[novamat]

Hi Everyone,

I am considering buying a model year 2013 Volt and have looked at several cars, but I'm having a hard time deciding if I should take the Volt plunge and I'm hoping advice from this forum can help me out. If this is not the best forum to place my questions, I appreciate any suggestions pointing me to appropriate forum. Here are my questions/concerns:

1. One thing I've been trying to figure out but cannot find any specific information about is whether winter temperatures affect the gas driving range in any significant fashion. I know there is a lot of talk about how cold weather decreases the battery range, but I occasionally travel for work up to 340 miles round trip, so exceeding the battery range is going to be a given. So my question is, should I expect a decrease in the ICE range in colder temps? If so, by how much?

2. Though I am in the market for a car now, I happen to live in a condo building and I do not have a dedicated parking space or access to an electrical outlet into which I could plug the Volt on a daily basis. I hope to move to a house in approximately 9 months and before the Winter of 2017-18, but the Volt will be parked on the street for possibly one winter and possibly two winters (if my planned move doesn't pan out). I do not drive to work on a daily basis, so I would only be able to charge the battery when I occasionally travel for work and park at a public charging station (approximately 2 to 5 times a month). I know that I will not get the best mileage possible or even as good of mileage as a Prius, but that is not my primary concern. Rather, I've read about how the Volt needs to condition the battery, which occurs even when the car is not running, and to do that requires electrical energy. That is not a problem if the Volt is plugged in, but I am concerned about what happens if the battery is empty and the Volt is not plugged in. Though I've read in some forums that the Volt need never be plugged in, I'm not sure that's the best course of action is a fairly hostile (Midwest) climate. And though I know about battery conditioning, there may be other systems the Volt needs power for while the car is not running for maintenance. Though this is kind of long winded, I guess my concern boils down to this: Is it a bad idea to buy a Volt when I have to park it on the street, throughout one and possibly two winters (and hot summers), without access to an electrical outlet? Am I just being foolish for thinking I can own a Volt in my current situation, and I should just settle for a (yawn) Prius?

I am excited about the thought of buying a Volt and joining a community of informed and passionate owners, but I'm not confident the Volt is the right car for me at this time and that I should turn my attention to more traditional hybrids. Thank you so much in advance for any input you may have.

 

[rmay635703]

Cold weather affects all gasoline vehicles, my Dodge gets 15-18mpg summer and 9mpg in the winter.

The Volt for me can get over 50mpg pure gas mpg when it's hot (not including electric)
But is lucky to average 36mpg gas only in the winter.
Colder it is, coupled with short trips the worse it gets.

The volt in other words is like every other car in winter sub 15 degree days, just that it has a few tricks a normal car doesn't, especially when on longer trips

 

[mvanzanten]

On 80 degree days, I can get 43 MPG on the freeway at 65 MPH. The same drive on 40 degree days with rain, it goes down to 37 MPG.

Many first generation Volts were purchased as fleet vehicles and were rarely plugged in and they did not suffer any issues with the main traction battery.

 

[hiperco]

It doesn't seem like a Volt is a smart purchase for you, at least not until you can take advantage of electric mode. But if its an emotional decision, I say go for it

 

[novamat]

It doesn't seem like a Volt is a smart purchase for you, at least not until you can take advantage of electric mode. But if its an emotional decision, I say go for it

Thanks, the Volt would be more of an emotional choice than a logical one. The car I have now just isn't exciting and is relatively unrefined, so I was hoping to step up with my next purchase and the Volt seems like a good fit (except that I can't plug it in every night).

 

[llninja]

I think the winter mix fuel has more of an effect on the milesge than the cold temps. When the engine gets up to running temps the mileage should be about the same.

As for parking it outside, you didn't mention where you lived in the Midwest. In Minnesota during snowageddon 1 or 2 you might have a cold soaked battery if you park it for 36 hours in way below freezing temps. Those are times when you need it plugged in the keep the battery flowing.

 

[novamat]

I think the winter mix fuel has more of an effect on the milesge than the cold temps. When the engine gets up to running temps the mileage should be about the same.

As for parking it outside, you didn't mention where you lived in the Midwest. In Minnesota during snowageddon 1 or 2 you might have a cold soaked battery if you park it for 36 hours in way below freezing temps. Those are times when you need it plugged in the keep the battery flowing.

Thanks, I live in Chicago where the temps can remain below freezing for a long time, though I live in the city where the temps are a few degrees higher than the surrounding country. I will try to research what it takes for the Volt's battery to become cold soaked and if keeping the battery regularly charged can help prevent this.

 

[Bacardi]

The biggest problem I see with your situation is you'll be using a lot of ICE...The Gen1 Volt uses premium fuel so when factoring a Volt to a Prius there's more to the story than MPG...Also the Volt charges slowly at public charging and may not be free...I would say look into another used car you may enjoy more than the Prius...While not as cheap as an used Prius or Volt, a used Lexus CT200 is a bargain...Other dealers can be had on VWs...Just test drive a variety of used hybrids and buy the one you like...

 

[llninja]

Thanks, I live in Chicago where the temps can remain below freezing for a long time, though I live in the city where the temps are a few degrees higher than the surrounding country. I will try to research what it takes for the Volt's battery to become cold soaked and if keeping the battery regularly charged can help prevent this.

Below freezing isn't a problem. Below zero may be. Plugging in certainly helps as the car can warm its own battery overnight. Only if you leave in it -14 degree weather for a few days will this become a problem. And on those days, you shouldn't be out and about anyway.

The very first time my volt started the ICE because the battery was too cold in snowageddon 1, it surprised me. But the car ran and wouldn't dip into the battery until the battery got warm enough to safely discharge. So in that mode, you might be limited in speed since the car will limit you tomwhat it can generate in electricity from the genset. I wouldn't worry about ruining the car. It's well designed. The only reason i' avoid the volt in your situation is if you end up staying in an apartment for 5 years or so where you end up never plugging in. You will miss out on the benefit of having a volt.

 

[alfon]

Cold weather has a significant effect on mpg's on the gas engine or electric range on the battery. Rain, standing water on roadways, winter blended gasoline with less BTU's per gallon than summer gasoline. Longer time for engine to get up to temp for improved efficiency.

Cold air is more dense than warm air as well. With all things being equal any car will obtain less mpg's or electric range at 20 degree F, than at 90 degree F as well.

 

[novamat]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. Based on what I've read here and after visiting a Chevy dealer today, it seems like I'll be okay as long as the car is used regularly and I keep the battery somewhat charged throughout the winter. This may mean relying more on the ICE while driving, but I don't mind that as much as the Volt will get better city mileage than the car it is replacing (and I think will still offer cost savings even with the premium fuel cost difference).

Thank you also to those who reminded me that all cars have a dip in MPGs in the winter for various reasons. To be more specific, will the range on the ICE decrease to less than 300 miles in the winter? In my current car I can see a drop of 10-15 miles on a tank of gas. Does anyone have a ballpark estimate based on their experience? Or aware of a data set with that info?

 

[hiperco]

I suspect that winter range using the ICE will be significantly lower than 300 miles. But I'm new here

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[llninja]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. Based on what I've read here and after visiting a Chevy dealer today, it seems like I'll be okay as long as the car is used regularly and I keep the battery somewhat charged throughout the winter. This may mean relying more on the ICE while driving, but I don't mind that as much as the Volt will get better city mileage than the car it is replacing (and I think will still offer cost savings even with the premium fuel cost difference).

Thank you also to those who reminded me that all cars have a dip in MPGs in the winter for various reasons. To be more specific, will the range on the ICE decrease to less than 300 miles in the winter? In my current car I can see a drop of 10-15 miles on a tank of gas. Does anyone have a ballpark estimate based on their experience? Or aware of a data set with that info?

My g1 gets 35-43 miles of EV range on my commute. It drops to 24-32 in the winter in central IL. Fuel range drops too, but I don't really measure it much. The only metric I keep mental tabs on is in the summer my commute nets me about 75-100 mpg but I the winter it turns to 50-60 mpg. This was 50 miles round trip with no charging at work. But now my round trip commute is 65 miles so everything will change this winter.

 

[Coppersnowboarder]

You do not seem to be an optimal Volt customer because your long-distance travels merely will cause you to carry around hundreds of pounds of batteries that add little to your fuel efficiency. Furthermore, you do not have adequate infrastructure to support the battery pack. Also, the Volt has a poor heating system at below-freezing temperatures. I also live in a condominium. The Homeowners Association is hostile to electric vehicles and banned me from plugging-in at the 110-volt outlets in the parking area. I must hike across my village to use a free charging facility. You should check on whether there is a free charging station in your vicinity, but that is unlikely in Illinois. Colorado has a slightly higher registration fee for electric vehicles which funds a grant program to encourage the installation of free charging stations at many public parking areas. Check the ChargePoint or Department of Energy sites for the locations of charging stations across the United States. I owned a 2007 Prius for eight years. Never a problem. 48 MPG. I considered a Prius plug-in, but the Toyota staff convinced me that Toyota was discontinuing the line. I bought a 2013 Volt for the same cost as I had purchased my Prius, both with around 10,000 miles on the odometer. Lifetime costs are similar. The up-side is the Volt is a great design for the future. I get the electricity for my daily commute free. The down-side is the inconvenience of hiking a half-mile to the charging station every night after two hours of charging. This is the fact the marketing team ignore when they tell you that you will be able to pass gas stations. You will skip the weekly trip to a gas station in exchange for the nuisance of plugging-in every night to an electric supply. The first year with the Volt, my average was 160 MPG. Then, I took a 4,000-mile trip with no access to electricity and burned 98 gallons of gasoline. Now, my lifetime average is 80 MPG. I really liked my Prius, enjoyed it for 8 years. I am not sure how many years I will keep the Volt. I may trade for upgraded technology. I may trade for a more aggressive adventure vehicle if a plug-in hybrid model comes along that can handle the boulders and potholes in any Forest Service road. Prius and Volt are extremely competitive in my mind. I would enjoy driving either.

 

[jard1s]

The biggest problem I see with your situation is you'll be using a lot of ICE...The Gen1 Volt uses premium fuel so when factoring a Volt to a Prius there's more to the story than MPG...Also the Volt charges slowly at public charging and may not be free...I would say look into another used car you may enjoy more than the Prius...While not as cheap as an used Prius or Volt, a used Lexus CT200 is a bargain...Other dealers can be had on VWs...Just test drive a variety of used hybrids and buy the one you like...

I got rid of the CT200H before I switched to Gen 2 and am not regretting it.
However, I will like2 echo Barcardi's advice in getting a hybrid if you prefer. Or, if that's too out of budget, an econobox like a yaris/fit/versa. Pretty good on gas without shelling out too much for a hybrid.
I would however recommend staying away from Ct200h because I hated the performance of the vehicle. Bad torque (& I'm in love with the torque of the volt instead) with a premium interior. Essentially a nicely done up prius. Go for a jetta hybrid instead if it's within your means as it has much higher torque.