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.
