Here's what happens when you don't use your Chevy Volt gas engine "enough"

[cfg83]

Voltdriver -

I didn't do the more ambitious 3D plot thing, but I did create a spreadsheet :



The "5 year savings" is in comparison to the EPA ICE @ 23 MPG car. For example :

  (5 year cost of EPA ICE @ 23 MPG) 
- (5 year cost of my 1999 Saturn SW2) 
=  5 year savings

$12,391.30 - $6,627.91 = $5763.40 savings

In order to calculate the electric cost for one year I ignore the stated value for MPGe. I derive the electric cost from other values :

(X Mile driven / 1 Year) * ( Y Dollars / kWh) * ( Z kWh / Mile) = 
(Mile * Dollars * kWh) / (Year * kWh * Mile) = 
Dollars * ( Mile * kWh) / Year * (kWh * Mile) = 
Dollars / Year = Electric Cost

CarloSW2

[Voltdriver]

Wow! thank you very much! I'll see if I can't fit that into an upcoming blog post. Many thanks!

[Voltdriver]

Actually, I just incorporated it in the last blog. It is a nice way of visualizing the math.

[cfg83]

Voltdriver -

Thanks for the thanks!

PS - In the "EPA Volt" row I derived 52.5 "Percent ICE Miles" column value by tweaking the percent until the "5 year savings" column matched the EPA Sticker value of $6850.

CarloSW2

[Voltdriver]

I'll need to investigate that, because my numbers were 71% (I think), which did match the nationwide average of 120 MPG. One of us has some wrong math.

[cfg83]

Voltdriver -

Originally Posted by Voltdriver

I'll need to investigate that, because my numbers were 71% (I think), which did match the nationwide average of 120 MPG. One of us has some wrong math.

Very possible. Again, I am NOT using the stated MPGe value in my spreadsheet. I can PM the spreadsheet to you if you want.

CarloSW2

[trooper Tdiesel]

using are power rate, it gets much cheaper to drive at 0.06c



id say having the engine start up is to re-lube the engine and circulate gas from the tank up to the engine.

also the high test octane requirement may be one of there attempts to force people to have a higher quality fuel in the tank, for the much longer amount of time the same gas is in the tank, compared to most autos.

i know first hand what E10 does to a little 5hp engine that's used very little.
cause im sick of buying carb kits.. and carb cleaner.