[ToddHinLA]

Volt forum members, I would love some feedback. I got my new 2017 Volt and was excited about the fact I would get a 52 mile or so charge, but now I'm disappointed that it will only charge to 44 or 45 miles, not the 52 promised. What's the deal? Any thoughts?

I also have to say that I like so many things about my 2014 Volt that Chevy simply cheaped out on with 2017.

The overall storage space has been reduced.
I miss the dash bin where I kept my sunglasses and they didn't even replace with a sunglass storage area near rearview mirror.
No CD player
Really cheaped out on the leather seats but wrapping one side in fabric instead of leather
Elimination of the Home Link garage door opener. For a car that's supposed to be leading technology they are taking steps backwards.
Reduced OnStar to 3-months
Reduced Sirius to 3-months
Eliminated the USB port in the armrest
No more dedicated VOLT advisors

I called to speak to a Volt advisor as I was trying to edit my electric rates and they were useless. She basically read out of the manual. No help at all, still haven't figured out how to adjust start times on peak electric rates

Any feedback on charge issue would be great.
Thanks
Todd

 

[ToddHinLA]

2017 Volt Disappointment

Volt Designers... I just turned in my 2014 Volt for a 2017 and I sure do miss it.

You guys really missed the mark when you eliminated so many niceties. Chevy simply cheaped out on with 2017.

The overall storage space has been reduced.
I miss the dash bin where I kept my sunglasses and you didn't even replace with a sunglass storage area near rearview mirror.
No CD player
Really cheaped out on the leather seats buy wrapping one side in fabric instead of leather. Seriously, how much did that save?
Elimination of the Home Link garage door opener. For a car that's supposed to be leading technology you are taking steps backwards.
Eliminated the USB port in the armrest
Not crazy about the new nav interface, it used to show the speed limit on the screen but not anymore.
No more dedicated VOLT advisors
Reduced OnStar to 3-months
Reduced Sirius to 3-months

I called to speak to a Volt advisor today as I was trying to edit my electric rates only to learn there is no more dedicated Volt advisors. The girl I spoke with was useless. She basically read out of the manual. No help at all, still haven't figured out how to adjust start times on peak electric rates. I miss Jake my previous Volt advisor who knew everything.

I miss my 2014... and it's not even charging to 52 miles, only getting it to charge to 44 or 45 miles.

Sadly, I think you guys could have done better.

 

[llninja]

CD player? What CD player? Do you mean that slot in the middle of the center dashboard that I use for my smartphone mount? Seriously, with Pandora, Spotify, iTunes, etc. who needs a CD player any more.

 

[llninja]

Volt forum members, I would love some feedback. I got my new 2017 Volt and was excited about the fact I would get a 52 mile or so charge, but now I'm disappointed that it will only charge to 44 or 45 miles, not the 52 promised. What's the deal? Any thoughts?

Any feedback on charge issue would be great.
Thanks
Todd

How can you be on your third volt and not understand how the guessometer works? I call leadfoot!!! You could also be overusing the regen paddle, have a sticky brake pad, or be driving uphill, both ways, in a rainstorm. The volt bases your range on historical driving patterns. If you drive 80+ mph on the freeway, range will suffer. If you drive it like a jackrabbit, it will go down fast.

 

[Sheldon]

CD player? What CD player? Do you mean that slot in the middle of the center dashboard that I use for my smartphone mount? Seriously, with Pandora, Spotify, iTunes, etc. who needs a CD player any more.

He is probably a a troll. A normal buyer wouldn't mention a CD player. Ditto, complaints about Onstar and Sirius free packages? The range improvement complaint is highly dubious; I owned a base 2014, before trading it for a 2017.

 

[Shivetya]

I totally forgot my Volt had Sirius until I got the letter telling me my free subscription was over, ditto Onstar.

 

[turboguy327]

RTFM. If your answer isn’t in there, have somebody help you.

 

[wws]

Home link is easy to retrofit (e.g. Gentex mirror)

Two USB ports and AUX IN jack under the HVAC controls.

Speed limit display is one of the DIC selections.

All the Volt knowledge one usually needs is found by searching the forums here.

 

[BAZINGA]

Everything you bitch about is public knowledge or easily seen at any dealership and yet you bought the car. You are what's wrong with the buying public. This is on you not GM.

Oh I owned 2 Gen I's and now a Gen II and I couldn't disagree more with your post.

 

[Sean-a-Tron]

The Volt will always charge the battery to its programmed 'full' level. The estimated miles are just that, an estimate. The Volt will use driving habits, HVAC usage, and other similar data to estimate how much battery range you'll get.

It could also be that you did not properly setup departure times which could result in the Volt not being fully charged. These can be edited with the MyChevrolet app or in the charge settings in the infotainment center.

 

[saghost]

Volt forum members, I would love some feedback. I got my new 2017 Volt and was excited about the fact I would get a 52 mile or so charge, but now I'm disappointed that it will only charge to 44 or 45 miles, not the 52 promised. What's the deal? Any thoughts?

I also have to say that I like so many things about my 2014 Volt that Chevy simply cheaped out on with 2017.

The overall storage space has been reduced.
I miss the dash bin where I kept my sunglasses and they didn't even replace with a sunglass storage area near rearview mirror.
No CD player
Really cheaped out on the leather seats but wrapping one side in fabric instead of leather
Elimination of the Home Link garage door opener. For a car that's supposed to be leading technology they are taking steps backwards.
Reduced OnStar to 3-months
Reduced Sirius to 3-months
Eliminated the USB port in the armrest
No more dedicated VOLT advisors

I called to speak to a Volt advisor as I was trying to edit my electric rates and they were useless. She basically read out of the manual. No help at all, still haven't figured out how to adjust start times on peak electric rates

Any feedback on charge issue would be great.
Thanks
Todd

Like Ilninja, I'm confused how you've lived with a Volt without learning this, but the number of miles it shows every morning isn't the same as the amount of energy in the battery like it is on a Tesla, say. GM has some fairly sophisticated algorithms which calculate how far you'll get based on past driving history, temperature, and state of charge.

It is far more likely that something in your driving history or environment is using a little more power than that the pack isn't charging to the same level.

 

[Jim Fallston Md.]

So I guess your using the heat on MAX in the morning when it is the mid 50's and A/C on the way home on MAX and driving 85 mph on the highway. I on the other hand drive no more than 10 over the speed limit and use no heat or air this time of year and my daily commute is back roads so my GOM has been saying 77 miles EV each morning. TTT

 

[RFE]

I love my 2013. I want a 2017 or newer (2019...) for the improved range.

I too would miss the storage space on top of the dash board.
I would also miss the USB connection in the arm rest. Out of sight so thieves can't see anything I have connected. (Old iPod with a ton of songs). I will like the USB under the HVAC. Wish it had it on the gen l.
I would never get nav with having a smart phone.
I can see missing the CD player if he has a large collection. I know transfer it to a stick. Too much hassle for some people stuck in there old ways.
Leather- I can take it or leave it. Take it only if it is the only way I can get heated seats. Currently I do not.

GM took a prehistoric step back (blame the bean counters) when they got rid of the volt advisors. The idea of having dedicated advisors to give great customer service is lost on them. Yeah, I know they now support the Bolt too. How many advisor do they have? I am throw out a number out, say 20. Couldn't you take 10 and make them volt advisors and the other 10 bolt advisors. Then they will actually know the car. I also agree that it is on GM, they dropped the ball. He is a loyal GM customer and he voicing his opinion. Same with me. This is my seventh GM car. Even thou the Volt is great, I want better. I want GM to keep pushing the envelope on everything they do. The only way they are going to fix any issues on anything is if they know about it.

GM-Volt keep up the good work with what this forum is all about. Talking about the great things about the Volt AND the bad things depending on your perspective. I hope GM is reading.

I will miss the homelink. Again it is a hassle/cost put on the customer to have that easy of functionality without having another device in the car(the remote that came with the garage door opener).

Free Onstar- Really how long do you guys need it to be free to figure out that it works for you. Why not get it for free for the life of the car.

I don't thinking he is bitching at all. Or a troll(edit: come on, he is on his third Volt and does not know what the GOM is.) for that matter. He is just giving his honest opinion on what he dislikes about the gen 2 compared to the gen 1.

 

[bjrosen]

Are you driving at 80MPH? That's the only explanation for getting 45 miles of range unless you aren't fully charging the battery. If you are on your third Volt you must have a Level 2 EVSE which will fully charge the Volt in 4.5 hours, if you are using the Level I that came with the car and you have it set at the default 8A charging current it will take 19 hours which means you might never get a full charge, if that's the case then install a Level 2, it only costs $1K including labor so there is no excuse for not having one.

I got 3 years of free OnStar when I bought my car last year, that might have been a special promotion for 2016 but you were required to call them and say "I'd like my free 3 years of OnStar please".

Of course there is no CD player, it's 2017, there is no Edison cylinder player either. The car supports Android Auto and Apple Car Play, you plug your phone into the USB and you can stream Pandora, iHeartRadio, Google Music and other streaming services, you don't need a CD Player. Android Auto also uses Google Maps navigation which is head and shoulders better than the built in navigation. Also AA uses Googles voice recognition which actually works, the built in voice recognition is useless.

Sirius is always just a three month trial, then you need a subscription. I bought a lifetime subscription in 2005 for $400 when they were desperate for money, when I transferred it to the Volt last year I was told that I only got one transfer from car to car so it's not really lifetime but until I get rind of this Volt I'm still on that original plan.

 

[obermd]

Volt Designers... I just turned in my 2014 Volt for a 2017 and I sure do miss it.

You guys really missed the mark when you eliminated so many niceties. Chevy simply cheaped out on with 2017.

The overall storage space has been reduced.
I miss the dash bin where I kept my sunglasses and you didn't even replace with a sunglass storage area near rearview mirror.
No CD player
Really cheaped out on the leather seats buy wrapping one side in fabric instead of leather. Seriously, how much did that save?
Elimination of the Home Link garage door opener. For a car that's supposed to be leading technology you are taking steps backwards.
Eliminated the USB port in the armrest
Not crazy about the new nav interface, it used to show the speed limit on the screen but not anymore.
No more dedicated VOLT advisors
Reduced OnStar to 3-months
Reduced Sirius to 3-months

I called to speak to a Volt advisor today as I was trying to edit my electric rates only to learn there is no more dedicated Volt advisors. The girl I spoke with was useless. She basically read out of the manual. No help at all, still haven't figured out how to adjust start times on peak electric rates. I miss Jake my previous Volt advisor who knew everything.

I miss my 2014... and it's not even charging to 52 miles, only getting it to charge to 44 or 45 miles.

Sadly, I think you guys could have done better.

• Can't comment on storage space - my last car had over 15 cubic feet of trunk space, larger than most mid-sized cars.
• Try the shelf just in front of the main instrument panel or the area just above the MyLink screen. I keep my sunglasses on the shelf but noticed the area above the MyLink screen is sloped in so it works as an open storage bin for glasses.
• My last car had a CD player - I used it once a year just to ensure it was still working.
• I believe my leather seats are leather all the way around.
• I noticed GM has eliminated HomeLink in a lot of their vehicles. This makes me wonder if there's a licensing issue or a security issue with so many garage door openers responding to the same codes.
• There are two USB ports under the MyLink stack. There's also a 12V DC power supply which I suspect is rated for 25 Amps to handle medical equipment such as portable oxygen generators. What I don't remember seeing under there is a 3.5mm audio jack but with Bluetooth audio I wouldn't bother to look.
• Displayed speed limit is available in the Premier but I think you have to have the Level II Safety Package for it.
• VOLT Advisors were there to act as an intermediary between owners, dealership service departments, and VOLT engineers at GM. The fact that they appear to have gone away is GM telling us they believe service departments know how to get help. GM actually brought in a new program, TAC, for all their vehicles starting in the 2014 model year. This program is modelled after the VOLT Advisor program but aimed at dealership service departments.
• GM frequently changes the time period for the free OnStar and Sirius Radio. Over the past 15 years I've seen this free introductory time period range from 3 months to 12 months for both. This seems to change from year to year and even sometimes in a single model year. Also both frequently run "sales" for free service.

Check your driving style for your EV range. I also discovered that my 2017 LT didn't initially start out at 53 miles but after only a few weeks I just drove 55 miles on battery with an estimated 5 EV miles left. The first couple of weeks I had my Volt I seriously doubt I could have done this.

Also, try a full charge using "immediate" to see what the range is. The Gen 2 Volt takes longer to charge, especially at 8Amps. You did say you're having problems setting the "low rate" time period so it's possible your car simply didn't start charging soon enough. There's another thread here about conflicts between "departure time" and "low rate" electric periods with the "low rate" taking precedence leading to incomplete charging. I don't remember if it was a Gen 1 or Gen 2 thread however.

 

[Neromanceres]

I believe the satellite radio was always 3 months free.

Yes the full Onstar free trial is shorter. But the Base Onstar package is free longer at 5 years.

Getting over 60 EV miles in my 2017 with no issues.

 

[El Dobro]

No cassette player?!?!?!

 

[Upper5Percent]

No cassette player?!?!?!

Cassette?...BRING BACK THE 8-TRACK!!!

 

[NinjaVolt]

Homelink is the one thing I would have used at least once every time I used the car. Yes I could mod my car but I don't think I should have too considering the cost of the car and when it is pretty much standard fare with other manufacturers.
I luv my Volt and it is the best currently available ev for my driving conditions, but the decision makers should consider if I would ever consider buying any other GM product after living with this annoyance.

 

[Upper5Percent]

Homelink is the one thing I would have used at least once every time I used the car. Yes I could mod my car but I don't think I should have too considering the cost of the car and when it is pretty much standard fare with other manufacturers.
I luv my Volt and it is the best currently available ev for my driving conditions, but the decision makers should consider if I would ever consider buying any other GM product after living with this annoyance.

Homelink is being replaced by your phone...

http://bgr.com/2017/06/11/iphone-garage-door-opener-amazon/

https://www.craftsman.com/products/...control-kit-no-service-fees-free-app-download