Why Can't Other Plug-In Hybrids Copy Chevy Volt's All-Electric Running?

Interesting as I remember in 2005 how many early Prius adopters tried to maximize EV mode. Using the NHW20, owners made their own plug-ins long before they became commercially available. A decade later we have an embarrassment of riches with a growing population of plug-in hybrids.

Bob Wilson

 

Why can't other plug-in hybrids copy Prius Charge Sustain Mode MPG?

 

Similarly - can you imagine if the Gen II Volt did blended - how long that mode would last?

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I was hoping the Prius line would go the Volt route. Sustaining their current 50 MPG, maybe slightly improving it, but as battery tech improves, increasing the electric range and shrinking the gas motor/generator with each generation until the Prius became an all electric. This would have kept me with the brand and kept their stance as a forward thinking green company, but since all they care about is pushing the MPG up to 60 with Gen 4 and trumpeting hydrogen, I'm going to Chevy and picking up a Volt shortly after the 2016 hits the market, and I will be keeping it until an all electric that meets my needs is available.

"Why can't other plug-in hybrids copy Prius Charge Sustain Mode MPG?"

One, because the Volt's electric drive system renders charge sustain MPG nearly pointless. You rarely drive in Charge Sustain mode as long as you charge it up, and on the rare occasions you do, your overall MPG is far higher than any Prius could ever hope to match.
Two, because other hybrids actually have semi decent performance. The Prius is a slab of metal that gets you from A to B as efficiently as possible, no frills, and geared to squeeze out higher MPG instead of speed and handling. If that's all you want out of a car go for it, I prefer a car that's both efficient and fun to drive.

With my Prius, the drive is soulless, boring, and I fill my tank once a month. With the Volt, the drive is sporty, fun, and I fill up my tank once a year, and only then because I take an out of state trip every year. I already know which one I'm going to be driving for the next few years until a suitable EV hits the market.

 

Why? Because they don't want to be stuck at double digits MPGe efficiency in EV mode.

There are a lot of drawbacks in order to achieve that along with gas engine on board (and not using it).

Volt is geared toward people that prefers driving experience over everything else. Most people place higher priority to things like efficiency, interior space, practicality, low emission, etc.

 

I would have to disagree with this, the Volt is not designed to be driving experience over everything else. It's designed to be a comfortable range extended electric drive car. The drive experience comes from the instant torque of the electric motor and the low center of gravity due to the battery, it's certainly not geared for speed or handling. It won't win any races against anything with a turbo 4 or V6 in it and will slide off into the grass if you try to corner it when driving too fast. It is most definitely geared for overall efficiency (not the best gas efficiency obviously, that goes to the Prius) and the fun drive simply comes as a side effect of being an electric drive car, not because of any specific performance enhancing tuning, suspension, racing tires, huge turbo charged engine, or any other such things that auto makers use to make their performance cars.

Practicality wise the Volt is a hatchback, not as roomy as a Prius, but fold the seats down and there is ample cargo space, it does only seat 4.5 (2016) and it is a bit small on the cabin space, Prius wins there, I will give you that, low emissions... well when in electric it's zero emissions and runs at 40+ MPG when on gas so I would say better than the Prius overall on that front as long as you keep it charged like you're supposed to.

 

What I meant was for those that want EV driving experience. The same ones that value ICE not kicking in, over lower emission, higher efficiency and more cargo space.

 

Ahh yes, I see what you mean, the Volt is certainly designed to give you that EV driving experience without the range limits of a pure EV, and sacrifices a bit of gas efficiency and interior space to do so. Volt emissions though are lower on the road, while on electric you are a Zero Emissions driver. Wells to wheels is debatable until the nationwide electric grid gets cleaner.

 

40+MPG for some Volt drivers, 37MPG for the average
Overview: Opel - Ampera - Spritmonitor.de

 

I was referring to the 2016 model that I intend to purchase, which is rated at 41 MPG combined

 

Well, if you followed the link, pretty easy to calculate: 6.52 gives a 36MPG figure.
Can 2016 increase FE by +5MPG? We'll have to wait. And we wait one year more, 4Gen Prius with a new standard...

 

The thing is, the higher quality ride comes as a side effect of an electric drive.
The LEAF has a better quality, and more fun drive than the Prius.
Not because Nissan spent time on trying to make it quieter, smoother, and give it more pep. But because those come automatically with the electric drive.

This is why EVs will surpass hybrids in market share and why I keep pushing Toyota to jump on the bandwagon (for those of us not within 6 miles of a hydrogen fueling station)

 

Emissions are most likely higher than your Gen3 Prius. If all electricity is weight by kWh generated, 2016 Volt would be as clean as 47 MPG gas car.

Which state are you at?

 

Your guess?

 

It also come with other side effects which is why I think otherwise.

It is easier to downsize and reduce weight and cost with FCV than with BEV. I think Toyota is on the right bandwagon.

 

USB, can you point to the "path to downsize" of the FCV? Even more pressure to get further range?
And easier to fill than a plug-socket in a billion potential "filling stations", even 10A ones?

 

Emissions break down typically as
1) Unhealthy tail pipe emissions where volt and Prius are both extremely low compared to cars built a decade ago
2) ghg emissions which depend on local grids not national ones for plug-ins. Unlike the predictions that plug-ins would run primarily on coal in the US, Most plug-ins run on ccgt natural gas, solar, and wind. You can probably check with your local utility to find out. Indiana doesn't need a cleaner grid, for a plug-in to run with less ghg in Texas or California. Put up solar in Atlanta and the plug-in has much lower ghg than if you just plug into the local grid. As a collection today plug-ins are lower in ghg, but individual results may be worse. In other words its complicated but the group of plug-ins running in the US produce much less ghg than a national average based on old grid data would lead you to believe. This is because they are concentrated in areas that produce lower ghg, and because owners purchase renewables. Not one new coal plant has been built to power plug-ins but a lot of solar and wind has been built.

As far as well to wheels efficiency of the plug-ins, it is not a meaningful question. Oil is a much more scarce resource than sun, or wind, or natural gas. On sun, wind, nuclear, geo-thermal, or hydro a plug-in like the volt gets about 98mpge x .93 grid losses = 91 mpge source to wheels. For ccgt natural gas we get about 44% (national average) x 93% grid efficiency x 98 mpge = 40 mpge. For 50 year old coal plants we get 30% x 93% x 98 = 27 mpge. a 50 mpg gas car times 83% refining efficiency = 42 mpge. I don't see the US building more 50 year old coal plants, but you can take your guessed grid mix and get an efficiency number to compare to a prius types 42 mpge. For ERCOT 2013 this comes to 38 mpge. For Austin where I plug-in it is 50 for normal customers, and 91 for green choice customers (green choices fossil fuel is assigned to the other customers). Its a fairly easy calculation to make if your local utility makes the numbers available.

The extra weight of a phev will reduce city mpg because it will increase rolling resistance. The bmw i3 gets around this with lower weight materials, but that adds to price. The i3 has a less efficient ice than a prius or gen II volt though. I doubt the extra battery weight affects hwy mpg much, but the prius ice is more efficient, and the prius more aerodynamic than the volt gen I or gen II so it will get better hwy mpg in charge sustain.

The batteries do take up room, but you can simply build a bigger vehicle if you want more room. The tesla model X is an example of this. If the volt isn't big enough, is the prius? YMMV. That is why they sell big SUVs at toyota. The volts form factor will reduce sales, but that doesn't have much to do with the power train.

 

"Overall vehicle weight was pared by 243 pounds while making it 3.3 inches longer, 0.8-inches wider, and interior passenger volume is similar with rear legroom increased by 0.6 inches and rear headroom decreased by 0.2 inches."

Apparently more interior space was not a goal!

"EPA interior volume
2015 Chevy Volt 100.9 cu.ft.
2015 Toyota Prius 115.3 cu.ft."

 

Chevrolet Volt Mileage | Fuelly