10 days is not too long a period to leave the Volt plugged in or fully charged and unplugged. If you were going to be away for longer than 4 weeks/1 month then there are specific recommendations in the Volt Owner's Manual. These include storing the Volt with a 30% SOC and not leaving the Volt plugged in over a prolonged period. The other consideration is to connect a 12V battery tender to the Volt's 12V AGM battery so that it does not run down, leave you unable to start the Volt when you return. I would be concerned about leaving the Volt plugged in in case there was an electrical storm. If there is someone at home who could unplug the Volt in case of thunderstorms then I would have no issue with leaving the Volt plugged in for 10 days.
What to do with my Volt for 10 days when I'm gone?
G
I'll be leaving the country for 10 days in June and I'm wondering what I should do with the Volt while I'm gone. None of my family members drive it, so should I just let it sit in the driveway the whole time? Keep it plugged into the EVSE the whole time? I would hate to come back and find the 12V battery dead. I have no garage to keep it in. Thanks in advance for any advice.
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I believe that the Gen 2 Volt can turn on the fan and AC to cool the battery if the battery pack temperature rises above a set point (90-95F?) even if the Volt is not plugged in as long as there is some battery charge remaining.I don't think the volt will use the battery to perform temp management without being plugged in. I might be wrong here, but I've never heard whirring when unplugged.
That raises a good question, exactly which Volt systems shut down after several days of the Volt not being driven?*looking at the subforum this is posted in* I'm inclined to think that's only of academic interest.
4G LTE Onstar modem - I believe the answer is yes, the LTE modem stops pinging the cell network.
Remote entry and theft alarm - (I hope it stays active)
Thermal management system - Unknown
A direct strike may be rare but lightning does not have to hit your home directly to damage any electronic equipment that is plugged in at the time. 10 miles away is a safe distance, even 5 miles. Less than 3 miles and you are at some risk. 1 mile or less and you are definitely at risk because a lightning surge can travel through the electrical lines or even through the ground. A direct strike on your home can be catastrophic as it can easily start a fire.How many times has your house or nearby tree been struck by lightning in your lifetime? Sure, it’s possible, but unlikely. I wouldn’t worry too much about the thunderstorm thing. Otherwise, the truly paranoid would also drive their fleet of cars to a neighboring state during inclement weather and stay in a hotel on the off chance a tornado hits their town. You can’t spend your entire life worrying about what might happen. I venture to guess you are more likely to lose your volt in a fender bender driving it on a daily basis than having it fried by a lightning strike.
What happened to a Tesla Model S and a Nissan Leaf vehicle in two separate incidents where lightning struck nearby while the cars were charging: https://transportevolved.com/2015/06/04/polite-advice-tesla-lightning-strike-video-proves-why-you-shouldnt-refuel-any-car-in-an-electrical-storm/
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