Will the Chevrolet Volt be a failure or a success?

You might want to check out this piece by Motor Trend:

2011 Chevrolet Volt vs 2011 Nissan Leaf SL vs 2011 Toyota Prius III Comparison - Motor Trend

Not perfect fact wise, but an overall fair and balanced comparison of the three cars (its just a prius III, not a PHV though)

 

This thread also doesn't need an AGW debate.

 

I'm not sure what you are referring to by "AGW". I looked it up and got: (my personal favorite is Automatic Girth Welder)

AGW Anthropogenic Global Warming
AGW Anti-Global Warming
AGW Access Gateway
AGW Atmospheric Gravity Waves
AGW Art Gallery of Windsor (Ontario, Canada)
AGW All Going Well
AGW Accelerated Global Warming
AGW Actual Gold Weight
AGW Application Gateway (telecom)
AGW Alt.Games.Warbirds (forum)
AGW A Girl's World (online magazine)
AGW Actual Gross Weight
AGW American Wire Gauge
AGW Automatic Girth Welder
AGW Autonomous Guided Weapon
AGW Allowable Gross Weight
AGW Anganwadi Worker (India)
AGW Accident Generated Water

 

Please, if you're going to tell me that automatic girth welding uses less gas or is a better value than my beloved Prius, you better have some concrete proof in triplicate!

 

The first one. The environmental section already some monumental threads on it already.
That op ed was borderline conspiracy.

 

I leased it. $2500 down and $390/mo (including NJ taxes, 3 years DMV fees, etc).

My usage pattern is ideal for the car. 25-40 miles/day. I can commute (22.5 miles RT), go to lunch, and still run a few errands when I get home.

 

Thanks for that information. I am currently extending my lease on a month to month basis for a maximum of 5 months. I don't know what I am going to drive after November if I decide to wait until Easter for the Prius PHV. I like the real world driving numbers that Volt drivers are getting.

I work 12.2 miles round trip from home and I think a plug-in is perfect for my situation. Hopefully the leasing program is still in place. The Volt is not due to show up in Florida dealerships until September.

 

In interest of full disclosure I am having some trouble with my Volt.

The 110 v charger was overheating some and today I got a check engine light that the onstar diagnostic said was related to a thermal management system. To GM's credit they are taking it in tomorrow and giving me a rental car for free while they investigate, so I can't say they haven't been responsive. From the moment I told my Volt advisor about the problem they have been pouncing on it.

I'll let everyone know what the problem was when I find out.

 

Not really - but then, considering they gave the car of the year award to Volt, we can hardly expect them to be fair & balanced.

 

Hi gwmort. I am sorry you have experienced a problem. I hope it all works out quickly and to your satisfaction.

I appreciate your "interest of full disclosure" thought. It demonstrates a depth of honesty and integrity. Too many people would not be so willing to "disclose."

Again, I hope the problem was minor.

 

darn, i'm off 1000 by 9.

again, I gave the volt a chance with a test drive and curiosity.
when I found the asking price + 5000 to total just under 50K, there's no way
I was going to go for that deal.

seems like greed will hurt the sales. I dont hear people knocking down the
doors to buy the volt. i hardly see any on the road. one or two tops.

 

I saw two yesterday, both plastered with promo decals.

Makes you wonder how much GM actually wants to sell them.

Of course, how many reviews have you read that end with a "too bad it's so expensive" comment?
.

 

Any car as sophisticated and new like the Volt or the Prius PHV can have an issue here and there, software issues etc.. if it happens to a lot of owners, that can trigger a recall, otherwise that is nothing considering that cars with old technologies also have recalls every so often.

Posted by evnow1

The comparison was made with the regular Prius. I think it was nicely done, written in a way to give information for buyers to make decisions based on their situation. I would have gone first for the Volt, then regular Prius second and the Leaf is all electric, but as a second car only.

As for the Prius PHV, will have to wait for more details. Recent reports state that it is going to be more efficient in HV mode than the current Prius. A combined of 55 after EV battery depletion would be awesome!

 

A receding tide lowers all boat too. A badly designed hybrid that advertised as an EV can hurt both the hybrid and BEV by causing confusion.

A hybrid that is expensive, complex, heavy with cramped interior and requires plugging in, to get great MPG has become a reality, thanks to the Volt. We will have to wait for it's long-term reliability but I do not like how it's battery get (ab)used.

 

Thanks for the post. I agree with Felt.

 

I'm hoping you knowledgable PHV Prius guys can explain CleanMPG Wayne's experience with the Volt. 400lbs heavier but it gets better CD efficiency than the (still not released) PHV Prius? UNpossible!

Wayne's best pack was 74.7miles, 13.13kWh: 176Wh/mile! It's not my thing but the man knows how to get miles out of a car. CC @ 55mph worked out to 272Wh/mile.

InsideLine's controlled 35mph track test of the Leaf netted 132 miles, 26.08kWh for 197Wh/mi.

 

He's hypermiling the Volt, not trying to provide "just drive it" data. There's a big difference. His driving provides an example of maximum potential, not real-world expectations.
.

 

It is my understanding that the data were from different drivers, terrains, speeds, weather conditions, etc.

 

One thing we know is the prototype PHV doesn't allow full regen, while the production version will.

I'm not sure if that affects range, but my best guess is that it does.

 

I just spoke with the service guys about the problem I experienced. They are replacing the 110 v charger and a bad thermostat in the engine cooling system (apparently two unrelated issues), both are covered under the warranty and won't cost me anything.

Overall I have been very pleased with the customer service and responsiveness of the Chevy and Volt teams to my issue.

On another note, the loaner they gave me is a Cruze, it looks a lot like a Volt from the outside, but it is nothing close to the Volt on the inside or in the performance area. I can't wait to get my car back. (I also got my vanity tags in the mail while the car has been at the dealer [CHRGDUP])