3 years ago I have purchased new 2014 Chevrolet Volt. Since plugin hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) are still considered a relatively new technology, I wanted to share my experience so you can decide if one is right for you.
In a nutshell I have learned the following:
Chevy Volt is fun to drive. While on electricity, it is quick and silent.
You will experience mostly EV driving with no range anxiety. Once the battery is depleted, your Volt turns into Prius and you can drive as far as you want, as long as you add gas every 300 miles or so.
Over the 3 years and 34K total miles, I used only 100 gallons of gas. Most of the driving, ~90% in my case, was on electricity.
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It turned out GM can make quality vehicles - I had exactly nothing to repair in the past three years.
Most of what you will read in this post is also applicable to the 2nd generation Chevy Volt, with the understanding that the 2nd gen Volt has longer EV range and quieter and more efficient gas engine.
The Car
My car is a base 1st generation 2014 Volt with a safety package 1. The package includes a rear view camera and backup sensors. Given the hatchback design and limited rear visibility, this option is a must, so you can back up your car safely. I have also purchased a rear seat organizer to plug the gap between the rear seats.
The other option that I consider a must and that I didn’t get due to my initial lack of experience with EVs is heated seats. This is not for luxury, but for getting you warm in the cold weather with least energy. EVs and PHEVs while on electricity produce no excess heat that can be utilized to heat up interior. It turned out that the most efficient way to keep the driver warm is using heated seats. Without that option you need to warm up the entire interior which which will deplete the battery charge faster, or alternatively you can use “engine heating” option, basically by heating with gas, which you may find objectionable if your goal is to reduce fossil fuel use.
Driving
To put things into perspective, my recent previous cars were Jaguar X-Type and Toyota Prius. While on electricity, Volt drives better than Jaguar with the efficiency better than Prius.
The acceleration is confident and brisk. If you switch to Sport mode, the car feels even quicker. And all of that with no engine noise, while the car is on electricity. Accelerating aggressively up a steep hill with no engine noise still feels a bit of a science fiction.
Once the battery is depleted, the car switches to the hybrid mode, and operates basically like a Prius. The engine is fairly noisy, but not too bad. The performance is no longer exciting, but acceptable. What’s good that even in hybrid mode, Volt still offers plenty of passing power even at freeway speeds. This is because the hybrid drive still maintains considerable charge in the battery and when you need to accelerate quickly, both gasoline engine and the electric motor kick-in at the same time and give you the oomph.
Handling and suspension feel good too. No complains there.
EV Range and Efficiency
On average my Volt has been delivering the promised 38 miles of electric range on a charge. In the warm summer months (with climate control off), I could reach up to 47 miles, and in the winter months with climate control in Eco mode, depending on the weather, the EV range could drop below 30 miles.
The gas milage while in hybrid mode is 36-37 MPG. Not spectacular, but passable. That’s one of the reasons why we drive our 3rd gen Prius for longer than 110 miles trips - with the Prius delivering around 49 MPG, it’s more efficient that way.
An interesting and somewhat unobvious observation is that despite the 38 miles EV range, on some days I managed to get up to 80 EV miles. How is that possible? That’s because if you have multiple trips during the day, you can charge between the trips. This is also the reason why I recommend a Level 2 charger. It completely recharges Volt in just under 4 hours.
When you are out and about, check Chargepoint or PlugShare apps for available chargers nearby, some may be free. The apps have all that information.
The Green Side
It is commonly understood that EVs are generally more environmentally friendly the gas vehicles, however some people periodically cast doubt with arguments that your electricity is produced with fossil fuels. The following article explores the topic in details, but bottom line is that in most locations EVs are indeed a much cleaner choice.
You may also ask yourself - if you walk along the street would you rather smell harmful gasoline or diesel car exhaust or clean air? EVs do not produce any tailpipe emissions, and their fuel is getting cleaner by the day, as the electric fuel mix is getting cleaner - same cannot be said about conventional cars.
Lastly, you may have a solar install which will provide 100% clean energy for your EV or your local electric utility may offer a clean energy option, in which case your driving will be very clean. I use Green Power Program from Puget Sound Energy for 100% of my electricity, and it costs $0.01 per KWh more, which results in $6-8 extra per month. Yes, it is extra, and it is a personal choice - some people choose to spend extra on luxury cars, I rather prefer cleaner and more responsible vehicle.
While Volt is a PHEV (a plug-in hybrid) and once its battery is depleted, it will use gasoline, on the balance it can be considered a very clean vehicle. According to stats, 70% of 1st gen Chevy Volt miles are driven on electricity. That amounts to 111 mpg (plus electricity). But if you primary concern is using less gasoline - you are likely to use less than half of what a best hybrid would use. And if you make an effort to charge when you are out on the longer trips (e.g. when having a lunch or shopping), you can achieve even better results.
In my case from the 34K miles driven over the 3 years, more than 30K (i.e. more than 90%) have been electric, with only 100 gallons of gas used. Is this a pure EV - no. Does it use some fossil fuel, yes, a little bit. But if everybody switches to driving a Volt like car, fossil fuel use will decrease dramatically and the world will be a cleaner and a better place.
Comfort and Convenience
Front seats are pretty comfortable.Rear seats also comfortable, but have just acceptable amount of legroom - nothing extra. Hatchback design is very practical and there is a fair amount of cargo space - more than enough for everyday use, but probably not enough for a camping trip with more than one passenger.
One complain that I have is that both doors and the hatch close with such a force it makes you worried they can break your limb if it gets stuck on the way.
Reliability
During my three years of ownership I had exactly zero warranty repairs. I had few glitches, for example on a few occasions front driver side window wouldn’t close, retracting as if there is an obstacle detected, but they after several tries it would close and not reproduce for months. That’s about it. It has been very reliable car overall.
The battery doesn't seem to have degraded at all over the 3 years. No changes in EV range so far.
Comparing Volt with Other Cars
Just to put my Volt ownership experience into context, I thought to briefly compare with Jaguar X-Type that I owned for 8 years and to 3rd generation Toyota Prius that I own for 5 years.
Nothing can beat Jaguar style, it is a work of art as much as it is a car, and it drives well. Volt on the other has a modern distinct design and I like it. Volt drives better than the Jag I had owned - Volt is quicker, it is quiet, has just as good suspension and handling and it is way cleaner.
What I like about Toyota Prius and that it is very practical. It is very spacious in the front and in the back and it has ton of cargo space. And it delivers the promised 50mpg. But when you drive it, you clearly realize that you are sacrificing the fun to drive aspect for the greater good of the environment, even though it can go as fast as you want if you push it. Volt on the other hand doesn’t sacrifice anything with driving, it is a fast and a fun to drive car - no compromises. And it is more efficient than Prius unless you travel more than ~110 miles without recharging, at which point Prius with its 50 mpg will become more efficient.
Conclusion
Chevy Volt is a practical, reliable and a fun to drive vehicle that delivers mostly EV driving with no range anxiety.
