Chevrolet Volt tops Sierra Club ranking of plug-in hybrids

The fact that Prius will continue to get purchased by the masses doesn't matter.

We're going back to the days where getting a trophy means everything.

 

The rating is only looking at the car's environmental impact in relation to a full electric one. The PPI has the shortest EV range of all the available PHVs, and it isn't 100% EV during that distance.

 

At a 1xx mile trip, the Volt consumes about the same gas than the PIP, and some energy from the grid. In fact, beyond some distances, Volt is beaten by Prius HV.
A skewed rating then, perhaps?

 

I think they are factoring using the average U.S. commute pattern which is well under 1xx miles. On trips over about 70 miles the PIP is definitely more efficient but most people don't commute that far and non-commute long trips make up a small portion of total mileage.

Trips under about 12 miles favor the PIP as well. It appears to be more efficient in those low miles commutes assuming you can keep the ICE off.

 

The short-sighted compares are troubling. When has the one-size-fits-all approach ever worked?

Connect a battery with the capacity of Volt to a vehicle using the larger HSD configuration. What happens?

Reduce the capacity of Volt's battery to make it affordable for the masses. What happens?

What about the overall emissions? What about the reality that Volt is smaller inside than Prius?

There are so many problems with comparison, it difficult not to address the reality of cherry-picking. What will replace traditional vehicles? Isn't the point to become mainstream, not to win trophies?

 

I agree in general.

However, with incentives based on battery size and interest in moving vehicles (Chevy and Nissan) I think there is nothing wrong with favoring a vehicle that has a larger battery than is needed.

Like I said before, there are compromises with every plug-in currently available. You just have to choose the car that best fits your needs. Thankfully we have choices.

 

It's the Sierra Club's system. Take it up with them.

I highly doubt GM designed the Volt in order to get the Sierra Club's kudos.

It's already June, I think will start hearing what is planned for the 2nd generation Volt next year.

 

Hey, don't you have a 70+ mile commute, and yet replaced a PPI with a Volt?

 

Last summer my daughter ( Gen II Prius) and I (Volt) drove from Austin to Houston alongside each other, a bit more than 180 miles, and the Prius used more gasoline.

 

100 miles total but I charge at work so 49.x miles each way and I can get all the way home on one charge. So I only use .26ga of gas for the entire commute.

Too many variables there but I meant on average. On average I would get 49-55mpg on long trips in my 2012 Prii. A GenII with bad tires driven at 75+mph will be down into the low 40s so I can see your point.

 

I had just put new tires, inflated to 40psi, a new 12v battery, and oil change on the 2007 Prius and we were both following a moving van so speeds were pretty much kept under 60mph. The result surprised me at the time.

 

That could be part of the problem. New tires always hurt FE unless you went to a very LRR tire compared to your old ones and even then it is usually a wash until the new ones break in.

Tire Tech Information - Tire Rolling Resistance Part 3: Changes to Expect When Switching from Worn-Out to New Tires

Oil changes can negatively affect FE also. This is particularly true if they overfill.

 

I might see as many PiPs as Volts around here...

Most common cars are Accords, Corollas and the like, and quite a few liftbacks.

 

Was about to ask you what you're driving, but simple check of sig confirms things ... congrats!

btw, it seems the trend is longer EV ranges are preferred. Fellow cyclist confessed he really wished his PiP had 'about twice the EV range'.

 

It's for the best ...

Off topic, but sadly, TV commericals continue to drive home that '36 MPG highway' is all that and a bag 'o chips. ...

So, that's what people buy .... Camrys, and Civics, etc... that get 36, or 8 or 9 MPG highway ... and 30 combined. Ah well, gas still only $4 a gallon.

 

Thanks, brother.

Now we can both complain about the Prius seats.

 

That's a red herring.

Everyone said the same thing about MPG for decades too.

 

I'll go first ....

 

The Volt had new tires as well and I had made sure that the Prius oil was not overfilled.

 

Didn't you charge Volt to begin trip? Thought so...
Your daughter Prius hasn't consumed electricity.