Just rode in a VOLT!

[bennelson]

It's pretty smooth under the car in the front, but there is a "hole" of space behind the gas tank.

I wondered about all the wires behind the gas tank - if all that looks a little messy because these cars are still sort of hand-made?

Somebody told me that there are FOUR radiators on this car.

That clutch or gear cable is right over the engine - doesn't seem like the right place for a gear selector. I wouldn't even think this car would have a gear selection cable, as everything else seems to be electronic and software-driven.

[MN Driver]

...just because I feel like stirring the pot of controversy...

That gas tank looks HUGE!

...but on a serious note, if I won one and wasn't able to take the cash instead, I would probably keep a gallon in there with fuel stabilizer just in case I get a case of the 'maintenance mode' anxiety and drive my Insight when I think I might do the 'price is right' on the electric range.

I pick on this car too much, I don't think its so bad for someone who would primarily drive it within its EV range. I don't mind owning two cars though and somewhere in the 100 mile range for an EV wouldn't be bad and could probably live with as little as 80 miles of real world range with maybe taking a car 10 times between 80 and 120 miles. I guess what I'm saying is, "range anxiety" is a joke because if you plan with a 20% buffer(it's better for your batteries too) and don't drive like an idiot on a longer trip, you'll know you are good. I don't really mind living with two cars though to allow for a trip over say 80 miles leaving a 20% buffer. I own both of my current cars for $35 tabs yearly(each) and insurance for two cars according to my insurance agent should drop to the $600/year range(bottom $700's/year now for both together) next year after their '1st year let's make sure this guy doesn't crash on his new policy' period. I don't see an issue with owning two cars but then again it's incredibly cheap to own a 10 year old car in Minnesota, especially with no emissions testing and a flat sales tax and flat license plate tab fee.

I'm still not sure which used mainstream electric car I'll buy in 10 years but it will mostly be a pure look at the forums to develop perceived battery and other component lifetimes, risk factors, and which one people are scared enough of to allow its price to drop into the hole without it actually being a reliability issue causing its low perceived market value. ...then again GM is betting on a high resale value for its cheap lease rate. I have a feeling that is part of the plan, produce small quantities lease heavily and have higher resale value due to demand because you never really built and released that many to begin with. ...but then again I'll have the money to convert an Insight with its lightweight, aerodynamics, and rust-proof body that I can get for peanuts from the dumb-dumb who is scared of his battery failing or doesn't know how to deal with the failure at the 15 year mark. I've already seen one in otherwise perfect condition sans good battery for $2500. If I were to spend even $25k, subtract $2500 from available funds for the body, with $22500 I could have a super efficient performance monster that will never rust and since I built it, would know exactly how to fix anything that goes wrong. ...I can't stop myself from getting talked into this. I'll stop now as I realize I'm getting off topic. The Volt is a decent car though, it's at least a step in the right direction and hopefully moreso towards the market getting interested in getting into an EV.

[user removed]

I bought an $800 motorcycle that gets close to 80 MPG. Insurance is $65 a year tags and taxes maybe another $50. On its 2.6 gallon fuel tank the range to empty is right at 198 miles.

Fuel cost today is just over 3 cents a mile.

A Volt would suit most of my daily driving, but the all electric range would be the very limit of most of my driving.

The leaf would probably cover 90% all electric.

If I had to choose one I would take the Leaf, and buy an economy car for highway trips with the left over funds.

As it is I have my Altima that gets close to the same mileage as the Volt when the battery is depleted. In the car and bike I have less than 13k total.

If I had to have one electric car and no other means of transportation, I would probably take the Leaf and build a tow behind generator for longer trips, which means I would be towing the trailer behind me about 10% of the time.

I'll bet the Volt is a success for those who can utilize it's advantages and minimize its disadvantages.

I could write a check tomorrow for either the Volt of the Leaf, but I did not achieve that kind of financial security by ignoring the overall costs of transportation. Rebuilding a total loss vehicle has meant that I almost never suffer depreciation losses when I sell a car.

I guess the natural thought progression is to watch the local salvage auctions and pick up one of them when that come to an auction. In the mean time I can observe the customer feedback and wait for the recycling industry to get a supply of used parts.

Or I could just wait for one of the batteries to become available and use it to electrify my Fiberfab VW based kit car that would weigh less than 2k pounds with the battery.

regards
Mech

[tjts1]

Motorcycles are fun but some of us would like to survive being hit by a drunk driver.

[user removed]

Then drive a Hummer, isn't that the same logic. My cousin was on the carrier Hornet (Dolittle raid Hornet)from the time it was launched to when it was sunk. Drove bike 350k miles. Only time he went down was black ice.

Born 1924, still with us but fading.

Bikes give you accident avoidance opportunities that any other vehicle does not have.

regards
Mech

[bennelson]

What vehicle you drive/ride is a very personal choice.

Whether it's a bicycle, a motorcycle, a traditional car, or a large truck, there are always good reasons to use one over another. I just wish that people would always use an APPROPRIATE vehicle for whatever it happened to be that they were doing at the time.

I think one big thing that the Volt is trying to do, it to appeal to a wide variety of people - ones who WANT electric/efficiency/eco-friendly/cheap AND ones who don't want range anxiety, want to drive as far as they want, etc.

Here's the first video.
I just went over the car to look at a few things that the typical blogs and photos never seem to show. While I was filming, two guys hopped into the car, so I did an impromptu interview to see what their thoughts on the car were.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of8Le7KalRY

The next video covers going for a ride in the Volt.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by bennelson

Here's the first video.

So it only seats 4 people

Who on earth designed this thing, you'd need to be a weightlifter to get anything in or out of the trunk !

[bennelson]

Yep, it's a four seater.

The front has two bucket seats.

The back is divided, with a console/cupholder in the middle. The seat backs are similar to how many cars have the split 60/40 folding seat, only instead there is a gap between the two seat backs the width of the center console. That looks just a bit odd - I can't think of any other car I have seen that's like that.

It would be really easy to put skis down the middle of the car!

Not sure what you mean about a weight-lifter needed to get things in or out of the trunk. Trunk height seemed about average.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by bennelson

The seat backs are similar to how many cars have the split 60/40 folding seat, only instead there is a gap between the two seat backs the width of the center console. That looks just a bit odd - I can't think of any other car I have seen that's like that.

The Volvo C30 has separate rear seats as well, but that's a fairly small car.

Not sure what you mean about a weight-lifter needed to get things in or out of the trunk. Trunk height seemed about average.

The lower rim is at waist height - look at the guy standing next to it - that's not what I'd call average height.
Beyond the rim, it's a considerable drop to the trunk floor.

Loading stuff into this trunk is going to require some serious lifting !

[NeilBlanchard]

The rear seat is damn small -- my brother is 6'-6" and I'm 6'-4" and my son was about 5'-0" at the time, and all three of us fit in the back of my Mom's Gen 2 Prius, and the front seats were set near the back. Even my little xA has enough room for me in the back when the front seat is set where I need it; and there is plenty of headroom... Sheesh.