New personal best for estimated mileage on full charge
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74 miles. Keeping speeds below 50 during my normal 36 mile RT commute
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Actual 78 mile trip to Airport and back (3 people onboard) Some freeway involved (8+ miles at 60+mph) Certainly out performs estimated "EPA" if you try at all. Very happy with my 2018 Volt
167 MPGe Best on 16.8 mile trip to work View attachment 154519
167 MPGe Best on 16.8 mile trip to work View attachment 154519
Nice full charge estimated range, but what’s your best for ev miles achieved on a full charge?
What to aim for: one forum member, Ari_C, has pushed both generations of Volts to the electric mile distance on a single charge limit by driving slowly (in the 20 mph range) around the relatively level perimeter road of a pro football stadium parking lot. With his 2012 Volt, he drove 81.8 miles on a full charge (9.8 kWh Used, 8.3 miles/kWh). After the Gen 2 Volts came out, he drove his wife’s Gen 2 Volt 114.0 electric miles on a full charge (14.4 kWh Used, 7.9 mi/kWh), and was rewarded the following day with a full charge ev range estimate of 85 miles.
Gen 1 full charge range estimate displays were limited: 50 ev miles max for 2011-2012 Volts, 60 ev miles max for 2013-2015 models (slightly larger batteries). Because displayed estimated ranges were limited, ev distance bragging rights were supported by photos of the energy usage screen showing both the ev miles actually achieved and the kWh Used to achieve them.
Such photos are less common, since the Gen 2 increase in ev range reduces the number of people who actually drive far enough to deplete the battery before recharging. If you adopt efficient driving habits, even if you drive only 10-20 miles a day, you are going to get great full charge ev range estimates.
What to aim for: one forum member, Ari_C, has pushed both generations of Volts to the electric mile distance on a single charge limit by driving slowly (in the 20 mph range) around the relatively level perimeter road of a pro football stadium parking lot. With his 2012 Volt, he drove 81.8 miles on a full charge (9.8 kWh Used, 8.3 miles/kWh). After the Gen 2 Volts came out, he drove his wife’s Gen 2 Volt 114.0 electric miles on a full charge (14.4 kWh Used, 7.9 mi/kWh), and was rewarded the following day with a full charge ev range estimate of 85 miles.
Gen 1 full charge range estimate displays were limited: 50 ev miles max for 2011-2012 Volts, 60 ev miles max for 2013-2015 models (slightly larger batteries). Because displayed estimated ranges were limited, ev distance bragging rights were supported by photos of the energy usage screen showing both the ev miles actually achieved and the kWh Used to achieve them.
Such photos are less common, since the Gen 2 increase in ev range reduces the number of people who actually drive far enough to deplete the battery before recharging. If you adopt efficient driving habits, even if you drive only 10-20 miles a day, you are going to get great full charge ev range estimates.
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It’s a fun game to see how high you can get your numbers! This tech is truly amazing. I get especially giddy in that I’m charging my 2018 Volt nightly using power from the solar
panels on my house. Haven’t had an electric bill since last year.
panels on my house. Haven’t had an electric bill since last year.
I, too, fill my tank using fresh-squeezed electric juice from my rooftop solar panels (I plug in before sunset, but I suspect that by that time of day, some of the flow into the car is being supplied by the electric company, too). What continues to amaze me after 6+ years of driving my 2012 Volt is that I unplug from the wall and head out for my daily errands (I’m retired, so rarely drive beyond battery range). I get home and plug in again, and somehow, overnight the "fuel elves" magically refill my fuel tank, and the next day I again have a fully charged battery to start my day!
If your daily commute is a fraction of the full charge range estimate, you could try going a day or longer without recharging to see if you actually can accumulate 64 electric miles before the battery runs out of grid electricity. My own Volt is configured to show the energy usage screen whenever the car is turned off. Each time I do stop somewhere, I take a quick glance at my estimated remaining ev range on the driver’s display before turning off the car, then add that number to the current number of achieved electric miles on the usage display to see if the total remains equal to the start of day range estimate, or if I’m doing better or worse at that point...
If your daily commute is a fraction of the full charge range estimate, you could try going a day or longer without recharging to see if you actually can accumulate 64 electric miles before the battery runs out of grid electricity. My own Volt is configured to show the energy usage screen whenever the car is turned off. Each time I do stop somewhere, I take a quick glance at my estimated remaining ev range on the driver’s display before turning off the car, then add that number to the current number of achieved electric miles on the usage display to see if the total remains equal to the start of day range estimate, or if I’m doing better or worse at that point...
I’m not sure who this is addressed to but I posted my 78 mile real world trip with 71 miles on battery. This was not done on a flat track at 20 mph. This was from Spanaway wa to SeaTac airport and back. Plenty of elevation changes, some freeway miles too with passengers. It is posted above with photo of energy screen. No trickery other than trying to be economical with technique and practical at the same time.
Sorry if I was unclear... I was addressing the OP, who posted only his range estimate.
Yes, your 71 electric miles is rather good, especially for a car window stickered for 53 miles... Do you remember if the 74 mile full charge range estimate you posted was the full charge estimate you saw the day you drove those 71 miles?
I don't put much reliance on MPGe numbers... the Gen 2 Volt fuel tank holds only a half-gallon (53 ev miles/106 MPGe = 0.5 Ge) of "energy equivalence fuel." At window sticker ratings, a 16.8 mile trip should consume just over 2 cups of such fuel. I’m not sure how precise a "mileage" estimate can be made based on driving that short a distance using that small quantity of fuel.
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I agree. The best gauge is the actual miles driven on the Energy display on the center screen, set to “Info”. Of course the higher that goes, the higher the estimated range will go on the driver’s display.
Really cool that folks are pushing the numbers way up. Usually any type of performance numbers from a manufacturer tend to be less in the real world not more! I’ve been a hard core Nissan owner for years and never imagined I’d ever be owning a Chevy. I have to say that I’m impressed as hell with the build quality, the engineering and the overall experience in dealing with my dealer and GM.
Really cool that folks are pushing the numbers way up. Usually any type of performance numbers from a manufacturer tend to be less in the real world not more! I’ve been a hard core Nissan owner for years and never imagined I’d ever be owning a Chevy. I have to say that I’m impressed as hell with the build quality, the engineering and the overall experience in dealing with my dealer and GM.
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Here is the best recent range picture I could find. 70 miles on a charge, on my 2017 Volt.
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The 74 miles was about a week prior to the actual 71 mile battery trip. I believe the estimated range was in the mid 60s prior to the actual 71 battery miles. When I got up to 74 estimated, I was really trying to see how high I could get over a few days after being surprised to see 66 using the freeway and not trying.
I use the MPGe as a reference to how well I am doing as far as economy, it works great for that (everyone should give it a try). I don't care so much about actual energy conversion numbers. If I can keep the MPGe high, I know I am doing well. Its about the only way to gauge your proficiency since MPG max's out at 250+ (also kWh used at the end of a trip). You can try different routes and techniques to best your MPGe and it seems much better than the Guess Gauge.
My wife and I with our loaded 2017 Volt Premier on a 126.2 miles trip yesterday. 70.5 miles on electric, 14.0 KWH used. This includes climbing two mountain passes, Highway 101 just south of Cannon Beach OR, from sea level to 600 feet just on electric. Of course summer weather is here with 65+ degrees. Gas only mpg for 55.8 miles was .96 gal's used for 57.4 MPG, as indicated on dash screen. This morning with a full charge indicated is 69 miles electric range.
We also have a 2010 Prius, my daily driver, and our Volt cost far less than our Prius for the same trip. The Prius gets about the same MPG, or maybe a little less than our Volt, but the 70 miles on electric is a pure bonus, as full charge of electric including 2 KWH for charging losses is $1.83. For instance the Prius getting 60 mpg, a far stretch, would cost with reg. gas @ $3/ gal = $6.31.
The Volt, $2.88 gas + $1.83 electricity = $4.71. Saving with the Volt over the Prius = $1.60.
We also have a 2010 Prius, my daily driver, and our Volt cost far less than our Prius for the same trip. The Prius gets about the same MPG, or maybe a little less than our Volt, but the 70 miles on electric is a pure bonus, as full charge of electric including 2 KWH for charging losses is $1.83. For instance the Prius getting 60 mpg, a far stretch, would cost with reg. gas @ $3/ gal = $6.31.
The Volt, $2.88 gas + $1.83 electricity = $4.71. Saving with the Volt over the Prius = $1.60.
18.4kWh, usable capacity varies from 13.9 - 14.3 kWh (nominal seems to be 14.1 kWh.) It has not changed since the Gen 2 Volt was introduced in late 2015/early 2016.
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Have done 85 on single charge.... Has anyone done better?
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has anyone done better then 85 miles on battery?
I just hit 62.6...I have a lot of downhill driving and am having a lot of fun experimenting! I am having some interesting results when getting down to about 6 miles...it is on electric, but doesn't register adding to my electric total. Anyone else experience this?
Cars after 2012 have some fancy accounting about where the "driving on electric" came from, distinguishing power that comes from wall vs power that comes from the ICE. (Earlier cars like mine, you can game all day and pile up ridiculous amounts of "total EV miles since last charge".) The Guess-o-meter gets capped at a certain number of miles too on both generations, so there's hard upper limit.
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