Will the Chevrolet Volt be a failure or a success?

Dude, that is sooo 8 pages ago...

 

They're all from the Kill-A-Watt. That's the only number that matters from an end user view IMHO.

Unfortunately, the Volt does not tell you anything about electricity usage. I've read that the Leaf does but noone seems to believe the numbers it produces.

So, the best we have is that a "dead" battery takes 12.9 kWh (EPA rating) to 13.1kWh (what I've personally measured) but we can only make an educated guess at what that translates to at the battery. 10-10.5 seems to be a popular range.

 

We have all stated the Volt is a finely defined niche vehicle. Your Dad fits the niche. That is terrific. Those that do, the Volt is a good choice if you can afford the original cost .... or lease one.

The "venom" stems from the tripe from GM (lies and misrepresentation), their president (would not be cought dead in a Prius), and the fact that the taxpayers had to bail out GM. And, now we read the government wants out and will not "make" money in the deal.

Consider Ford. There is no "venom: there. They did not accept taxpayer money; they build a most competent vehicle; they did not bash the Prius.

GM - "Too big to fail; too big to succeed."

 

I didn't bring it up, and I used the word "were". I really don't want to even talk about it anymore. Please ignore the fact I'm talking about it now.

 

Stop talking about not talking about it, so that we can move on to talking about not talking about not talking.

Tom

 

The Volt does use a mechanical path from ICE to wheels in CS mode (and at times in CD mode).

So, how does it get across country just on electric? And we should be glad for said mechanical path, thus avoiding even worse CS mpg if everything had to go from mechanical to electric and back. So the statement that we are no longer talking about should probably be excused as poorly conceived mistake.

 

Thanks for the info. You seem to be achieving better than EPA rating.

Have you had enough time in CS mode to see what the average MPG is during those excursions?

 

My CS mode mileage has been 40.2 mpg so far in my Volt.

 

Displayed or measured at the pump?
.

 

I have only had one long trip. Overall average over ~250 CS miles was 35mpg according to the car's measure of fuel usage. ~220miles were highway @ 75-80mph with a few faster runs (testing, you know). I do have to confess I, um, left the car ON overnight. That was rather convenient in the morning since mine was the only car not covered in frost, but certainly affected gas mileage some.

Another time, I traveled 18.5 miles mixed suburban/highway over the course of a day on 0.53 gallons of gas. I'm skeptical of 2 significant digit resolution in gas used (I guess it should be able to calculate it, but still...) though. Also, short trips like that are easily skewed by where in the duty cycle (engine on/off) your trip happens to end.

 

Based on what findings?

 

Definite troll like qualities detected after reviewing all his posts.

 

Displayed miles in CS mode divided by gallons at the pump, displayed mileage in the car was 94 mpg but its skewed by not factoring the EV miles.

 

It is amazing how many people believe the entertainment show like Top Gear said.

I would like to know where LG Chem get the Lithium and make the 400 lbs battery cells before shipping it to US.

Prius HV battery is only 99 lbs.

 

Prius PHV battery is 330lbs, which I can't get my head around. Toyota Source.

 

The battery unlike most batteries we are familiar with is not cylindrical or rectangular. The Volt battery is T-shaped and weighs approximately 450 pounds. The battery works best in a temperature controlled environment. The battery maintains a constant temperature by being liquid heated and/or cooled.

Due to the battery’s weight, shape and size special handling is required. A pallet jack is recommended and only trained technicians should handle, remove or replace the battery.

Can you get your head around that?

 

I believe it includes BMS and cooling components with eAT-PZEV 10 years / 150k warranty.

If you include the liquid cooling components for Volt's battery, how much will it weight?

 

It's 16kWh. The PHV battery is about 5. Do you see the difference?

 

You believe but you don't know. Nor do I know what the external cooling components of the Volt battery weigh. I suspect they weight less than the extra 575lbs the Volt pack would have to weigh to be equivalent to the PHV per kWh.

I'm still curious why the PHV battery weighs 63lb/kWh and the volt 27lb/kWh. Because of the warranty?

EDIT: The Leaf, at 24kWh/660lbs, is almost exactly the same as the Volt @ 27.5lb/kWh. Note that there's some confusion about whether the 24 is actual capacity or available capacity.

 

Ironically you found his post patronizing and yet you acted like somebody who is being spoken to by their father. Now go to your room until you've come out and know what environmental impact the Prius actually has.