Comparison Test: 2011 Chevrolet Volt vs. 2010 Toyota Prius PHV

Grumpie, rather that compare power to energy, compare power to power. Stop and Go city driving might draw 10 kw on average to move the car, so your heater is dropping range ~5 - 30%.

 

This is all about software, and we don't know what will change. The volt mainly acts like a series hybrid with power following. GM programmed it more for feel than efficiency. That is within certain power bands the engine will produce about the amount of electricity the car is using. It will also attempt to increase rpms with speed. This means it will turn off at stops, unless the battery is very low and hvac is causing a large draw. In this case it will charge the battery when stopped. The civic is a parallel hybrid and can not run in series mode.

I belive the current software will turn the engine on when the power used gets close to its minimum efficient power and gm has not disclosed the engine curves or software specifics yet. Software can restart the ice when ever it feels it is needed. The civic must restart to move.

 

If this is true then we may find that a Prius PHV with added aftermarket battery packs for extended range being the bigger EV car solution over the next 5 years.

 

Shouldn't all the GM hybrid posts be relegated to the GM hybrids sub catagory?

The Volt costs more, because it has TWO power trains. EV's have just one. That's why EV's usually cost less than regular ICE, or hybrids ... both originally when purchased new, and over the maintenance long haul.
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If they are about a comparison test, do we post alternate replies in different forums? It is too bad we don't have a hybrid news forum...

 

I find the easiest way to couch a non-topic item into hybrid news, is to make some weak comparison nexus to the Prius ... it works almost every time ... stopping the non topic from being tossed into where it rightfully belongs.

 

Comparison Test: 2011 Chevrolet Volt vs. 2010 Toyota Prius PHV

Are you saying Edmunds only posted this page to get in Prius Chat?
Are you saying it wasn't news but a ploy to troll the Hybrid News forum?
Did you just forget that the OP really was a quote of a news story?
I think one of us is lost, it might be me.

 

I think most folks will agree that the Leaf is basically an EV Versa but a base Leaf is over $12k more than an optioned to the max Versa SL.

 

Well, PHV Prius would still operate pure EV speed under 65MPH and acceleration with the "anemic" MG2. Having said that, MG2 is more powerful than I thought after experiencing it in the passenger seat. A standard Prius MG2 is severely underutilized in EV mode. PHV Prius really paves the road to electrification by increasing the battery power (36 -> 80kW) and EV speed (25 -> 65 MPH) compare to standard Prius.

For the production PHV Prius, I hope Toyota continue to use NiMH for the HV operation and Tesla pack for PHV operation. The reason is Tesla pack has twice the energy for the same cost. Combine that with a proven and less expensive NiMH pack, it would be a killer combo. I am hoping 25 miles EV but I am not sure about the engineering challenge with the volume Tesla pack takes up.

It will be very interesting. Toyota is using the battery wisely but the competitors are all out using it foolishly at high speed (majority of the energy spent pushing air).

 

No no ... you're not lost ... I'm likely just Prius/Volt statistics up to my nostrils. I better go take a few deep breaths.

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I've always admired that approach of building for the future.
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Portraying a greener image by feature rather than focusing on actual overall consumption is a sad reality.
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That would be because "most folk" have little idea about Leaf's dimensions.

Leaf is exactly the same size as a Prius - give or take an inch. In Prius just a hybrid Versa ?

 

True. Both MG1 and MG2 could push much more power and rpms with minor design changes. Ditto on the gearset.

 

I'd like to see the chart maybe include drag co efficiency too:
Versa - 0.31 ....... Prius - 0.25 ....... Leaf - 0.26 ....... Volt - 0.26

So the Prius wins THAT smack down


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Inside Line measured the Volt's ground clearance. It turns out to be 3 inches!

2011 Chevrolet Volt: Spoiler Alert!

 

While I do not want a volt, that is an actual volt killer for me. I COULD NOT get it in my garage. My mustang scrapes when loaded down and it is higher. The difference.... I would need to garage my volt while I do not generally garage my mustang. The FJ gets the garage.

 

I don't put too much credence(sp?) in legroom/headroom charts ....

A civic does NOT have more front legroom than a 3rd gen Prius. Measure from brake pedal to crease at back of seat bottom on both, lowered full and shoved back.

 

On production 2011 Volt's ? pffffffft. Jankety.

My Accord has almost 8" in middle/front, 7" on front sides. There is a plastic shroud that goes under 5" back towards the AT, but that flexes upward easily - must be for aerodynamics.

5" clearance on the Prius was a challenge.

3.25" clearance on Volt is just poor design. That would be sooooooooooo annoying, blech.

Do they still have that flowery design on the inner front door panels? How ... nice.

 

That shows the extreme they took to get the Cd down. Yet, aerodynamic is still not as good as the Prius.

That skirt should be one of the major maintenance item - replace it every 60k.

 

Watch out evnow, the haters will look at those numbers then ask someone to take a picture looking at shoes in the back seat of the leaf. They will say it is awful, the volt has bigger leg room in the back and the volt doesn't measure up to the prius.

Ofcourse the leaf is huge compared to the ev1 and much less expensive. How many people really need to put tall people in the back of a mid sized car? The leaf could stand to be smaller. The number that stood out for me was the height.

The leaf has some problems but price to the customer is not one of them. People do value low NVH and compared to a econobox like the versa or yaris there is no comparison. Add to the fact that its high tech and uses no gasoline and of course people will be willing to pay a premium. The cg also should give better handling than those econo boxes.