Some real Volt numbers for the curious...

[wainair]

Hey folks, I just thought I'd pipe up again now that I've had my Volt on the road for a bit longer now.

During the winter I was getting a average 120mpg. The cold weather really is hard on your mileage but I think this winter coming I will find I can get better due to the things I learned driving the car over the winter. Things like below -4C the motor will come on occasionally to assist the battery in heating. At first I thought this was to aid the thermal management of the battery but then I found out later that it is more to help the cabin heating. Now at below -4C if I am commuting(not on a long trip) I set the climate control to fan only and use the heated seats instead. This uses much less gas. I understand that the 2013 will have 2 settings for the "ICE running due to cold" system that should be much better for new owners where you can set it to come on at -4 or colder at -10. In the winter here it regularly goes down to -4 but not to -10 near as much.

Now since the weather has warmed up I've seen a excellent improvement in EV range. I regularly get 50+miles to a charge. I drive mixed highway and secondary roads, about 50-50, at the speed limit strictly. I last filled my tank on March 11th and have traveled 4535miles on that tank so far.So roughly 785mpg!! And quite a few folks out there are getting well over 1200mpg!! I think I will have to get gas next week as I only have 2 gallons left in my tank and I don't like to run it too low.

As you drive the car more you figure out ways to maximize your coast and regenerative breaking to extend your range. Very much like adapting hypermiling techniques. For example Pulse and Glide, with the Volt because it doesn't have ICE assistance on acceleration it is less taxing on your charge if you slowly accelerate up to your top speed rather than to sprint up to it, then glide, and oh the glide on the Volt is amazing. Even in Drive(which has light regenerative breaking) the Volt seems to roll forever.

I now know over the life of the car I will be getting much better averages than what the EPA estimated for the Volt. That said I figure the added expense of the Volt will have paid for itself over 3 years instead of the 5-1/2years that GM figured based on the EPA figures. So I think I'll keep it !! LOL

[sendler]

Originally Posted by wainair

That said I figure the added expense of the Volt will have paid for itself over 3 years instead of the 5-1/2years that GM figured based on the EPA figures.

Do you keep track of any of the data for the electrical usage? How does the Volt pay for it's road taxes?

[rmay635703]

On topic I think the op should invest in a block heater

Originally Posted by sendler

Do you keep track of any of the data for the electrical usage? How does the Volt pay for it's road taxes?

The only folks who should really be paying road taxes are the semi drivers.

They do 1000's of times the damage to roads as compared to a car or even an SUV; yet they only pay a small premium on the fuel they use.

Perhaps if we made the road tax more realistic we could get trains back in the game for cross country and only critical shipments (in the true sense) to go cross country by semi. Semis afterall were only meant for quick expensive transport or local transport from the dock, not primary.

The idea that we need everything immediately and nothing can wait when 40% of working age adults are out of work and our country is hurting for fuel is laughably rediculous. Let things take the time they should take and reap the benefit of 1/10 the fuel usage.

That said the volt like most alternative fuel vehicles is excempt from electric road tax with the exception of a couple odd states but it likely hits a loophole because it burns gas once and while.

[wainair]

Originally Posted by sendler

Do you keep track of any of the data for the electrical usage? How does the Volt pay for it's road taxes?

Though I haven't been keeping a record of my energy usage I can say this. A full charge on a Volt is 12kwh. My Hydro at night costs $0.07 per kwh. So a full charge is roughly $0.84 for me. I would guess as a year round average I've averaged 45miles to a charge. So figuring that my electricity cost would be $0.0186 per mile on a average discharge . I've driven the car under EV power for 9100 miles since owning it so my electricity costs would be $169.26.

As for road taxes... are you suggesting that people who drive more efficient cars should be penalized and have to pay an additional tax because they are not buying as much gas and therefore are not paying all the additional non sales taxes they have heaped on gas? Where I live there are sales taxes and income taxes. Both of which I pay, including the taxes I pay on electricity. If where you live your government has sold you on the idea that an additional road tax per gallon on top of the tax they collect on gas pays for the roads I'd suggest you go ask them for the numbers. I'm positive you will find that money goes all sorts of places other than just the roads if they can account for it at all. They get enough of my money in the taxes they get now. I don't think any sensible person thinks that they need suggestions for more ways to tax us, especially as some sort of punishment for driving a more efficient, more environmental, less consuming vehicle! What would you suggest? Maybe a percentage scheme that the percent of "road" tax you pay goes up based on the mileage numbers you post/report to them? Because that's what it sounds like to me and that has to be the most daft thing I have ever heard. Give your head a shake.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by wainair

Though I haven't been keeping a record of my energy usage I can say this. A full charge on a Volt is 12kwh. My Hydro at night costs $0.07 per kwh.

$0.07 cents for the cost of just the electricity or all told including delivery and tax? I pay .07 for the cost of my electric but when I divide my total bill by the kwhs used it comes out to $0.16 per kwh

[Superdutytd]

I know the price would go up but would anyone else like to see a diesel generator? I mean a 1.5 liter diesel engine at idle could probably make more electricity than that gas engine at 1500 rpm.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by Superdutytd

I know the price would go up but would anyone else like to see a diesel generator? I mean a 1.5 liter diesel engine at idle could probably make more electricity than that gas engine at 1500 rpm.

Diesel exhaust emissions are harder to deal with and now require urea exhaust fluid to comply.

[user removed]

To add to what Sendler posted, when CU tested the Nissan Leaf they reported a 15% loss in energy in charging the battery. I know my electric provider also increases the rate for excess consumption, which would be the case if my average KWH use increased beyond the 1300 KWH we currently average. The additional charges and taxes applied to the basic use rate can make a dramatic difference in cost as well as the losses in charging which means it takes more power to put a specific amount of energy in the battery.

Not meant as a real criticism of the Volt or Leaf. I would love to own a Leaf and our circumstances would be almost ideal for an electric car. Convicing the wife is another matter altogether, and until she comes around to more economical thinking, I will ride my bike and average 88.5 MPG which puts me at less than 4 cents a mile fuel cost in a vehicle that cost me $2300 to purchase, with insurance at $80 a year and taxes almost not worth mentioning. The taxes I would have to pay to purchase a Volt would provide me with enough fuel to travel about 30,000 miles on my bike. The property taxes would be greater than my annual fuel expense on the bike.

regards
Mech

[sendler]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Not meant as a real criticism of the Volt or Leaf.

Agreed. I didn't mean to try to knock down the Volt. It is a cutting edge product that any owner should be proud of. I just wanted to keep the discussion from getting too silly with stated 700 mpg's and $0.07/ kph electric prices. This forum is not a gullible main stream media. That kind of talk won't fly here.

[wainair]

I haven't completely broke down the numbers of my hydro bill but I am certain that after all the add on charges that $0.07/kwh wouldn't go above a total of $0.11/kwh. We have time of use billing so maybe some of the additional charges would be less for us. I have set the car so it only charges when the best rates are available. And yes this tank I am getting 785mpg. My lifetime average is 185mpg. I'm not trying to fool anybody, I'm just reporting the real world numbers I'm getting.