime, Chrysler Pacifica, Volvo XRC90, or Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Sadly, GM has nothing for them unfortunately. A Voltec powered SUV would be a great "EV toe-dipper" for later buying a full BEV. I'm proof of that with my 2011 Volt and my 2017 Bolt EV.

 

[jbakerjonathan]

Yes. A conventional hybrid is gas powered with an EV assist. For example, when was the last time that accelerating hard with a full battery caused the Volt's ICE to come on? Never. Hybrids are frequently using the ICE even if the battery has a charge. Also, no recharge plug on a conventional hybrid

Yes, I know too many people who simply will not buy a BEV because of the amount of time to recharge compared to filling a gas tank on very long road trips. So I have to suggest they look at PHEV's such as a Honda Clarity, Toyota RAV4 Prime, Chrysler Pacifica, Volvo XRC90, or Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Sadly, GM has nothing for them unfortunately. A Voltec powered SUV would be a great "EV toe-dipper" for later buying a full BEV. I'm proof of that with my 2011 Volt and my 2017 Bolt EV.

I just returned from a 7500+ mile road trip using the on-board generator the whole time, averaging 40 mpg. I drove 580 - 620 mile days. Had I been in a BEV, my driving distances per day would have been less and my overall trip would have taken longer. My goal this trip was to visit my three daughters and sister all of whom I hadn't seen in a year and a half. It was soooo goooood to be on the road again and not cooped up in the house! I've had my two Moderna vaccinations and am golden.
Until recharging of BEVs are on a par with gassing up, and charging stations are as ubiquitous as gas stations, it's going to be very hard for me to give up my Volt (with almost 140k miles on the odometer) for a BEV.

 

[niccolo]

I just returned from a 7500+ mile road trip using the on-board generator the whole time, averaging 40 mpg. I drove 580 - 620 mile days. Had I been in a BEV, my driving distances per day would have been less and my overall trip would have taken longer. My goal this trip was to visit my three daughters and sister all of whom I hadn't seen in a year and a half. It was soooo goooood to be on the road again and not cooped up in the house! I've had my two Moderna vaccinations and am golden.
Until recharging of BEVs are on a par with gassing up, and charging stations are as ubiquitous as gas stations, it's going to be very hard for me to give up my Volt (with almost 140k miles on the odometer) for a BEV.

Agreed that for long road trips the case for BEVs is still a bit strained. At the same time, there were no chargers convenient enough--for example, at places you stayed overnight--to tempt you to plug in?

 

[jbakerjonathan]

Agreed that for long road trips the case for BEVs is still a bit strained. At the same time, there were no chargers convenient enough--for example, at places you stayed overnight--to tempt you to plug in?

Of all the hotels/motels I stayed at, Baker's Motel in Norwich, Ohio had an L2 charger (no relation <grins>). I have concluded that the ~40 mile range of my Volt isn't a sufficiently long distance in the 580 - 620 mile daily trip to warrant the added hassle of finding a hotel/motel with a charging facility for each nights rest. Having the on-board generator is so much more handy.

 

[microVOLT]

The nice thing is that you have a choice. One day, there will be super fast chargers readily available everywhere. In the meantime, it's great not to have to plan your trip around charging stations that may or may not be in service. Once there you still have to wait one hour every couple of hundred miles. Assuming that no one else is taking that spot.

 

[Steverino]

The nice thing is that you have a choice. One day, there will be super fast chargers readily available everywhere. In the meantime, it's great not to have to plan your trip around charging stations that may or may not be in service. Once there you still have to wait one hour every couple of hundred miles. Assuming that no one else is taking that spot.

Even "fast charging" will be slower than pumping gasoline for those looking for an excuse to not buy an EV. That may charge with new battery chemistry, 800V systems, but until then, waiting an extra 10-30 minutes (or longer) on a road trip will be too inconvenient for some.

 

[volty25]

Even "fast charging" will be slower than pumping gasoline for those looking for an excuse to not buy an EV. That may charge with new battery chemistry, 800V systems, but until then, waiting an extra 10-30 minutes (or longer) on a road trip will be too inconvenient for some.

An extra 10-30 minutes per trip? Yeah, assuming it's a short trip. Before buying my Volt I had consider buying a Bolt. However I have a use case where my two hour trip would be interrupted with a 30 minute recharge. It's ridiculous to add 30 minutes to a 120 minute trip because charge rates aren't comparable.

The greenies need to understand that people aren't anti-green but rather they are unwilling to accept the very real compromises that comes with todays green technology.