Featured Dashboard summary March 2017

You need to take a look at the iQ and Spark EVs.
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No price listed for the iQ there because Toyota decided not to sell it here when they realized no one would pay the likely $45k for it.

 

It's been maybe ½yr ago - that Toyota said they're going to do a Johnny-come-lately - cough up a long range EV w/in the next 2½-3yrs;

Toyota Sets Sights on Long-Range Electric Cars | Fortune.com
Ironically a big part of Toyota's EV change of heart (just a couple of years ago Toyota claimed, "no one's knocking on our door to build EV's) comes from their Chinese connection, who insist that a substantial part of their Auto industry goes electric. So if Toyota wants to play ball in that huge Market - they'll have to start ramping up soon .... reluctantly or otherwise.
Maybe some don't know how big the EV market is in China - but here's an illustration from last year's sales (since this is, after all, a dashboard thread )

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maybe they looked at spark sales and changed their mind. half hearted attempts don't count. look at what they are doing with prime pricing, and its still only a 3/4 attempt.

 

Bisco I tried to help you out by giving you Bolt vs. Prius space numbers.
However, I am finding GM a bit evasive not reporting Total Interior Volume for Volt and Bolt.
I do not believe the other numbers (Passenger/Cargo ft3) for any American liftback due to the EPA's nutty specs.
So I like to look at Total ft3, which GM approach seems to be to not show that number.

 

the only problem is how the space is defined. as cycle said, plenty of front seat. thats great, but i need to sit in the back after adjusting the front, and i'm only 5'7" with 29 inseam.
as far as the hatch is concerned, extra vertical height is useless to me. i need measurements such as were supplied on the prime gen 4 comparison. even then, there's nothing like in person cars next to each other comparison. will it hold 2 sets of golf clubs? my recycling bins? my mum in laws wheelchair? my fathers walker? these are all important considerations when selecting a utility vehicle.
the problem around here is the commitment. the dealers are all hard sell, and a test drive is more involved than it should be. off putting to me.

 

Did you see that new thing where they put the cars in a humongous vending machine, and you put your money in and the car pops out. Something like that.

 

no, but i like it. is that for a test drive? elimination of sub humans at dealerships would be ideal.

 

The iQ EV was introduced and pulled before GM announced the Spark EV. It is disappointing that the Spark ended up only being a compliance car after GM claim of nationwide rollout on its release. I believe a change expected by the industry to CAFE regulations was the reason for this, and why the Bolt is made in the US.

The Prime pricing is great, but look at what GM did with the Volt's since introduction.

GM doesn't report the total interior volume of any car on their site, but it is just the passenger and cargo ones added together. There is wiggle room with the cargo space with hatch backs and wagons, but the added values can't exceed the total value they report to the EPA.

 

It is after all a compact. You're not going to have real high expectations when you purchase a compact - presuming one is in the realm of reality. If you want/need a plugin with over 88 cubic feet of storage - then you have to do like my wife, & buy a Model X. Guess which one is hers;


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yeah, i'm not that desperate, besides, with 90% of my driving within 16 miles r/t, it would be a bit of overkill.

 

I do not think adding always works...unless the accurate basis is provided for each number....
if they said EPA Passenger Space = xx; and EPA Cargo Space = yy
then yes should be able add. If they quote generic numbers, it could be apples oranges.

What volume class is Bolt (compact?) and what max. volume is consistent with that class?

 

The Chevy site gives the volumes out to the tenths place, and not rounded to a whole number as with the EPA site. They are the same under classic rounding rules.

The Bolt is classified as a small station wagon, which is anything under 130 cubic feet of volume. It has 112cu.ft. If it was classified as a sedan, and the Sonic hatch was early on, it would cross into midsize which starts at 110cu.ft. and goes to 119.

 

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If you check it out here from their site, passenger volume is 95 bigger than the prius 91 or volt 90. Cargo volume is what is sacrificed, but if you don't need it you don't, and if you do you do. It is 17, versus 19 for the volt, 20 for the prime, and 27 for the prius liftback.

It is enough room for most people, but majority of people that want an plug-in say they want a 4 door sedan. I expect the tesla model 3 to have similar passenger room to the bolt, and a little more cargo room between the frunk and the trunk. The bolt can probably swallow bigger objects if the rear seats are down being a hatchback.

imev and volt are what they compared to. The iq was much more expensive than the imev but much shorter range. Imev did not do well. The iq also cost more than a volt, had not much more real world range, and lacked the gas engine to go on long trips and room.

 

>>Here is what I think AG-

(1) VOLT: EPA site is wrong on Volt (which I keep trying to say).
If you look at GM site we have for Volt = 90.3 Pass +10.6 Cargo = 100.9 ft3 Total

(2) BOLT: Assuming GM site is correct (reluctantly but maybe OK) = 111.3-ft3 Total

(3) Gen4 PRIUS (No spare) = 120.5 ft3 Total

(4) Prius PRIME = 111.3 ft3

Toyota Strategy-
Toyota likes to use EPA cargo space method, which allows an exaggerated Cargo Space quote for liftbacks. Toyota, due to plenty of passenger space, is willing to under-quote passenger space to allow the exaggerated Cargo space quote. So actual passenger space in Prius Gen4 and Prime probably approaches 100-ft3 (not 91 ft3).

GM Strategy
GM would rather not exaggerate Cargo Space (they'd rather *not* use EPA Cargo Space) especially on Volt, as that would result in extreme low passenger volume space quote. So on Volt and maybe on Bolt, GM is trying to quote an accurate cargo space so that their passenger space can be quoted for the full amount.

So it sounds to me like Bolt is equal space to Prime.
Bolt has a bigger Hatch 16.5-ft3 versus probably closer to 12-ft3 for a non-exaggerated Prime.
Thus Prime probably has a bit more seat space than Bolt (not sure where), at the expense of cargo space.

 

if bolt has a much bigger hatch than prime, it's all up at the roof, cause it doesn't slope like prime.
is it a wider car?

 

GM is simply quoting just the under tonneau cover, to the belt line, or to the top of the rear seats on the Chevy site for the Volt's cargo space. They have to measure to the roof for the EPA. That is the reason for the difference between the values on the EPA site and on the Chevy one. Neither is wrong. GM is just ignoring the 8 to 9 cubic feet of space in the top of the hatch for the figures on their site.

Note that the passenger volume for the Volt is the same on both sites after the EPA rounding. If they were quoting a smaller cargo on their site for larger passenger, then the values wouldn't be the same.

This article has a link to SAE J1100 that is used for these measurements in the US, and the responses from most of the major car manufacturers as to what version they use. Why Cargo Specs Can Stretch the Truth
Toyota and the EPA use the 1975 revision. GM the 2009 one.