[ctlail]

I was fascinated with the Volt for the following reasons:

1. I am an electrical engineer who works for a company that manufactures locomotives that use a similar transmission, just a lot bigger, and I know that the inverter/motor combos we use are incredibly reliable.
2. Regenerative brake that saves brake pads and extends range. The Regen on demand paddle was a huge bonus that I didn't even know about when I first thought about buying one.
3. I thought my next car would be a manual as I like driving to have something more to it than steering. The Volt provided this in a whole new way with choosing the right driving mode and driving style to extend range and get the most out of the car.
4. I love that it can be heated up in the garage without the engine having to turn on.
5. I think it looks great, where so many of the other electrical vehicles look like electric vehicles, I don't think the Volt does.
6. I love the inside design as well with two big displays and all of the different configurations. As an engineer, outside of a power seat with preset and Homelink, I can't think of anything I would do differently.
7. It is the perfect range for all electric for me. When I go to Chicago, I can get there and back on one full tank of gas (roughly 430 miles) by driving as prescribed and using the right driving modes at the right time. I just don't think all electric is practical at this point given the charging options. I will charge it when it is at home, but on long trips, I will just use gas unless I happen to find myself near a place where I plan to be for many hours anyway.
8. My absolute favorite part, and this isn't unique to an electric vehicle or the volt, although an electric vehicle can do it better, is adaptive cruise control. This makes highway driving and state road driving a dream. The low gear in the volt for driving in traffic is also pretty great.

At this point, given the cost, I couldn't be happier with the Volt. I hope I continue to feel this way after I have had it for a couple years.

 

[jbakerjonathan]

You've enumerated many good points of Volt ownership. Lack of maintenance chores/costs is another one. Comfort on long trips is another one. I will hazard a guess that your love of your Volt will survive for many, many years. 8^)

 

[JoeReal]

Most cruise control go funky and flaky when the speed is less than 25 mph. The ACC of the Volt is working perfectly even if everyone is just inching forward at less than 2 mph as long as the traffic is moving!

 

[alfon]

Were on our 2nd Volt. The first one was a 2014 which we purchased in Oct. 2013, in July 2016 we traded the Volt in with over 40,000 miles for a brand new 2016 Volt. $11,000 off MSRP sealed the deal.

Now our 2016 Volt has well over 17,000 miles. Our summer range, now finally there, is over 60 miles on pure electric, gas mpg, when running on just gas, is pushing 50 mpg and over at times. When my wife and I go fishing in the Tillamook Oregon area, 115-135 mile round trip it, cost less to take our Volt than our 2010 Prius, even when you include the full cost of a full charge of electricity @ $1.80.

No car available today can match that of the 2016-17 Volt, with range, indicated electric now 67 miles as I type this, and with our Volt 45+ mpg just on gas. Last trip was over 51 mpg just on gas, Prius territory....

 

[Billtphotoman]

You touched on many of the reasons I got my Volt in late 2013. The love affair is still going strong and assuming it is reliable for the next 6+ years I plan on keeping it I don't see an end to the good times in sight. The only thing I would really like is more foot room for my occasional adult rear passengers.

 

[saghost]

Welcome. Sounds like you'll fit right in. You've clearly discovered most of the important things to know about the Volt already.

 

[BAZINGA]

welcome aboard. You grasped the essence of the Volt. To bad the rest of America isn't so enlightened. We've owned THREE Volt's since March 2012. Combined we have driven them over 55K miles at over 96% electric.

I also suggest you consider joining VoltStats.net it's a get tool to collect and display exactly how our Volt's perform in the real world with data any bubba can understand. For a start you can view my 2017 (Von Zipper) to glean the kinds of data it collects and displays.

 

[sosmerc]

Yup, you sure hit all of the high points of the Volt that also got me excited about it. And like you, I too hope that it remains reliable for many many miles. It's a fun car to drive.

 

[jcanoe]

Wait until it is July and you start to use the remote start feature to cool the Volt down from 130+F after it has been baking in the sun to a comfortable temperature before you ever step inside.

 

[Coppersnowboarder]

I hope that an innovative bus manufacturer will adopt a hybrid, plug-in design. I am anxious to see public transit exceed the 5 MPG that our best buses get now on diesel. I also would like a plug-in recreational vehicle, even considering modifications to a used "all-new" Chrysler Pacifica hybrid, plug-in minivan. I wish that someone would build conversions to Sprinter vans to electric with range extending generators. Ah . . . the dreams will be realized after my lifetime.

 

[saghost]

I hope that an innovative bus manufacturer will adopt a hybrid, plug-in design. I am anxious to see public transit exceed the 5 MPG that our best buses get now on diesel. I also would like a plug-in recreational vehicle, even considering modifications to a used "all-new" Chrysler Pacifica hybrid, plug-in minivan. I wish that someone would build conversions to Sprinter vans to electric with range extending generators. Ah . . . the dreams will be realized after my lifetime.

Wrightspeed is building them now, with the Fulcrum Turbine range extender:

http://www.wrightspeed.com/the-route-powertrain

Not sure how many customers they have.

I know BYD and Hyundai of all people are building all electric buses, too:

http://www.byd.com/la/auto/ebus.html

https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/1/15724134/hyundai-electric-bus-elec-city-korea-range

DaimlerChrysler built a plug in hybrid Sprinter, actually - but I don't htink they sold very many of them:

http://jalopnik.com/247681/electric-vanliness-sprinter-to-be-daimlerchryslers-first-plug-in-hybrid

Now they seem to be planning to make them all electric instead:

https://www.trucks.com/2017/03/28/mercedes-benz-hermes-announce-electric-vans/