EPA on Volt: 93 MPGe electric, 37 mpg gas-only, 60mpg combined

4 seater is one thing. Having only 10.6 cubic foot hatch/trunk space is another. One of the selling point of Prius over Civic hybrid (outsold 7:1) was the bigger car with more cargo space yet more fuel efficient. The same applies to the Volt. A smaller car should get higher MPG and cost less but it doesn't.

 

GM has shown quite a few high-efficiency vehicles since Prius rollout here. A couple have even been with the intention to produce, yet still never materialized.

That's a big part of where they got the OPUD reputation... Over Promise, Under Deliver

There was some hope the executive shake-up from the bankruptcy would change that. The extremely slow rollout of Volt along with modest production volume make that hope rather discouraging though.
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Prius has twice cargo space than the Volt (21.6 vs. 10.6 cu.ft). We are talking about two golf club bags instead of one. The same reason many people get mid-size over compact or subcompact.

The Volt gets higher MPG on the highway than the City. I would bet the same is true when running on the battery as well. It truely hights the extra weight penalty. Leaf gets more EV range in City. It makes sense there is less aero drag.

I did not mention about the emission before but it also add to the worst list for the Volt.

Think about it.... You give up every dimension of a green car just to have a short range EV battery and gas engine in one single car. It is so un-American because our average household has 2.3 vehicles. It all come down to the price for having an option to run on Coal, Gas, Oil, Nuclear, Solar, Wind, Hydro, etc... Is it really worth it? Nissan Leaf does the same with less compromises in packaging but with range limitation for 10% of the trips.

Prius still is the best overall package and value but runs on a single power source (gas) and it does it extremely well.

The Volt does not meet any of the expectation based on the initial goal.

40 EV miles - Nope. 35 actual is 8% less.
50 MPG with gas - Nope. 37 is 2/3 of the original spec.
Nicely under $30k - Nope. $41k.
AT-PZEV - Nope, Not even SULEV but ULEV - one above the bare minimum LEV.
Flex Fuel - Nope, it only runs on premium gasoline.

 

And????

You keep doing it. Who cares that the Volt is not the 'car for everyone'. It does not need to be. GM will sell everyone they can make till at least 2012. We already know its not a 'Prius killer'.

It does not need to be bigger, smaller, or capable of flight.

 

Along with your thoughts!
It was just a post to mark up. I confess: I held the breath during writing, because I admire your work a lot.

 

Isn't the point to reduce our dependence on oil?

Remember the "too little, too slowly" concern?

It does need to be. If not, what else will? Remember CAFE?
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40 EV miles... so far it seems it does 38 for most drivers and many can get well over 40. It meets that goal or at worst falls short by a few percent.

Flex fuel - Are you kidding me? After all of this crap I am supposed to be FOR putting food and unneeded tax breaks into the tank?

And you forgot its pass..... it gets 93 MPGe on electric, a real win.

 

At least 2/3ds of the Volt development was done under the former managers whose disdain for Volt customers knew no bounds. They also created the:

• BAS hybrids - now re-introduced with a little more power, but still lame
• two-mode transmission - a turkey that continues to march into oblivion

But even purging the former managers and board that supported them does not change the attitudes of their first and second line reports . . . the staff they hired to implement their vision. We may like to think they can change their attitudes but it takes time.

These are not excuses for GM's hubris but the observation that they have yet to look the future full in the face and acknowledge reality . . . just as many of their customers continue to deny reality. The Volt still looks like 'greenwash'. I don't wish them bad but suspect we won't see any further work and this is the last model as soon as someone in GM figures out a way to kill it.

Bob Wilson

 

If that was our only consideration then the Volt clearly wins. It greatly reduces oil usage by drivers who fit the target market.

 

Based on this article:

Chevrolet Volt Electric Drive Propulsion System Unveiled

The ICE engages the drivetrain directly above 70mph, otherwise only turns one of the motor-generators to charge the battery?

What I really don't understand is why this can't be rated the same as a Prius? Isn't the EPA test cycle a standardized simulated drive- one for city, one for highway?

It does make one wonder if there's some collusion here to hide that the car isn't quite the Prius-killer it's being made out to be?

 

It does need to be what? Bigger, smaller, and capable of flight???

I don't know why so many people are bashing the Volt. It has a power cord, it can get you through 35-40 miles of your daily communite without importing a single drop of oil from Iran, and without boosting the U.S. trade deficit. For people that only need to drive 35-40 miles per day, explain to me how this car is evil/bad/horrible for America?????

 

I doubt that the Volt's inability to sit 5 people bothers potential customers, but I can well imagine resistance to not being able to carry 4 people and luggage.

 

The numbers are in and the ev range is about what gm said it was, a little less (12.5%), but wthin range. The mpg is also in league with the new numbers we have been hearing, less than the 40 we were hearing before whispers came out, but more than the scare numbers. 35mpg city, 40mpg highway. It's definitely not terrible and as I stated before better than any Toyota but the prius, including their hybrids.

Just say it usb, you hate the volt and hate gm and are looking for anything negative to say.

As I see it from a PHEV point of view the prius gets 0 miles EV range, and the Leaf gets 0 miles per gallon (no matter how much gas you put in the leaf, it won't move with an empty battery. Wouldn't that make the volt the best PHEV? Ok the only large volume non-conversion PHEVs.

From the market research I have read most people that want a large backseat aren't fooled into buying a car without one. OK, I made that one up, but it should be obvious.

I think you have that exactly right. You can do a couple of freedom drives a year, but this is not for the those regularly making long trips. Given the likely better cars out in 3 years and uncertainty about reliability, I would lease the volt or leaf today. At $350/mo each there is not a huge premium or risk to those wanting these vehicles and driving between 8K-15K miles/year.

 

It's early days and manufacturers are tackling the issue of our dependence on oil (and making vehicles greener) in different ways. They all have their pros and cons whether it's a Prius, Prius plug-in, LEAF or Volt.

Until electric cars can be recharged in a similar time it takes to refill a gas tank (potential technology is being developed) we will always have to compromise.

Personally, a plug-in Prius would suffice my requirements but I know that if I was doing 20-30 miles daily then it wouldn't. A LEAF is out of the question simply for the unexpected times when I need to go on a long journey and don't have the option of another car to use. The Volt hmmm well is a mixed bag not really efficient in electric or charge assist mode but still I'll give each manufacturer maximum kudos points for actually developing something...we'll wait and see what other manufacturers come up with in the next two years.

 

We are in a feedback loop. The only folks for which a Prius makes economic sense are those with long commutes. We look at the Volt and (correctly) say that will not save me anything in my commute and dismiss it, forgetting that we are preselected Prius owners.

Yes, the Volt will use more gasoline and emit more CO2 for me, but there are other commutes possible. I sure hope it makes sense for as many as they can sell. For GM to embrace the Volt, it needs to sell well. (Same for the Leaf, I am not a potential owner, but I wish it well. I hope it sells all Nissan can make)

 

I don't like Flex Fuel as well. I was just stating what they said and did not do.

93 MPGe assumed 100% efficiency converting gasoline to electricity. We all know it is impossible. The most efficient power plant running on Diesel ([ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_efficiency"]per Wiki[/ame]) is 51.7% efficient. That brings down to 48 MPGe. Combined cycle power plant gets 60% so you can get 56 MPGe.

Even with 93 MPGe on electric, 37 MPG on gas brings down the combined to 60 MPGe and you have to plug it in. This makes the 50 MPG Prius more appealing without the need to plug it in.

 

AG,
You are Volt-washing.

GM promised 40 miles on 8 kwh, a far cry from 35 miles on 10.4 kwh.
The hype was 200wh/mile, EPA is 297 wh/mile.

As for the "we expected" history revision, no you did not. GM hyped 50 mpg in CS mode, and ended up with a combined 37 mpg in EPA testing.

For those counting, GM was off 50% in CD mode, and 33% in CS mode.

Dennis:

I don't think so. The motor and drivetrain inefficiencies are rolled into the wh/mile number. The EPA did however ignore the powerplant needed to make the electricity, which is inane.

 

It is not an evil/bad/horrible for America. It just have too many compromises to achieve a simple goal (reduce dependence on oil) while appearing to be greener than Prius but it is not. Deception is not good for America.

You have Jay Leno voting the Volt for Green Car of the year. What does Jay know about green car?

We have $7,500 tax dollar going to 60 MPGe Volt but $0 goes to 50 MPG Prius. Is it the best way to reduce foreign oil dependence? I don't think so.

 

For most of us the 8.8 kwh claim going to 10.4 kwh is not a big deal at all. Do you really think it is? The drop of 12.5% is more troubling but in range. Do you think their is any sugar coating on that? We knew the volt was more conservative than the leaf, but not enough. The leaf has a whopping 27% deficit. I am not trying to volt-wash at all just putting the numbers in perspective.

That was 2 CEOs and years ago when Lutz was talking about the show car. For well over a year we knew the car would have a compromised engine, and since that announcement gm had been whispering 40mpg. If I was volt washing I would have said, see they hit 40mpg on the highway.

OK Lutz lied when it was a show car and it did not meet the promised fe when translated to a designed car. It doesn't look as good either and isn't as fast. But Lutz also bankrupted the company. If you have been paying attention we all these things when I first starting reading about the car.

yes, no power plant, pipe line or refineries in epa figures. The 60mg and 93mpge are also kind of sketchy. At least it has CS fuel economy, range, and power to charge on the sticker.

 

They also have really cool commercials about planting trees and reducing co2 when you buy any chevy. I think that includes the suburban. Seemed better made and just as deceiving as the bear leaf commercial. The volt if sold in quantity should reduce oil consumption.

It also was green car of the year from green car journal. Car of the year from motor trend and automobile car of the year. But yes, you should keep posting how bad it is.

The prius used all their tax credits. If toyota would actually build the phv prius they would save oil and get tax credits. I don't think toyota needs the US to subsidies the run of the mill prius anymore, but have decided not to produce a phev until mid 2012. Do you really think a tax credit renewal on the non phev prius would do anything but go straight to toyotas profits?