[okko]

I'm just wondering what the best range is that people have gotten with their Gen 2.

I understand that the EPA states 85km (sorry, I'm Canadian ) and that is based on ideal conditions.

My commute is 70kms 1 way, 99% highway.

With my drive this morning the conditions were: 10 degrees C (did not use the climate control, heated seats nor steering wheel), cruise control set at 100 kms/hr, so the only condition that was not "ideal" was the speed that I was driving. Head lights were also on.

When I arrived to my destinaton, the guess-o-meter stated that I had 27 kms of EV range left, meaning that I could have driven 97 kms strictly electric.

I am very impressed. Clearly, I would get well over 100 kms if I was city driving, or perhaps even rural (80 km/hr).

Already owning another electric drive (Smart Fortwo), I know that winter wreaks havoc with the range. Hopefully, with the heating / cooling of the battery while remaining plugged in, I can still manage to get my 70km commute on electric even having to use the heat / climate control.


Kev

 

[BAZINGA]

This was my first "real world" trip in my 2017 Volt.


It was a Sunday morning and I was out running errands. I would describe the roads/traffic as city/urban speeds with stop lights/signs up to 35 MPH, a few areas with speeds up to 45 miles and a cross city trip on what I would call rural 2/4 lane roads at speeds up to 55 MPH for miles on end. I was surprised how easy it was to get over 60 miles from the battery. No hypermiling or driving illegally or doing ANYTHING other drivers would notice.

In the 8 months I have owned my Volt I have easily beaten that number. In fact looking at VoltStats (Von Zipper) shows I'm driving my 2017 Volt over 99% all electric. I bought a mini Tesla.

 

[okko]

That's excellent. 63 miles (100kms) is excellent, and you say that you have beaten that number. All very promising.



Kev

 

[llninja]

You can't ask for best range then caveat it with no hypermiling. That's like asking what was your lowest weight without dieting. Or the most amount of money you had without consciously saving. Or the most number of dates/conquests in one night without trying.

As for how to beat your best, slow down, it goes longer and farther. If you speed up and drive it like a jackrabbit, you can blow it and it goes down.

 

[PrivatePilot]

It's been my observation and experience that both the gen1 and gen2 Volts can reasonably easily exceed their rated EV ranges with even the slightest effort to not be an energy hog.

The ratings, it seems to me, are designed around an "average" driver - both good drivers (conscientious and moderately efficient driving) and bad drivers - the ones who jackrabbit away from every green light, have the AC on and windows open at the same time, etc.

 

[BAZINGA]

Well it's helps to live in the "flatlands" in the mid-west. Our highest elevation in my county is 631 feet ASL. We have nice gentle rolling hills to navigate. I've also learned that when I'm approaching a stop light/sign and it looks like I might catch it I lift early and allow the car to coast (in drive) and get some LONG periods of regen. I find long and slow seems to capture more regen than trying to get max regen for the last few yards.

 

[saghost]

I'm just wondering what the best range is that people have gotten with their Gen 2.

I understand that the EPA states 85km (sorry, I'm Canadian ) and that is based on ideal conditions.

Actually, the EPA rating is one of the least optimistic/ideal ratings out there, and should be easy to achieve in decent weather unless you drive very fast/aggressively.

Folks who put a little effort into hypermiling routinely manage at least 50% more with Volts in good weather, and I believe most other EVs.

 

[firehawk72]

On back roads, at speeds of 55 or less, with the windows down, I can easily attain high 60s and low 70s with very little difficultly. This is not hyper-milling, just my normal light-footed driving.

 

[tgreene]

This was the best I did recently while drive home from work. All highway 65mph using cruise.

 

[telveer]

On my Gen 1 (2013, with 38 mile AER EPA rating), I get 42 miles or more on an average .. and I drive "Spiritedly (Sport + Low is my default). The only times I get less than 38 miles are when temperatures go below zero. From what I have seen, it looks like this (beating EPA rating is the the norm for Gen 2 Volts as well.

 

[alfon]

With our 2016 Volt last summer, temps 70's or so, my wife and I went fishing and made it to our favorite section of river in Tillamook Oregon. From our home at sea level to about 200 feet elevation where the river is, was 65 miles and still had 5 miles left of electric range.

Of course right now with temps 20-25 degrees lower, 55 miles of electric is the indicated range as I type this. 2 weeks ago at 55 degree weather we went 65 miles on a charge which is pretty good.

 

[alfon]

This was the best I did recently while drive home from work. All highway 65mph using cruise.

Tgreen, thats great mileage. You just beat the pants off of any Prius. The best we did so far is when my wife and I went to Ocean Park Washington with our 2016 Volt. 65 miles on electric and 58 mpg on gas for the nearly 90 mile round trip.

 

[Kvanhutton]

This was my best last summer. Rural roads at around 40-45 mph. Warm temps. I've had similar range several times.

 

[Raymondjram]

All these are great numbers. GM must use them to promote more Volt sales. BTW, most of us are technically trained so we can read and understand Metric as well as Imperial. The "Watt" and the "Joule" can both be express in Metric, too. If I could, I would insist that the United States fully enter the Metric system because even the United Kingdom, where the Imperial system was born, are converting to Metric. There are only three nations that still use Imperial: http://www.joeydevilla.com/2008/08/13/countries-that-dont-use-the-metric-system/

Here in Puerto Rico we use mostly the Metric as a past Spanish colony (from 1493 to 1898), buying gasoline and milk in liters, and marking distances in kilometers with all exits marked as so. My home is at exit 13 (13 kilometers from San Juan) of Highway #22.

Yet no one mentions Km per liter, but cars are sold using MPG.

 

[Arcanox]

I'm pretty sure this is my best so far. I wouldn't say I was hypermiling; I tend to have a lead foot. I do try to use pure regenerative braking when I can (L or on-demand paddle) and try to read lights ahead of me, but I definitely don't take my time getting up to speed.

 

[Qinsp]

My best roundtrip so far has been 71 miles running 235 wide tires.
But I've been routinely visiting a customer on a 58 mile round trip and I return with juice to spare.
It is so easy to beat the 49 mile EPA Highway number on the G2's that I believe Chevrolet understated the number to the EPA.

 

[Bacardi]

On my Gen 1 (2013, with 38 mile AER EPA rating), I get 42 miles or more on an average .. and I drive "Spiritedly (Sport + Low is my default). The only times I get less than 38 miles are when temperatures go below zero. From what I have seen, it looks like this (beating EPA rating is the the norm for Gen 2 Volts as well.

It's possible to the exact same range using Normal mode and Sport mode...

The ball/leaf on the Gen2 tells you what you need, in normal mode if you ever press the accelerator beyond 10-15% you're already off the charts...The 2017 EPA cycles actually changed from 2016 to account for more aggressive driving (the MY16 Volt was advertised using 2017 EPA cycles)...Driving a Hellcat and not stepping on the accelerator beyond 15% will also exceed the EPAs rating...The same car, the Buick Velite 5, got rated by China's EPA 72 miles...

 

[okko]

I just wanted to make sure that people state range using "real world" (or as close as possible) driving habits. I don't want to hear stats from somebody driving round and round in a roundabout doing 10 km/hr............. (in response to llninja's comment)

Kev

 

[Kvanhutton]

I just wanted to make sure that people state range using "real world" (or as close as possible) driving habits. I don't want to hear stats from somebody driving round and round in a roundabout doing 10 km/hr............. (in response to llninja's comment)

Kev

Mine was a "real world" 76 miles. back roads at a moderate speed on a nice warm day. It was pretty much round trip as well....so there was no advantage due to elevation change.

 

[Qinsp]

I just wanted to make sure that people state range using "real world" (or as close as possible) driving habits. I don't want to hear stats from somebody driving round and round in a roundabout doing 10 km/hr............. (in response to llninja's comment)

Kev

Like any car, you can drive to save fuel without hypermiling. Not exceeding the speed limit, not tailgating, slowing early for traffic, accelerating modestly is all it takes in a G2 on level ground on a roundtrip to beat the EPA numbers. No drafting, driving slower than the speed limit, or avoiding freeways is necessary.