2013 Volt: 98MPGe, 38miles EV range

Good thing. Both legroom & headroom in back are surprisingly small.

 

Nothing personal to you but which European Country do you live in? Is it one that is struggling with either currency and/or bailout issues. Why do I guess that? Just look at the miles and miles and miles of brand new roads, bridges and ground works in that video of yours. They must have cost €100's millions or even €billions. I remember being amazed at the miles of brand new roads and motorways in Spain when I visited on my holidays and wondered how they could afford all that and we couldn't. Now I know - they couldn't afford it. I wonder if the same applies all throughout Europe or Euro Countries?

Prove me wrong

 

While the increase in range is nice, I would have preferred an increase in (actual) gas mileage. That, not the electric range would be what was keeping me from considering a Volt.

 

Actually, my country is only 48% of BDP in debt, whereas the UK is 85%.

P.S.: Most of these roads were made years/decades ago.

Edit: Links.
Economy of the European Union - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Slovenia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Increase in EV range and efficiency was from the ability to enlarge the battery a bit without affecting the cost.
Any increase to the gas economy isn't going to happen until they can improve the ICE. Which isn't going to happen until the next generation. Maybe the turbo that is available with that engine on other models might help, but I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't the space for it.

Any guesses on the next ICE?
Atkinsonizing the current engine would improve economy, but the power output might drop below requirement.
GM has small diesels. Diesel has its own storage concerns though. Stuff will start growing in it and clog filters. The big concern against it is if an owner is caught with summer blend during the winter.
They haven't introduced a small block DI engine yet. GM has the tech in larger ones. That's my guess for the next Volt ICE. There are other options, but being limited to application in a PHEV, would likely increase the cost.

 

You're one of the countries that puts out a contract for a 20 year road to be built and maintained aren't you?
Here they put in what is cheap now, and when potholes show up in a few years, it's whatever cheapest to fix.

 

The following graph makes interesting reading;

BBC News - Eurozone in crisis in graphics: Deficit

Not sure about your BDP though as it appears that many both in your Country and abroad believe it to be nearer 63%.

Economy of Slovenia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And the credit ratings, whilst good, do seem to tell a different story

List of countries by credit rating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maybe all those roads on credit weren't a great idea?

 

Just pointing out that 5 seats might be as much of a plus as 4wd for some.

Heck, the Volt can be considered greener by only having 4 seats. The worse thing a person can do in terms of increasing pollution and consuming resources is make more people. The 4 seats discourages people from becoming breeders and putting more strain on the planet.

 

It's not the roads' fault. It's our commie PM we had for the last 3 years. His government, luckily, ended prematurely with early elections last year.
We now have the PM we had before that commie and he's putting things back in order.
Sometimes, people want a change in leadership just because they're doing to good.

Late (december) 2009 was the year that commie PM got to govern our beautiful country:

 

+1

Very true, but giving the driver a hold button should be able to keep most of the ice milage on the highway with a 40mpg reference That along with the extra 3 miles aer may bump fuel consumption down 5%.

A diesel is out of the picture. It would not be able to get California hov access and would raise cost. It simply won't happen. They could buy 1L ecoboosts from ford. That was the original design, and might be the least expensive option. They could build there own system like that. There is the possibility that they don't want to drop down to 3 cylinders. That leaves the likely answer DI, higher compression, plus multivalve timing like the mazda skyactiv. As you say, GM already has the DI technology. I don't know if they have the multi-mode valving but they could license it from mazda or fiat or bmw if they don't have it now.

The gen I prius changed a great deal to gen II, there may be major changes coming. Better aerodynamics and lower weight may be in the works as well as revised motors. All of these may increase CS mpg.

 

I don't see the benefit of using a turbo on a hybrid. They improve fuel economy in non-hybrids by allowing engine down sizing, but go into boost too often and the mpgs drop. With limited load ranges allowed by a PHV like the Volt, I guess a turbo engine could be designed to run efficiently in turbo boost in those ranges. The limited application to PHVs like the Volt would likely make the R&D costs unappealing.

I'm always pulling for Wankel PHV, but its advantages are weight and space saving. :sigh: Maybe in a BEV range extender.

 

John, I wanted to post this on your profile but the ability doesn't seem to be there. Myself and my bf have followed your page religiously for many many years. Even after I purchased my Volt I have followed your page. However, most recently we can't stand to look at it anymore. Your rants and continued bashing puts the Prius bashing I have seen on the Volt threads to shame. I agreed with you as you started to criticize the cannibalistic nature of the GM-Volt site and it's administration as I was a victim and took refuge here in the Priuschat site because it's a much better environment and a sometimes seems a better group of people. However my Prius hero then proceeded to write every single day about how crappy the Volt is, and how stupid it is, and how it's dying even though it outsold the Viper long ago and continues to outsell the Corvette. The same things used to be written about the Prius that you are now writing about the Volt. I am really disgusted that you have sunk to the same level as those who used to criticize you and your ride. I still love Prius and have many in the family, but the Volt is an amazing car. P.S. I didn't get the tax credit and don't care. I'm still realizing a savings. I just don't understand what in the world you are thinking or what happened to you to be writing such garbage. Have any of you been reading his Prius personal logs? Anyway on behalf of my family and Prius driving friends I will continue to defend both the Prius and the Volt even though some people want to make it a fan boy battle situation.

 

You do understand why they are doing it right? Under the correct circumstance it doesn't sacrifice any efficiency. If you already know you are going to burn gas, you can do so while outside of the city centers and keep the emissions as far from human lungs as possible. Obviously in the UK this will help because you can honestly get out of congestion charges by taking the emissions out of the drivetrain WHEN they need to be absent.

P.S. I wasn't aware that Volt enthusiasts were bashing the PHV Prius for being able to enter hybrid mode before depleting it's battery. I never would have, because I think it's a good thing. I can see how you would be upset if "those people" then in turn now say it's a good thing. They shouldn't have said that in the first place.

That's why I hate all of this back and forth wording such as "Volt people and Prius people." We are all the same people. Years ago I had to defend the Prius against all these people that thought it was a HUGE sacrifice in performance and space. I had to prove to them that I could live my day to day life in what they considered to be "less." Well, I have had the Volt for a year and a half now, and driven 33,000+ miles and even though it's 4 seats, and a little less cargo space, I can tell you once again I can definitely do with "less." Surprisingly though, I must now defend the car against those very people who I used to stand shoulder to shoulder with to defend the Prius. It's really strange to me.

 

The idea of a turbo, di, efficiency is the same as diesel. Their peak bsfc is higher and they have better bsfc at lower power ratings. A turbo di's efficiency drops considerably at high power levels. GM does have such an engine with 4 cylinders 2L, but it is both too big in size of hp and volume. A correctly sized one would be similar to a 3cyl .8L-1.2L. When ford did their 1L they worried about size and warm up and it is quite different than just downsizing a 2L turbo. They used an iron/aluminum block to speed warm up and reduce engine size. The assymetrical ballance shaft and flywheel went for 3 cylinders reducing parasitic losses, and they further reduced costs by placing the exhaust manifold into the block. Compared to an Atkinson or otto, if well designed the engine will be smaller, lighter, lower friction, and more fuel efficient. Material costs will also be lower, but because of the parts a 3 cylinder di turbo will be more expensive to make. That ecoboost is 75kw and would require a larger generator motor to take full advantage and might have the gear ratios change. This would eliminate the need for mountain mode and likely increase efficiency at all speeds and loads that the current ice can handle. The trick to using it well is not to use it at very low power when the 3 cylinder has bad nvh or at high power where it gets inefficient. A hybrid design is perfect for these things. But it did cost money to develop, and I don't think gm will get payback unless they use it on other cars. That's why I said buying parts from ford may be the best option, with perhaps gm doing its own turbo charging and valve timing for the volt.

GM may not want to go 3 cyclinder or buy instead of make the ice. In that case modifying the current engine with di, higher compression, and multi-mode valve timing would be best. This could be used on other gm cars and share the cost. The power of the 1.4L is too low to just change it over to atkinson, and with new multi-mode valves the value of dedicating an engine to atkinson doesn't make much sense. I doubt they want to find room for a larger engine.

If you compare wankel to turbo di there are not real advantages in terms of phev in 2012. That turbo di engine produces lower pollution levels and better fuel economy. That turbo di also is fairly small and light, though not as small and light as a wankel. The audi idea was for a very low powered range extender. When you get very low in hp a turbo di ice doesn't scale down. VW has looked at a .8l versus wankel. If you can get by with less than 60hp and don't care as much about CS efficiency then wankel makes sense. Before advances in di and catalytic converters the wankel did have advantages. Since a EREV is already heavy and expensive most of the advantages go away.

 

Ah, good explanation.

 

haha, that is a good way of putting it. I mean, back in the beginning I found it so wonderful. I know a few people have eagerly been watching his website to see information pictures, and writings on his PHV. Unfortunately now we get all of this instead. It sucks because I am an enthusiast of both, and love both cars equally. It's an end of an era for me. I used to print his diagrams and show people his website because of the amazing explanations he had. I am also a trekkie. My car's name is B'Elanna Torres. (haha) so it was always a very fitting website for me! He has alienated me though. It really sucks because I come from the Volt side where I just finished defending the Prius, then I come over here and defend the Volt.

Mind you, it's not as bad here. THAT much I will admit. There are many great people on this forum. I'm just surprised at the few people I have always looked up to so much partaking in the bashing of the Volt.

Oh, and to answer your other question... I posted it on this link because I went to his profile to voice my disappointment on his page. I didn't see an email contact for his website. I wanted to talk to him privately about it first. However, not being able to post it on his profile I checked what threads he has been active in lately. It seems that.. 90% of his recent posts are all on Chevy Volt threads, so I found it appropriate to reply on there seeing as how it was Volt related and that it was basically criticisms on the minor improvements to the Volt.

 

But in reality, I've been reading people's suggestions and working intensely in the background to deliver a second-edition of the User-Guide, packed with new photos.

As for Volt, how would you suggest getting it back on track? Isn't the purpose to replace traditional vehicles?

The suggestion of a second model, one actually configured to be affordable, continues to fall on deaf ears.

It's very disappointing to see the performance aspect being used as justification for purchase, rather than actually having something for middle-market. Step back and look at the other rollouts which were also niche vehicles, ones that didn't do anything to help mainstream consumers. You can disregard them or push to make them better.

Also, keep in mind what you don't see. Those of us active on the blogs & forums prior to rollout are well of aware of the disenchantment. Enthusiasts of Volt left in droves once they found out about the price, range, and engine efficiency... leaving only the truly loyal remaining, who as a result took a very defensive stance.