Coming from GM, anyway… "The Volt has a total driving range of up to 379 miles, based on EPA estimates" The lure of the plug: two-thirds of Chevy Volt buyers trade in non-GM vehicle Be sure to read the accompanying press release. This is NOT a Volt Bashing Post™. (But GM? They're another story). My favorite quote: "Gets far better gas mileage than the Prius (or the plug-in…)"
Well the 380 is somewhat misleading.. as that is with only 1 charge and a full tank. If you use it as a commuter you can plug in more often. My last tank was over 4000 (four thousand) miles using 8.1 gallons. Voltstat's median overall MPG is 175? What you you getting in the PiP?
It is no mistake. Now YMMV just like in a Prius, but EPA says 37mpg for gasoline only. The Volt gas tank is only 9.3 U.S. gallons. That would give the car 344.1 miles. The EV range is 35 miles. So I think the 379 mile range is accurate, using EPA data for the gasoline mileage.
Well, I think most people would recharge more than once per tank. More of an issue for long trips with no opportunity to charge, then they should be driving a Prius!
i don't think it's misleading at all. every car has a 'range' onwithout refuelling. hard to believe it's that low. sorry, i have no idea what voltstat median overall mpg means.
Mostly, it's about GM not taking advantage of their advantage with the Volt. As drinnovation noted above, the EPA definition of a Volt's range - which is what's used in the Press Release - is only a piece of what is seen in the real-world. Instead of highlighting those cases, however, they ended up with a press release that bashes Toyota Prius owners and printed a quote that, while true, ends up biting them in the rear when it comes to the range comparison. That's what I find so funny about the whole situation.
It is a useful stat: Suppose you have to take a long trip the next and you only get the overnight charge. How far can you go before you need fuel? The PiP shines! What's interesting is that I think the HV estimate is way too low. Give me a full tank (and one full charge) and I'm sure I could go more than the 550 miles it estimates!
Volt has two fuel "tanks". A battery pack and a gas tank. Many Volt owners have the mentality that they only have one fuel tank (gas). Recharging the battery pack is refueling, duh!
The Original post had 2 points. The 380 mile range and their favoriate quote ""Gets far better gas mileage than the Prius (or the plug-in…)". For traditional cars many people equate higher range and MPG as range/tank-size = MPG. In addition range directly related to how often one has to stop at a gas station. Those are more normal interpretations than how far one can go between stops on a long trip (and I'd stop for food and/or biobreaks every 3-4 hours, so I don't see much value in 700 miles on a tank. Wonder what the frequency of > 350 miles without stopping is in a prius.. maybe .001% of all tanks?) I was just explaining that in a volt "range" can be misleading if considered related to MPG or to time between visits to gas station. Note that I explicitly said if commuting one could plug in more often, so clearly I was suggesting more frequent recharging (refueling in your terms). using the refueling station in my garage. Can you provide a source for your statement maligning "many volt owners" as thinking they have only one fuel source. Or is it that your bigotry lead you to misinterpret what people say? The OP seemed to get the point based on their reply, maybe you just need to read with a more open mind.
We've already been through this. My complaint was owners reporting their efficiency in terms of gallons only... resulting in us having to nag for kwh information. Some now do. But with others, there's no mention of electricity consumption.
That says nothing about what they think, just what they are emphasizing in a particular post. You personally have dozens of posts where you mention MPG, not not kWh.. (except your running total in your sig). Lots of PiP owners do as well. When one is worried about gas usage, it is the proper metric to use.
Just because my posts don't include "kWh" doesn't mean I'm not pointing put my electricity consumption. It's stated in terms of miles & fractions instead.
If you're using it as a commuter (what-maybe 95%) , you could of had a Leaf instead, & gone an infinite amount of miles burning NO gas. We use the hybrid for long commutes, and use the EV for the 'under 100 mile' trips. That said, the Volt does best, if primarily used in that narrow window ... primarily traveling under 70 miles, but over (appx) 40 miles (factoring in different climates / terrain / agressive driving, etc). In that narrow window, the PiP's EV range will not have yet passed the Volt's inefficiency.
Really.. I don't see any mention of other energy sources in any terms it in the messages below.. just a few samples from the past 2 weeks.. As I said earlier, I understand the use of the shorthand, or emphasis on gas usage. Just pointing out your inconsistencies, you complain about it when some Volt users do it, but then do it yourself. This is not hard to believe.
That depends on how often my commute requires visiting other campus or the airport, both of which are 130 or more miles. I did the analysis and I used my wife CUV for my/our long trips, I would use more gas in a Leaf+CUV than in the Volt. That analysis included 1 road-trip vacation a year, but it is still true just for the work trips. Since last august, I've saved 20 gallons compared to a BEV+CUV.
You know quite well that each & every post includes summary information, which clearly states the quantity of electricity along with a link for detail. You are also aware how individual posts in a series on a thread don't need to repeat information already stated. Stepping back to look at the actual issue, it's the mixed messages coming from both Volt owners and GM itself. Sometimes Volt is an EV. Sometimes it is a hybrid. That's the inconsistency. PHV is always a hybrid. There's no issue with the engine running briefly. It's not promoted as an EV. The plug provides a significant MPG boost. True, sometimes it doesn't use any gas at all. But even when depleted, MPG is still above what traditional vehicles deliver. Emissions are cleaner too.
I don't see an inconsistency, especially from GM. The volt was/is presented as an Extended Range Electric Vehicle -- EREV. EV when you want it, ER when you need it. When you can do both, different settings may emphasize different aspects of the car. Its promoted as an EREV and more car than electric. I'd be surprised if there is any GM material marketing it as a hybrid, and while I've agreed its a hybrid (since EREV is-a PHEV is-a hybrid), i don't think many Volt owners would call it that. Its people that are hybrid happy that like to call the Volt a hybrid and say EREV just just marketing hype. And just like the PHV, when a Volt's battery is depleted its still provides MPG above average and below average emissions. Both are good cars, each with their own niche.