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HiFlite · 12-06-2014, 05:32 PM

Observations with my 2013 Volt:

1) The EPA numbers are very misleading in their application to real world experience. Running 50% purely on battery and 50% in charge-sustain mode, my car's lifetime mpg is 77 mpg. Other than driving carefully, no "hypermiling" was employed. (The Volt doesn't respond to it very well anyway.) Mpg while in CS mode is right at 40. Cost per mile on electricity is 2 cents in summer, twice that in winter. Net energy cost per 10k miles is ~$500. If the Volt II magically doubled its efficiency over the Volt I, I'd save $250/year ... big whoop!

2) Purchase cost is a lot less than people think. First, GM lowered the base price for 2014 models to $35000. The federal tax credit is $7500 (far more than any other hybrid), so that brings it down to $27,500. Other incentives often bring the net cost to well below $25,000.

3) Maintenance cost is approximately zero. I just had my first oil change done after 1.5 years. Nothing else was needed.

4) CS mode mpg in the city kinda stinks, 30ish, but it is easy to avoid. For example, I live less than a mile from the freeway. So, taking a trip to the big city, I run on battery until reaching cruise speed on the expressway, then switch to CS-mode where the engine will come on to maintain the present State Of Charge. The engine is most efficient under these conditions, so mpg runs around 42. Reaching the big city, I switch to normal mode (all-electric) for urban driving. If I can recharge there, the 160 mile there and back trip comes in at 80 mpg, if not, around 58 mpg.

5) The Prius is a fine car, no doubt, and on longer trips can be more efficient that the Volt. The one-day, 850 mile trip I took last year averaging 44 mpg in the Volt, could have been done in the Prius at, what, 55 mpg. *However*, the Prius is a crude car by comparison, like the base Corolla is to an Avalon. I doubt if I could have taken the beating of driving 13 hours in a Prius in one day (though it couldn't be worse than the 1980, 45 mpg Datsun 210 I used to drive).

6) In the same vein, I consider electric drive to be the best luxury option since the invention of air conditioning. While only 1/2 of my miles are pure electric, probably 85% of my driving *time* is. That time is frankly, wonderful. At this point, regardless of cost savings or not, I can't see myself ever getting daily driver that does not run most of the time solely on electric power.

YMMV!

12-06-2014, 05:32 PM	#33 (permalink)
HiFlite EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Michigan Posts: 34 Thanks: 1 Thanked 26 Times in 17 Posts	Observations with my 2013 Volt: 1) The EPA numbers are very misleading in their application to real world experience. Running 50% purely on battery and 50% in charge-sustain mode, my car's lifetime mpg is 77 mpg. Other than driving carefully, no "hypermiling" was employed. (The Volt doesn't respond to it very well anyway.) Mpg while in CS mode is right at 40. Cost per mile on electricity is 2 cents in summer, twice that in winter. Net energy cost per 10k miles is ~$500. If the Volt II magically doubled its efficiency over the Volt I, I'd save $250/year ... big whoop! 2) Purchase cost is a lot less than people think. First, GM lowered the base price for 2014 models to $35000. The federal tax credit is $7500 (far more than any other hybrid), so that brings it down to $27,500. Other incentives often bring the net cost to well below $25,000. 3) Maintenance cost is approximately zero. I just had my first oil change done after 1.5 years. Nothing else was needed. 4) CS mode mpg in the city kinda stinks, 30ish, but it is easy to avoid. For example, I live less than a mile from the freeway. So, taking a trip to the big city, I run on battery until reaching cruise speed on the expressway, then switch to CS-mode where the engine will come on to maintain the present State Of Charge. The engine is most efficient under these conditions, so mpg runs around 42. Reaching the big city, I switch to normal mode (all-electric) for urban driving. If I can recharge there, the 160 mile there and back trip comes in at 80 mpg, if not, around 58 mpg. 5) The Prius is a fine car, no doubt, and on longer trips can be more efficient that the Volt. The one-day, 850 mile trip I took last year averaging 44 mpg in the Volt, could have been done in the Prius at, what, 55 mpg. However, the Prius is a crude car by comparison, like the base Corolla is to an Avalon. I doubt if I could have taken the beating of driving 13 hours in a Prius in one day (though it couldn't be worse than the 1980, 45 mpg Datsun 210 I used to drive). 6) In the same vein, I consider electric drive to be the best luxury option since the invention of air conditioning. While only 1/2 of my miles are pure electric, probably 85% of my driving time is. That time is frankly, wonderful. At this point, regardless of cost savings or not, I can't see myself ever getting daily driver that does not run most of the time solely on electric power. YMMV!