Shouldn't be a surprise, this is the EV club, they are PURE and look at the volt as being a half breed.

 

Haha, you've just made me realize we (or at least our cars) are mudbloods! Too funny.

Anyway, I agree, the question is totally bogus from the assumptions made in the way it's asked to the audience who answered. First of all unlike the Leaf, the Volt claims 40 miles EV and delivers 40 miles EV. The Leaf, on the other hand, claims 100 miles and gets more like 60-80 real world. Second, like Steverino points out, the question inaccurately suggests the Volt's total range is 40 miles, not 375.

Besides, there's already a real world answer - the Volt costs more than the Leaf and is now outselling it so there!

 

Much depends on the question.

"You have only one car, your daily commute is 60 miles round trip, and you drive over 100 miles once per month. If the tax credits and price were the same, would you rather have a 100 mi range EV (Nissan Leaf) or would you rather have a 40 mi battery range EREV (Chevy Volt) that can travel 375 miles?"

 

Two problems with this... First, of course, is that the audience is self-selected EV people - and ones who have been figuring out how to live with far less range and polish than the leaf has for years.

Second, the question itself is Leaf biased. The Leaf has twice the usable battery, and isn't noticeably more efficient when driven in the same style. So why is the Leaf '100 mile' and the Volt '40 mile'?

 

First, of course, is that the audience is self-selected EV people...

Second, the question itself is Leaf biased...

If so, why did the Volt get so many votes? (I agree with your observations, btw, but even with the biased question and audience, the non-preferred choice still sees traction)

 

Yes the question is lame. Basically it's whether for a dollar you'd want 40 or 100 pieces.

Realistically if you are familiar with both cars only an ideologue or a fool would pick the Leaf at the same price point. It's like saying: If they were the same price would you rather have a BMW 3 series or a Toyota Corolla?

 

It seems to me that the people responding did not think about the question very hard before they answered.

The Volt is now outselling the Leaf (despite the bad publicity). People actually buying the car go for the Volt.

Since the Volt is an 80/20 solution (very close for me, so far 79% electric and 21% gas), the answer implies that these people would rather have maybe 5-10% more drive in electric and not mind not using the car at all for 10-15% of driving circumstances requiring long trips than to be able to drive the car anywhere any time.

Seems at minimum uninformed.

 

I'm in the survey research business and if one of my staff cooked up this question they would be out of a job. The question totally sets up the results.

 

Fixified:

If the tax credits and price were the same, sitting along US 40 in Nevada with a dead battery, would you rather have a 100 mi range EV (Nissan Leaf) or would you rather have a 40 mi range EREV (Chevy Volt) with a half tank of gas?

 

If anyone tries to use this poll as some kind of marketing research source then, yes, I could get quite upset about the bias. But this appears to just be a poll for members of a club to see how they (the members) feel about the current mass produced offering.

 

I find the results interesting. In a self-selected EV club.. 27% of them prefer the volt! Even amoung a purists club the Volt it gaining traction. (My guess is the other 73% hae not been in a volt yet)