[!arry4pyro]

Rumours of GM killing off the Volt may not be correct. The Volt's powertrain is my all time favorite, it makes more sense to me than a fully electric car or one with a fuel sipping ICE. I can't understand why GM would want to walk away from such a perfect solution. If this article is correct perhaps they wont, the Volt will live on as a SUV, something we've all been asking for since the Volt's inception.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/07...dead-after-all-new-electric-crossover-coming/

 

[rdunniii]

Just because the Volt is dead never mean't Voltec was dead.

 

[Mister Dave]

.....but a redesign will happen in the early 2020s. It’s at that time the Volt could potentially morph into a plug-in hybrid crossover vehicle and ditch its hatchback body style.

The car is expected to remain primarily as it is following a re-engineering due in showrooms this year until a redesign and/or repositioning of the car into a crossover in the early 2020s.

No citations - no quotes from GM. "Could potentially morph into" and "a redesign and/or repositioning of the car into a crossover" are hardly definitive.

There were supposed to be 2 new electrified GM products BEFORE 2020 (in the next 2 years according to Mark Reuss). Now it's "in the early 2020s" and "likely in 2022" according to Automotive News (the GMA source) without any evidence. Do I sound skeptical?

 

[bjrosen]

Will anyone want this car in the early 20s? I fully expect to be able to buy a 350-400 mile BEV by then. The Volt is a transitional vehicle, it fills the gap until good enough batteries and good enough charging infrastructure are available, both problems should be solved by 2021.

 

[Mister Dave]

Will anyone want this car in the early 20s?

I might, yes. It's certainly the configuration I'll be looking at first in 3 years or less. Of course, I don't judge other people's buying preferences based on my own.

 

[obermd]

So my question is why didn't GM do a hatchback version of the Volt like they did the Cruze? The passenger compartment design in the Volt is the result of a series of engineering design tradeoffs, none of which are good - aerodynamics at the expense of rear seat and cargo area space. A true hatchback answers this design question squarely in the favor of rear seat head and leg room and increased cargo space. The Cruze Hatch is about 95% as efficient on gas as the Cruze sedan (1.4T engine mated to the automatic transmission). In the Volt this would still result in an EPA rating of 50 miles BEV and 38 MPG gas highway and as we all know the Volt is more efficient than the EPA numbers indicate.

 

[obermd]

Will anyone want this car in the early 20s? I fully expect to be able to buy a 350-400 mile BEV by then. The Volt is a transitional vehicle, it fills the gap until good enough batteries and good enough charging infrastructure are available, both problems should be solved by 2021.

Depends on the infrastructure for EV refueling where you live.

I think the best comparison we have right now is the beginning of the 20th century with the Fulton Steam Engine, which burned readily available wood vs. the Ford Model A, which burned hard to find gasoline. The Volt and other PHEVs are the Fulton Steam Engines while the Leaf, Teslas, and now the Bolt are the Model A (Bolt is probably Model T). It took a while for the gasoline infrastructure to grow enough to allow the modern ICE to be widely accepted, but it was the Fulton Steam Engine in its various guises that got the public thinking about dumping their horses and horse drawn carriages.

 

[emartin00]

I don't think anyone expects Voltec to die. But the Volt will not become a CUV. Manufacturers don't change vehicle classes and keep the model names. They have been talking about a Voltec CUV since 2012 IIRC.

 

[Loboc]

So my question is why didn't GM do a hatchback version of the Volt like they did the Cruze?

Volt IS a hatchback. At least my 2013 is.

 

[Steverino]

Volt IS a hatchback. At least my 2013 is.

I am pretty sure he meant a station wagon/flying brake format.

To say that the need for a Voltec system will be gone when a 350 or more mile BEX is available is wishful thing. It that were true, no one would buy gas engined cars at that point either. I feel confident there will be many many gas engined cars sold for the next two decades and probably beyond. BEV's will not be jumping from less that 1% of sales to the majority of sales in 2021 when larger batteries are available. I wish it were true, but the general public is not ready to make that change yet. The transition will be slow and take at least another decade. A transitional car like the Volt or it's siblings is perfect as a gateway drug.

 

[JuneBug]

A transitional car like the Volt or it's siblings is perfect as a gateway drug.

Worked on me. I'm hooked!

 

[rmay635703]

I don't think anyone expects Voltec to die. But the Volt will not become a CUV. Manufacturers don't change vehicle classes and keep the model names. They have been talking about a Voltec CUV since 2012 IIRC.

? The Honda Insight went from a sub compact 1800lb 2 seater to a 4000lb 4 door land Yacht.

 

[zippy500]

I used to criticize the Volt. I used to be a Tesla fan. Truth is that I drive about 150-200 miles for getaways, ski resort etc every few weeks. The last thing I want when driving for fun is to be chasing public charges and waiting like a clown. during the week I commute 50 miles round trip work plus 10 miles daily drive for errands. in the summer I drive from South Cali to Seattle stopping in few cities. I drove a pure electric car and in the beginning it was fun to recharge and have a coffee around town. After a year doing that I was ready to throw my car in the garbage. Plus battery degradation in cold climate and performance in hills are real. I am surprised Tesla are doing that well selling city cars. I decided I was not going to pay US$60-US$90K for a city, limited car. The Volt recent model is looking really good. Good visibility, fun enough to drive and decent interior. The Clarity looks like the Ultraseven movie cars. Ugly.

I don't think anyone expects Voltec to die. But the Volt will not become a CUV. Manufacturers don't change vehicle classes and keep the model names. They have been talking about a Voltec CUV since 2012 IIRC.

? The Honda Insight went from a sub compact 1800lb 2 seater to a 4000lb 4 door land Yacht.

 

[obermd]

I am pretty sure he meant a station wagon/flying brake format.

Correct. While the Volt is considered a hatchback the hatch drops off too fast. Look at the Ford Focus Hatch, VW GTI Hatch, Cruze Hatch, and other more station wagon like hatchbacks. This is the body shape the Voltec drive train needs to be in.

 

[Eagleco]

Correct. While the Volt is considered a hatchback the hatch drops off too fast. Look at the Ford Focus Hatch, VW GTI Hatch, Cruze Hatch, and other more station wagon like hatchbacks. This is the body shape the Voltec drive train needs to be in.

I agree with you but my wife does not like the look of a traditional hatch at all. I was able to sell her on our Volt partly because it looks more like a sedan. Maybe she is in a small minority of style conscious buyers who care about this.

And I agree with the comments of zippy500. Here in Minnesota a 350-400 mile range can mean a whole lot less in the cold of winter. A PHEV is still going to make a lot of sense for a car that can go anywhere and any distance with ease. I think that will be true well into the next decade.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Steverino]

I'm a broken record on this, but my ideal is a Volt plus a Bolt. The Bolt as our short to long range BEV, the Volt is our short range EV and long to ultra long ICE. The Volt is a sedan with a great hatch for occasional cargo, the Bolt is a higher seating CUV type hauler. So I'm 99% gas free at this point but can still drive anywhere, anytime without requiring a charge station.

Two for the price of one Tesla.

 

[edk-austin]

100% with Steverino on that. Already Volt plus Bolt here. I just drove a model 3 today. Nice but... I think I'm going for a 2019 Volt next. Gotta have that ability to drive from here to San Antonio and back in an evening (or Austin to Houston and back), without needing to stop for charging. How often does that happen? Not very. But it does. And Volt does it.

 

[JuneBug]

I wish I could test drive a Bolt. Using various search engines, the nearest Chevy dealer with a Bolt in stock is almost 300 miles away in Sugarland, Texas.

 

[somms]

Why are folks so quick to say the Volt is dead!?

 

[gadgeTT]

I don't think anyone expects Voltec to die. But the Volt will not become a CUV. Manufacturers don't change vehicle classes and keep the model names. They have been talking about a Voltec CUV since 2012 IIRC.

Have you seen the new Mitsubishi Eclipse?

It WAS a 2-door sports coupe. It's NOW a CUV.