GM Volt Forum banner

Volt, the smart car

4K views 37 replies 17 participants last post by  kk07 
#1 ·
I mean it really. We had a long road trip during the weekend. We were on a highway, and had the AC on almost max fan speed. Had my android phone connected with android auto running for the google map. Got a call came in. I picked it up. The car adjusted the fan speed so that I don't have to yell. AND it turned it back up after I ended the call. How cool is that.

The other cars I have owned I had to adjust the fan speed manually. You guys probably already knew about this, but anyway I thought some affectionate posts here and there might help also. :cool:
 
#3 ·
I recently figured out that if I set the HVAC on Auto ECO and set the temperature down a couple of degrees I get the same cooling effect without the fan running at such a high speed. It also appears to be more efficient this way since the fan is the biggest power drain in the HVAC system.

Most of the time I like having the car slow down the fan but I agree with JRRF that when the call occurs while the car is initially cooling down you really need an override to the fan speed.
 
#4 ·
Most of the time I like having the car slow down the fan but I agree with JRRF that when the call occurs while the car is initially cooling down you really need an override to the fan speed.
Oh you can override it. It's just that I'd rather make the initial decision to turn it down if I want, rather than being forced to turn it back up if I hadn't planned to do so.
 
#5 ·
I mean it really. We had a long road trip during the weekend. We were on a highway, and had the AC on almost max fan speed. Had my android phone connected with android auto running for the google map. Got a call came in. I picked it up. The car adjusted the fan speed so that I don't have to yell. AND it turned it back up after I ended the call. How cool is that.
I've read that some where (owner's manual? not sure.) Mind you there will always be some people that prefer the sun shine at night and the moon come out during the day.
 
#10 ·
The Volt, especially the Gen 2, has more technology per dollar than any other plug in electric vehicle out there. Also, the Volt is a Electric vehicle first, and a hybrid second. The Volt when running on electric will never engage the gas engine for extra propulsion power. Now the only close competitor is the Honda Plug in Clarity which will always engage the gas motor for full power when running on electric even with a fully charged battery.

The Volt, for the price, is not only a smart car, its also the best choice for an electric vehicle with a gas engine for extended range, no other car out there compares with it, and if there is please let us know.
 
#15 ·
This ^^^. The fact that all other hybrids switch to gas even when battery is still available is what sets the Volt apart from them. Even my died in the wool anti-EV mom has figured out that the Volt provides the best of both worlds in an environment that isn't EV friendly. She likes the fact that the Volt is an EV until it runs out of battery and only then switches to gasoline. Her comment on other hybrids is that in many situations they simply won't deliver on the electric promise because they use EV capabilities to supplement gasoline, adding drive train complexity without the benefits.
 
#12 ·
There is no question that the compressor takes more energy than the fan.

In Eco mode, the compressor is limited, and then by definition so is the fan. The temp you set is not necessarily maintained. The system will keep running on low and won't let the temp go below the set point, but it won't do anything extraordinary to get it down to the set point either.
 
#13 ·
This may have been previously noted; you can set the maximum fan speed for the climate control automatic climate control setting to be low, medium or high.
 
#21 ·
Not to burst your bubble, cause you should love your Volt, but when the fan slows when you get a call, that's a feature from AA and CarPlay. It comes from a feature from the iPhone from 2007, where the music from your iPhone would slowly mute, when you got a call, and readjust back when the call ended. Android adopted that, and now it's been extended to other applications like the fan in the car. However, all cars with AA and CarPlay have it.
 
#24 ·
Rube Goldberg would say:

That if we had a switch to slide the cabin air filter in and out when a phone call came in we could over come the loss of air flow or use a Magnetic Bucky Balls variable density air filters .
 
#25 · (Edited)
Just click the fan control one click either up or down and the auto phone call fan mute override is canceled and fan speed returns to normal.

I really like the button on the end of the turn signal lever, it creates a soft horn beep for pedestrians or those cars stopped
at a light that turns green but they aren't paying attention. It is a little thing, but a personal favorite feature of my Volt ...
 
#33 ·
Look for Pedestrian Friendly Alert in your manual.

View attachment 155429
Form the 2018 volt manual, pg 100, it says something about Pedestrian Safety Signal. But I don't hear any deliberate sound from the car when I speed up from 0 to 30 mph. Only thing I can hear is the slightest sounds from the electric motor.

What sound is the manual referring to?

Pedestrian Safety Signal

The vehicle is equipped with
automatic sound generation.
The automatic sound is generated
to indicate the vehicle presence to
pedestrians. The sound changes if
the vehicle is speeding up or
slowing down. It is activated when
the vehicle is shifted into a forward
gear or R (Reverse), up to 30 km/h
(19 mph).
 
#34 · (Edited)
The pedestrian alert warning is not usually audible from inside the Volt unless you are inside a garage and/or have your window open. To me it makes the Gen 2 Volt sound like a UFO in a low-budget SciFi movie. The pedestrian alert is active anytime the Volt is powered on and shifted out of Park, at any speed up to ~18 MPH. For 2019 Chevrolet has added a second pedestrian alert speaker in the rear of the Volt. I guess one annoying sound effect speaker was not enough.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top