Look at these comments...You will find nothing but extremely pleased Volt owners. I absolutely love my 2015 and have 140k on the clock! I drive over 200 miles per day so they rack up quickly. I am a race car guy, I drive a diesel truck, I have always been a car guy, and I can tell you that the Volt is my favorite vehicle. Come on GM!
Nah Maybe gen 1, I own a 2018 volt and it has many issues with just 50k miles: window doesn’t auto up correctly, airbag light on, Apple CarPlay doesn’t work, shift to park issue.. can’t wait to see what the next 100k miles bring 😅
@@caseytheconqueror7958 nahhhhhh; 2017 gen 2 w/ 90k and no issues. CarPlay will give me problems connecting once maybe every few months. Amazing car if you’re taking care of it.
Great info! I love my 2017 Volt. Best car I've owned thus far. GM should have made an SUV or CUV with this platform and they would have sold a ton. The Volt was the best EV transition car ever made.
There's much to love about my 2019 Volt Premier, but this old beat-down body loves the drivers seat more than anything. It's like sitting in a big hand.
Some comments: My 2017 Volt also has adaptive cruise control, it’s definitely not a 2019 exclusive feature. The 2019 gained the ability to DISABLE adaptive cruise, and use normal cruise instead. In either 2018 or 2019 it also gained faster charging, more powerful regen braking, optional power driver seat, and updated display interfaces. Also, I’m not sure what cars the 2nd gen Volt looks like, to me it’s pretty unique…
The faster 32 Amp [7 kW] charger was an option for only the 2019 models. I wish my Gen 1 Volts had this faster charger. Not that I needed to charge faster overnight, but 32 Amps would have allowed me to pre-heat the car in the morning without drawing power from the battery. The heater used more power than the 16 A charger could provide.
@@georgepelton5645 I keep mine garaged most of the time but with just the 120w 12a portable charger, I don't notice any significant drain from pre-heating the car... If anything I'd welcome a bit of it, as I live at the top of a hill and never have enough regen braking starting out.
A big complaint of the first gen was the "weird" styling. Then Chevy made the second gen look like a normal car and people complain that it looks too ordinary. I guess you can't please everyone. 🙂 I had a first gen and now a second gen, personally I like the looks of the second gen better. It still looks contemporary while the first gen looks dated.
@@TurtletheShell It’s not chrome like he says….it’s painted & not shiny. He did a pretty lame review, with not one Gen 2 car present & some incorrect data.
I bought a 2014 Volt almost a year ago and I LOVE IT. As an apartment dweller, a full EV is not an option for me--i cannot charge at home. The Volt allows me to dip my toe in the EV space but still have the flexibility of an ICE vehicle. And it's just so fun to drive.
... I live in a apartment that has EVSEs in some assigned parking spots. They're not COMMON in apartment living yet, but they do exist and you'll never know where they are unless you look for them, preferentially rent from places that have them, and above all else, TELL THE MANAGEMENT that making EVSEs or even just outlets available is WHY you're choosing to live there.
@@onlymemphis8100 It depends upon which year you have, as the first gens charge slowly….as for the ‘19, which (most of them) has a higher output charger, I can fully charge in 2.2-2.3 hours from a completely depleted battery. -this is using 240 volt 30-40 amp charging station. If you have a Gen 2 car (‘16-‘19), the battery is bigger, so it takes a little longer if you’re using the standard 120 volt EVSE charging cord. 13-19 hours, depending on how many amps you select. Using that same EVSE on 240 volts, it’ll be more like 6 hours. -you can’t do that with Gen 1 EVSEs, as they are 120 volt only unless modified. It really depends upon what type of charging cord or station you have. Generally, charging at 240 volts will cut the time in half, even for Gen 1 cars. The Gen 2 cars give better range, 50-60 miles on a charge without dipping into the gas tank. Just remember that high speed kills range. If you’re using the electric heater, it’ll really hurt range. You might be getting more like 30-40 miles. Many people skip the heat and use their coat & hat. I use the seat heater & steering wheel heat, but often skip using the actual cabin heater.
Greg! Great to see another video from ya - Happy New Year! That's one epic outro at the end. :) One of my cousin's has a Volt (first gen) and loved it; she did a ton of commuting for her job (pre pandemic anyway) and the Volt dropped the commuting costs down to a fraction of her prior car. She's never had any issues with it. She and her husband don't have any kids, so backseat issue didn't matter, and she picked it up for a very good price when it was only a year old, so sort of the perfect case scenario for that type of vehicle.
I have a 2013 volt and I love it. I just had my first major issue which was a rock punctured my battery radiator. If you have one you need to put some hardware cloth or something in the space under the license plate to protect from rocks. Its the only repair I've had to do in 3 years of owning it. Still get 32 miles per charge so the battery pack is great. The car cools and heats the battery to keep it optimal. My only gripe is it charges slow. Takes about 4 hours on a level 2 30 amo charger. 8 hours on a level 1 regular plug
@@lemonator8813 The tech when they replaced my radiator put in some 1/2" hardware cloth i bought for them and they put it in behind the facia to protect it. i'll look at the voltscreen though.
I have a 2017 Volt that I bought new. Although it's not big, being a hatchback it's a very practical car. I remodeled two rental houses using nothing but my Volt to haul tools and supplies. I can even fit 10 foot 2x4s inside with the hatch closed.
Same. If GM had sold mine to me at the end-of-lease at market value (instead of asking for the highly inflated "residual value"), I wouldn't have gotten a Model S.
Same here. I had 2011 and 2014 Volts. They were great cars, using less than a full tank of gas per year. At the end of the year, I took an annual road trip using 2-3 tanks of gas. I replaced the 2014 with a 2018 Tesla Model 3 LR RWD.
Seems like a lot of people ended up with a 2nd one after getting one. I bought a 2012 for myself, then a 2017 for my wife. One of my family members bought one for himself, then two more for his kids. Another family member just bought one too. That's six volts in my immediate family!
Our '13 Volt was a great car, but a bit small for a family (and that's compared to a Golf). We bought it off lease with less than 30k miles, but it was totalled 2 years later. Since the Volt was getting small we bought a new Bolt which fits 2 kids and a medium dog ok.
Good one Greg! I own a 2017, I like it very much. When I changed my route to work to run slower speeds instead of freeway I can go above 60 mile range. Let's say Fall to Spring, you lose range during winter months.
My 2017 will bump it's range to about 60 as well if I'm only on surface streets for about a week. But living in a large metro area, I'm content with 45 or so while using freeways. I use about a full battery a day and have the ability to charge at work and home so it works out for me.
I'm a current Volt Gen 2, owner and previously had the Nissan Leaf (2011) and Corbin Sparrow (2000). The Volt Gen 2, is how an electic car should be done. The first 50 miles comes from the battery which can be changed at home, but when you need to go futher you can switch to gas to generate the electricity for you electric car. This has the benefit of not being stuck with any one type of "fuel" for you car. If the electric grid is out, not a problem. If there is some kind of gas "crisis" like in the 70s not a problem. As a system, it is very robust without any single point of failure. In practice most of the driving is done on the battery and the car is only fueled with gas once every few months. GM again made a terrible mistake by getting rid of this car in favor of the Bolt.
They Def shouldve at least kept the volts body and put the bolt tech in it... Then have one hybrid model and one full ev model.... The bolt just looks weird...
Excellent video Greg, one of the best overviews of the Volt out there. My '13 Volt is the best car I've ever owned. Your description nailed it. Very quiet, rock solid, fun to drive and a great highway cruiser. As Kaleb commented earlier, it ruined me for other cars. Six friends and colleagues bought Volts after driving mine and all love them. I had one minor problem with the heat control module fixed under warranty, that's it. A trouble-free car that in my case is driven entirely on battery most of the time. The center stack is cool at night, but it does take time to get used to the switches. (Gen 2 is more conventional.) Visibility did scare me at first, especially during lane changes but with the mirrors set right it's fine. New owners need to take the time to get to know this car. One more Volt plus is the safety factor. These cars are built like tanks. The Volt Facebook page is filled with examples of people who walked away from terrible accidents and immediately set out to buy another Volt. It's important to have access to a Chevy dealership with an EV tech. Basic things like oil changes are easy, but for diagnostics and any issues with the Voltec system it should go to a certified tech. I usually avoid dealer service but have been lucky with our Chevy dealer. Again, great job Greg!
Extremely informative. Great research, storyboarding, and editing. And nice explanation of the Volt. Our 2014 model has 160,000 miles on it and is going strong.
@@eckkeust7868 ours has one. It comes on automatically when the car is put in reverse. I don’t think it’s in the options/configuration anywhere. I think it is on all 2014s.
Great video! I have a 2017 and love the car. I live in Northern part of Alberta, Canada. I drive the car to work everyday about 22 km each way. The last three or four weeks we have had multiple minus 40 Celsius mornings and the Volt did great. I was getting around 80 to 90 km of EV range in the summer. Now in the dead of winter I get around 45 to 50 km. This car peaks a lot of people's interest and sparks some great conversations. Keep up with the great videos!
@@thecrowfliescrooked Yes GM really dropped the ball forsure. The price of these Volts where i live was 52,000 no lease or purchase incentives. It is too bad it was an amazing option for us here in Canada, Alberta too with not a great charging network that i think that this was the way to go. If GM would have put this platform like previously mention in to other models they definitely would have gotten a bigger battery and the range would have been great for most people but then you have the generator back up. I was really hoping for the Silverado EV would have put this system in that truck. The range and capability would have surpassed every truck out there.
Arguably the best auto channel out there. There's not as much content as some channels, but the quality is through the roof. I look forward to every video Greg, you've proven to be right time and time again on your car advice when I've put it to the test. Thank you for your videos!
Thanks for this video! I bought a 2015 Volt after a deer totalled my Prius. I have never looked back. Agree with you about the placement of the door locks, but I totally love everything else about this car. 67K and going strong!
I think the Volt platform is a unique and very viable platform. I would love to have seen it continued as a crossover . . . a few miles of lost battery range would have solved a lot of the interior issues imo.
thank you for making this video on my favorite car. I have owned 4 volts, two 2012, a 2103, and now a 2018. I swear by them and tell anyone I can it’s the best secret ev car
I love my Volt (2012)for two years I drove 2 hours to work every day my little Voltron never gave me any trouble, even in bad weather. I love this this car and wish GM would bring it back. Voltron and I are working on 200,000 miles and I look forward to having him for many more❤❤ Thanks for the video
Very good video. I have a 2012 Chevy Volt and it still gets 30 miles per charge. It is in excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive it. Without a doubt, it is a great car. Thanks and greetings from Tampa, Florida.
I own two 2013 Volts. First one I purchased brand new. Second one used with 18k miles two years later. This month both turned over 100k miles. Still going strong. On good weather days, still getting 40 mile range. Old technology right now, but it's still a great ride. Still no range anxiety.
It might be weird, but I've had three. My latest is a 2019 plain Jane. Charge it at night and drive up to 60 miles without using any gas. I tested it on gas only and got more than 50 MPG. On battery, it gets 120 MPGe. I bought it for 20K in November '21 and it's June now... I filled the 9 gallon tank only once since then. From 2016 on, the controls were much more intuitive and you can get 5 into it if the middle person in the back doesn't mind pretending they're riding a horse.
In 2022, I bought a 2012 Volt after watching your videos and it's been fantastic! It had it's battery replaced at ~90k miles and I got it at ~92k miles for $7500. It's currently at ~147k and I hope to keep it for many more years :)
I REMEMBER the EV1!! They did a recall to get them all back. The Corvair, I never heard of. My favorite yr of Corvairs (except that one's a 4 door). Ur always interesting/great video!
Such a great video! Your in depth summaries are always the best (especially for us cheapskates who buy proven, used cars). We ended up with an i3 REx with a similar, but more EV-based concept. The range extender on either car eliminates any desperate hunting for public charging while on trips. Many daily-driven Volt and i3REx owners go 1000+ miles per gallon. Last year we went 24,000 miles using 25 gallons of gas.
Hey Greg, great video.... I am driving the last year of the first-generation Chevy Volt (2015). Absolutely Amazing Car...This Car Rocks! It is very heavy, and the car feels stable and solid. Quick as a rabbit! Easy to park, maneuver, and is a great city car. My car gets around 40 miles of range on average per charge and with my 220 charger at home adds another 20 in about an hour. This car is built well, no rattles or squeaks so far. Only downside is driving with the windows down is the most annoying thing about this car. This September 2022 I will have owned my car for 4 years and only been to the gas station a handful of times, total gas used 50 gallons. I only drive in "L" low gear since I've owned it. Lastly, I Love, Love, Love how quite it is...I call it my Ninja mobile because it makes no noise, a little scary at times. Mine came with Leather & Suede Seats, Navigation, Rear View Camera, Red Exterior with Tan Interior and front heated seats. Best car I have ever owned, I would only trade it for a Tesla model 3. This is the only car I have ever owned that tells you how fast you're going....backwards.
I have had my 2017 Volt from new. I love it. Now has very close to 200,000 miles on it. EV range down to 38 (from 52) but I occasionally get mid 50s depending on temperature, terrain and my right foot. It introduced me to the joys of the EV. Now also have had a Lucid Air Touring for 9 months. A flawless car with 420 mile range and unbelievable performance. I use the Volt day to day and the Lucid for more special occassions- you know breakfast with old buddies. Also had a thick A pillar but I like being safe!- -
Great video on one my all time favorite cars. My wife and I both drive Gen II 2017 Volt Premiers. FYI the 2017s and beyond do have the adaptive cruise control on the Premier models. There is no other vehicle I want to, or would rather own. I would not even trade up even for a comparable Model 3. For us a total EV is impractical due to the rural nature of our residence. The ability to drive electric 95+% for our daily routines and if necessary hop on the interstates and drive cross country getting 40 mpg or more is fantastic. I have driven mine 3 times cross country and it just swallows up the miles like a bigger car. Once you get out on to the rural interstates more than 50 miles outside of major metropolitan areas, you don't see any Tesla's, Leafs, Bolts or E-Anything. That is just the reality of it. The infrastructure is not there yet and the convenience of ICE cars occurring in electric cars won't happen in my lifetime. If I had my way I would buy to more Gen IIs and put them on blocks until the ones we have no longer are useful. That would likely be a waste of money as I think they might outlast us.
Great video!! I didn’t know a lot of what you had in your video! I remember lusting after the first gen car then they announced the $45,000 price tag and thought I’d never be able to afford it! Now I have a full EV Bolt EV premier instead and LOVE IT!!!
Still loving my 2013 Volt at over 100k. I don't understand why they don't put this system in larger vehicles until the charging infrastructure is built out.
@@garythecyclingnerd6219 so yes. I sold my 2013 during the used car craziness this summer. Only could find rebuilt packs that cost more than the car was worth.
The dude reviewing this is 9ft tall . I have never even seen the seat pushed so far back to show the “no leg room” for rear seats. It has normal+ to good leg room all over.
The Second generation Volt started in the 2016 Model year. This is the best version, has a bigger battery, and is more normal looking on the inside. Around town I very seldom use the engine but on long trips it functions well and gets great mileage. On Facebook and elsewhere you can find owner's groups where generally people rave about what a good car it is. I have only charged mine using a regular wall socket. Around town driving carefully in nice weather I can easily get 70 miles of range without the engine coming on. The Premium version was available with an optional adaptive cruise control. This is a fantastic feature and relatively rare. Cars with the ACC radar have a flush yellow Chevy badge in the middle of the grille. All others are black. It is well worth getting one with this feature if you can find it.
Thanks for the great video. I just helped my kid brother buy a 2015 Volt yesterday. I wish you could still find them between $5-10K. Used car market is nuts right now. We found what I hope will prove to be a good one with 75K miles for $15K. We opted for a 3 year 36K mile bumper to bumper warranty so there's some piece of mind in that. I took an interest in this car a few years ago. After driving and helping him purchase and all the research I've done in the last few days I've decided I must now have one!
The Volt drivetrain architecture is perfect for literally anyone, and is scalable. 1) Long distance needs? No problem - a gas generator can be designed to a single optimum performance point to maximize fuel efficiency while charging the batteries. 2) Short distance needs? No problem - you can run on batteries and charge at home with never having to use gas at all, minimizing fuel costs 3) Torque needs for hauling? No problem - electric motor torque will easily handle pulling stumps 4) Maintenance concerns? No problem - although there are two systems, theoretically doubling maintenance, the design reduces the opportunities for failure by optimizing the components - engine ONLY charges the battery, battery is sized for shorter distances and therefore is smaller, lighter, and cheaper than a BEV-sized battery. Everything is smaller and is stressed less, so will last longer. No multispeed transmission, so that eliminates the need to service that component. I wish more PHEVs adopted this architecture rather than using the motor to drive the wheels. Maybe more later generation PHEVs will.
I was still getting 50 miles a charge on my 2013 at 100k miles. I lived in the Florida keys, ideal conditions most of the time. Unfortunately, a cell started going bad at 120k miles and I had to get rid of it. 6500 for a new battery pack. It was an awesome car!
Glad to have you back. As always, I enjoy your videos and find them very informative and well presented. Problem, is you do not do enough to them. Wish you well and hope to see more of your videos. Thanks for all you do.
I have always felt the Volt was the perfect idea.. a great concept and I hope something like it only better, is yet to come. I think the way they extend the range of the EV using a gas engine with a generator is the obvious thing to do.. just like a diesel electric locomotive, it saves on the extra machinery of a transmission, and with the longer range of the later battery a great commute option.
Same! The 40ish mile range seems key to me for an acceptable EV range before switching to the ICE fallback. For our daily drives we normally never need the ICE range extension, but still gives us the flexibility to run errands all day or even take a road trip. It's sadly becoming a bit tight for my family as my kids get older, but still our daily driver for now.
@@jeremylister89 What might be worth considering is the turbine. They don't do well as a direct drive type engine through a transmission but excel at running the same speed all the time. Perfect for a electric hybrid like that.
thats not how PHEVs are designed if you have a gas engine that drives a generator, that then drives an electric motor that drives the wheels, the generator is un-necessary and wastes energy the Volt drive train has a gas engine, an electric motor, and a transmission. The transmission can use the engine to drive the wheels, or use the electric motor to drive the wheels, or both or use the engine to back spin the motor to charge up the battery ( or reverse the motor field so it generates) or use the wheels to back spin the motor to charge up the battery (regen braking) it makes for a complicate planetary gear transmission, and in some cases the engine is reving very fast (going up steep hills for example) but it works.
I had a 2013 Volt and drove it across the country. I loved it but returned it at lease end. I now own a 2014 Cadillac ELR and a 2018 Cadillac CT6 Hybrid. I hope to keep the ELR forever (when I can get it away from my wife). The CT6 is a wonderful car I expect to keep for a long time.
Nice video. Leased a 2014 base. Loved it so much bought a 2014 premier. Can charge every night at my building and leave it plugged in when not driving for a while. Has 84k miles now, bought at 46k miles for $10k. Saw recently that GM will be reviving their PHEV tech too. Maybe GM will finally learn some lessons. Volt is def an iconic car and I love driving it. It’s appreciated in value in a rough EV market. Only unplanned repair I’ve had to do so far is replace an axle because the boot ripped. Would buy again without hesitation.
This is a terrific video. I had heard nothing but bad things about the Volt. Thanks for giving so much information. I would buy one except I am too old to take on an electric car.🤩
2018 also had the ACC option, I have a 2018 and I love that car, it has 178000km on it and still running strong, the battery is just recently starting to show a bit less than 14KWh per run after almost 7 years. My next car will probably be the Equinox EV but since this one is still working fine I'm gonna hold onto it for a bit
I have helped 6 friends buy used volts and they all love them. This is a great value and wonderful car I have 160k on my 2013 and no battery degradation. Thank you GM engineers for creating a masterpiece
Learning about the EV1 is why I was so excited to buy my Chevy Bolt EV. Initially I wanted a Volt, but got a good deal on a Bolt which I have easy access to free charging at work.
Still have my 2014 chevy volt. I would like to upgrade to the 2019 for the updates in tech and distance. But I really really don't like the new look. I believe they messed up when they made it look like a normal car. We all fell in love with that awesome classic OG Volt look. They also took away that neat rear lower window. Well atleast they are not taking them away from us like the EV1
Bought my '17 LT back toward the end of 2016, Dealer had a weekend sale for $28,990. It's been a great car for me now at 98K miles. However I'm here in CA and my HOV access just expired 12/31 and I really need the decals since I drive 63 miles 4 days a week for work. I ordered a Tesla Model 3 Long Range back in early October and should take possession in 3-5 weeks. My VOLT has been a very reliable car in the 5+ years I have owned it. Other than 4-5 check engine lights which Dealer fixed at no charge I highly recommend them. I put mine up for sale last week for $14K and had folks lined up to buy it. Ended up selling to a friend for his kid who is a freshman in college. Only negative is when first purchased a full charge was getting me 52-55 miles of electric, now only 41-43 in good weather. Thanks for the video
We are a 2 Volt family. A 2013, and a 2016. Both going strong, neither using much gas at all. Really the only gas the 2016 uses is to power the gasoline generator to throw oil around the crankcase about 6 to 8 times each year. My round trip commute is 36 miles. I’ve done that twice on a charge with the ‘16. You want to take a 400 mile road trip? No problem! Stop and fill up the tank like any other car. Really stellar cars that GM chose not to spend a dime on promoting. Very few understood the vehicle and they are sadly discontinued.
Nice video Greg, lots of good info! It's too bad GM dropped the ball, again, on expanding the Volt program to other vehicles like a larger sedan or a compact SUV, it would have sold better being a Malibu or Equinox variant. I've highly considered a 2nd gen Volt instead of a used Leaf/Soul/FocusEV which are the only used EVs in the same price range; the Volt can get 2/3 of their EV range but then has all the gas engine backup, it makes a lot of sense when you need to go more than 70 miles vs trying to find rapidchargers along your route!
I love my 1st gen Volt, and I agree that it would have been a great powertrain to scale up to an Equinox or even TrailBlazer. Lots of folks still have range anxiety and will not adopt full EV for a long time.
The C-Max and Fusion Energi are also in that price and has farther total range (the Energi actually has a bigger gas tank than the regular hybrid). The C-Max has bigger interior but much less cargo space. I consider the Volt superior to those 2 but they are alternatives.
Just look at the Rav4 Prime. Basically the same specs, but an SUV. $20K more and it sells out instantly on lots. The Volt was both ahead of its time and marketed poorly.
I have the 2017 Volt in white. I love it. It came with the shift to park error but Chevrolet fixed it for free. It's pretty common with the 2017+ Volts. I got mine from Carvana. Love from Arizona!
Great video, seems to attract all us volt drivers. I too love my 2018 volt Primer. I looked long and hard to find a 2018 with adaptive cruise control but only seemed to confuse myself, when looking on line it seemed to be out their but whenever I showed up at a dealership, I was told it did not exist in volt till 2019 models. What is weird is the car has the distance warning tech in it so you would think it would be a no brainer for it to also have adaptive cruse. You did such a good job on this could you look into a elusive chevy truck that was supposed to be like the volt - I think it was limited to fleet use & ~2004 ish.
I'm a 2019 volt gen2 owner, 23,000 miles so far. Bought one of the last ones on the lot. My favorite feature is one foot driving. Most trips, I never use the brake pedal, unless rarely, a light changes to yellow on the highway and I have to stop quickly. Range depends on speed. Get 35 miles range at 85 mph, 75 miles range at 40 mph and high altitude. Typically get 50 miles range around the city. Love highway driving, quiet and fast at passing at 85 mph. Looking forward to another 10 years of driving it. Conclusion: I love this car, best car I have ever owned by far! (Sorry Toyota, my 2012 Prius is a noisy kludge job compared to the Volt).
Just bought a single-owner used '14 Volt with 66K miles on it, and I'm *really* enjoying it! The big downside is that I live in an apartment complex with no EV parking, but there's a free chargepoint station about a mile from me with 24/7 parking. Hoping one day I can upgrade my housing situation and plug it in all the time when I'm not driving!
I have a 2013 Volt that I love to death (her name is Ruby for obvious reasons). I also recently picked up a 2018 coming off lease from Southern California. 15K miles, literally every option available in that model year. I certainly love the new car especially the price (under $25K) but I make it a point to drive Ruby at least once or twice per week. I have noticed that the 2013 Volt DEFINITELY handles the ice and snow here in Pennsylvania. The 2013 can creep along at 1 MPH over ice up a hill without slipping at all whereas the 2018 is constantly using traction control going up the same hill with the same conditions. I swear that at really slow speeds on snow and ice the 2013 is easier to drive. Anyone else out there have this same experience?
Your correct about the traction control being a problem sometimes and it has nothing to do with it being an electric vehicle. I was stuck on a steep mountain grade in a semi truck. Plenty of power and tires. The problem was the traction control. Instead of letting a tire slip on the ice and the other three wheels on the pavement move the truck, it slowed everything, I lost momentum and finally got stuck. Locking the drives didn't help. I've been driving trucks in ice and snow for 25 years so I know how to do it. Finally, I was able to disengage the traction control, lock my axles and spin my way over the top.
Unfortunately the biggest issue with the Volt was its production cost. It was viable while GM was getting EV rebates from the government, but once those ended the car's profitability was negative.
I remember when the Volt was announced, every single image of it was a sports car. When it was finally released, it was a Prius with Chevy badge. I can never unsee this now.
We owned a 2013 Volt and liked it a lot. But service was tricky with a single travelling technician shared among area Chevrolet dealers. After GM discontinued production we sold the car. Sadly there isn't yet a similar car available. Volt design & engineering are outstanding.
VERY GOOD explanation of the VOLT. Usually the Volt is ignored and not talked about its good traits. GM DID NOT advertise the VOLT. It was more word of mouth than anything on the advertisements. for example: GM had a commercial with 5 vehicles, one from each of its car/truck groups, the VOLT was in this line up. The person on cam would talk about all the qualities of the vehicle on cam BUT>>> When the cam shown on vehicle #4, the VOLT, he just mentioned the name of the car and the cam moved to the next vehicle. GM did not want the VOLT to sell and they didn't spend money on advertisements. Even on the forums, people talked about how the VOLT was selling with no advertisement what so ever. GM had the best design for what was needed, electric in the city which cut gas consumption, and a very efficient"extender" engine for long distance on highway. That engine would give around 300 miles per about 7 gallons of gas. That would certainly cut the amount of gasoline being sold to todays cars. GM CUT IT, just like they did the EV1. No interest, even for the environment. The BOLT is strictly an EV and you have to worry about finding charge stations, most now proven to either not work, apps won't recognize you, charge stations not charging full capacity which means you are sitting there for a long long time, or the charge stations just don't work at all.. The VOLT is still the best transitional electric car ever built, they should bring it back and forget the troublesome straight EV car until the infrastructure is proven. Give it 10 to 20 years.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Wow this channel is so underrated, so much automotive history well presented
Yeah I have learned a lot from this guy on each video. IDK why RUclips algorithm just show people useless videos from Doug Demuro!
So underrated...
Look at these comments...You will find nothing but extremely pleased Volt owners. I absolutely love my 2015 and have 140k on the clock! I drive over 200 miles per day so they rack up quickly. I am a race car guy, I drive a diesel truck, I have always been a car guy, and I can tell you that the Volt is my favorite vehicle. Come on GM!
Nah Maybe gen 1, I own a 2018 volt and it has many issues with just 50k miles: window doesn’t auto up correctly, airbag light on, Apple CarPlay doesn’t work, shift to park issue.. can’t wait to see what the next 100k miles bring 😅
@@caseytheconqueror7958 nahhhhhh; 2017 gen 2 w/ 90k and no issues. CarPlay will give me problems connecting once maybe every few months. Amazing car if you’re taking care of it.
Dang I had to check that I didn't right this myself
Great info! I love my 2017 Volt. Best car I've owned thus far. GM should have made an SUV or CUV with this platform and they would have sold a ton. The Volt was the best EV transition car ever made.
There's much to love about my 2019 Volt Premier, but this old beat-down body loves the drivers seat more than anything. It's like sitting in a big hand.
Some comments: My 2017 Volt also has adaptive cruise control, it’s definitely not a 2019 exclusive feature. The 2019 gained the ability to DISABLE adaptive cruise, and use normal cruise instead. In either 2018 or 2019 it also gained faster charging, more powerful regen braking, optional power driver seat, and updated display interfaces. Also, I’m not sure what cars the 2nd gen Volt looks like, to me it’s pretty unique…
Yeah, the 2nd gen volt looks really nice. The chrome front patterning is very nice and you don't see any other cars that have that.
The faster 32 Amp [7 kW] charger was an option for only the 2019 models. I wish my Gen 1 Volts had this faster charger. Not that I needed to charge faster overnight, but 32 Amps would have allowed me to pre-heat the car in the morning without drawing power from the battery. The heater used more power than the 16 A charger could provide.
@@georgepelton5645 I keep mine garaged most of the time but with just the 120w 12a portable charger, I don't notice any significant drain from pre-heating the car... If anything I'd welcome a bit of it, as I live at the top of a hill and never have enough regen braking starting out.
A big complaint of the first gen was the "weird" styling. Then Chevy made the second gen look like a normal car and people complain that it looks too ordinary. I guess you can't please everyone. 🙂 I had a first gen and now a second gen, personally I like the looks of the second gen better. It still looks contemporary while the first gen looks dated.
@@TurtletheShell
It’s not chrome like he says….it’s painted & not shiny.
He did a pretty lame review, with not one Gen 2 car present & some incorrect data.
Thanks for making this! I still love my 2018 Volt after 4+ years. Fun to drive and only get gas 1-2 times a year.
I bought a 2014 Volt almost a year ago and I LOVE IT. As an apartment dweller, a full EV is not an option for me--i cannot charge at home. The Volt allows me to dip my toe in the EV space but still have the flexibility of an ICE vehicle. And it's just so fun to drive.
... I live in a apartment that has EVSEs in some assigned parking spots. They're not COMMON in apartment living yet, but they do exist and you'll never know where they are unless you look for them, preferentially rent from places that have them, and above all else, TELL THE MANAGEMENT that making EVSEs or even just outlets available is WHY you're choosing to live there.
@@hellsop yeah it's my dream to have one at home like that. They're just surprisingly not common in Las Vegas yet outside of the casinos.
How do you charge it and how long does it last?
@@onlymemphis8100 takes about 4 hours to charge and you get about 40 miles on battery. Then you have a 9 gallon gas tank after that still.
@@onlymemphis8100
It depends upon which year you have, as the first gens charge slowly….as for the ‘19, which (most of them) has a higher output charger, I can fully charge in 2.2-2.3 hours from a completely depleted battery.
-this is using 240 volt 30-40 amp charging station.
If you have a Gen 2 car (‘16-‘19), the battery is bigger, so it takes a little longer if you’re using the standard 120 volt EVSE charging cord. 13-19 hours, depending on how many amps you select.
Using that same EVSE on 240 volts, it’ll be more like 6 hours.
-you can’t do that with Gen 1 EVSEs, as they are 120 volt only unless modified.
It really depends upon what type of charging cord or station you have.
Generally, charging at 240 volts will cut the time in half, even for Gen 1 cars.
The Gen 2 cars give better range, 50-60 miles on a charge without dipping into the gas tank.
Just remember that high speed kills range.
If you’re using the electric heater, it’ll really hurt range.
You might be getting more like 30-40 miles.
Many people skip the heat and use their coat & hat.
I use the seat heater & steering wheel heat, but often skip using the actual cabin heater.
Greg! Great to see another video from ya - Happy New Year! That's one epic outro at the end. :) One of my cousin's has a Volt (first gen) and loved it; she did a ton of commuting for her job (pre pandemic anyway) and the Volt dropped the commuting costs down to a fraction of her prior car. She's never had any issues with it. She and her husband don't have any kids, so backseat issue didn't matter, and she picked it up for a very good price when it was only a year old, so sort of the perfect case scenario for that type of vehicle.
I have a 2013 volt and I love it. I just had my first major issue which was a rock punctured my battery radiator. If you have one you need to put some hardware cloth or something in the space under the license plate to protect from rocks. Its the only repair I've had to do in 3 years of owning it. Still get 32 miles per charge so the battery pack is great. The car cools and heats the battery to keep it optimal. My only gripe is it charges slow. Takes about 4 hours on a level 2 30 amo charger. 8 hours on a level 1 regular plug
Called a voltscreen
@@lemonator8813 The tech when they replaced my radiator put in some 1/2" hardware cloth i bought for them and they put it in behind the facia to protect it. i'll look at the voltscreen though.
@@GoldenLegionHoney nah your solution is fine. I still haven't done mine, no problems in 2 years though
@@lemonator8813 was a 1800 fix and my car was in the shop for 2 and a half weeks due to backordered parts. :( wish i had done it sooner
@@GoldenLegionHoney yeah especially now that I'm out of warranty probably should get in that one of these days. My list is so long though 😩
I have a 2017 Volt that I bought new. Although it's not big, being a hatchback it's a very practical car. I remodeled two rental houses using nothing but my Volt to haul tools and supplies. I can even fit 10 foot 2x4s inside with the hatch closed.
I really love the Volt, one of my favorite recent GM vehicles. Our 2016 model was great.
Wow, thanks Greg-CA... This was a great educational overview of the Volt...
I had a 2014 volt for years, loved it so much i upgraded to the 2017. Such a great car to drive and saves so much money on operating costs.
I just bought a 2014 base model, couldn’t figure out if there’s a back up camera, does your have one? Where do I find/activate it?
@@eckkeust7868 I'm not sure if the base model has one
I have had two of them and they were great cars. I have transitioned to Tesla but I always have fond memories of my Volt
Same. If GM had sold mine to me at the end-of-lease at market value (instead of asking for the highly inflated "residual value"), I wouldn't have gotten a Model S.
Same here. I had 2011 and 2014 Volts. They were great cars, using less than a full tank of gas per year. At the end of the year, I took an annual road trip using 2-3 tanks of gas. I replaced the 2014 with a 2018 Tesla Model 3 LR RWD.
Yes, same here, leased two Volts then bought a Model 3.
Seems like a lot of people ended up with a 2nd one after getting one. I bought a 2012 for myself, then a 2017 for my wife. One of my family members bought one for himself, then two more for his kids. Another family member just bought one too. That's six volts in my immediate family!
Our '13 Volt was a great car, but a bit small for a family (and that's compared to a Golf). We bought it off lease with less than 30k miles, but it was totalled 2 years later. Since the Volt was getting small we bought a new Bolt which fits 2 kids and a medium dog ok.
Good one Greg! I own a 2017, I like it very much. When I changed my route to work to run slower speeds instead of freeway I can go above 60 mile range. Let's say Fall to Spring, you lose range during winter months.
My 2017 will bump it's range to about 60 as well if I'm only on surface streets for about a week. But living in a large metro area, I'm content with 45 or so while using freeways. I use about a full battery a day and have the ability to charge at work and home so it works out for me.
I'm a current Volt Gen 2, owner and previously had the Nissan Leaf (2011) and Corbin Sparrow (2000).
The Volt Gen 2, is how an electic car should be done. The first 50 miles comes from the battery which can be changed at home, but when you need to go futher you can switch to gas to generate the electricity for you electric car. This has the benefit of not being stuck with any one type of "fuel" for you car. If the electric grid is out, not a problem. If there is some kind of gas "crisis" like in the 70s not a problem. As a system, it is very robust without any single point of failure.
In practice most of the driving is done on the battery and the car is only fueled with gas once every few months. GM again made a terrible mistake by getting rid of this car in favor of the Bolt.
They Def shouldve at least kept the volts body and put the bolt tech in it... Then have one hybrid model and one full ev model.... The bolt just looks weird...
Excellent video Greg, one of the best overviews of the Volt out there. My '13 Volt is the best car I've ever owned. Your description nailed it. Very quiet, rock solid, fun to drive and a great highway cruiser. As Kaleb commented earlier, it ruined me for other cars. Six friends and colleagues bought Volts after driving mine and all love them. I had one minor problem with the heat control module fixed under warranty, that's it. A trouble-free car that in my case is driven entirely on battery most of the time. The center stack is cool at night, but it does take time to get used to the switches. (Gen 2 is more conventional.) Visibility did scare me at first, especially during lane changes but with the mirrors set right it's fine. New owners need to take the time to get to know this car. One more Volt plus is the safety factor. These cars are built like tanks. The Volt Facebook page is filled with examples of people who walked away from terrible accidents and immediately set out to buy another Volt. It's important to have access to a Chevy dealership with an EV tech. Basic things like oil changes are easy, but for diagnostics and any issues with the Voltec system it should go to a certified tech. I usually avoid dealer service but have been lucky with our Chevy dealer. Again, great job Greg!
Are you worried about the battery pack? I’m looking a picking up a 2013 but worried about the battery dying
Extremely informative. Great research, storyboarding, and editing. And nice explanation of the Volt. Our 2014 model has 160,000 miles on it and is going strong.
I just bought a 2014 base model, couldn’t figure out if there’s a back up camera, does your have one? Where do I find/activate it?
@@eckkeust7868 ours has one. It comes on automatically when the car is put in reverse. I don’t think it’s in the options/configuration anywhere. I think it is on all 2014s.
Great video! I watched this 2 years ago and coming back to this it's still relevant. Thanks
Great video! I have a 2017 and love the car. I live in Northern part of Alberta, Canada. I drive the car to work everyday about 22 km each way. The last three or four weeks we have had multiple minus 40 Celsius mornings and the Volt did great. I was getting around 80 to 90 km of EV range in the summer. Now in the dead of winter I get around 45 to 50 km. This car peaks a lot of people's interest and sparks some great conversations. Keep up with the great videos!
I have the premium 2017 and love it. I can’t see why every car couldn’t be like the volt. 500klm range on 40 litres of gas. Incredible.
@@thecrowfliescrooked Yes GM really dropped the ball forsure. The price of these Volts where i live was 52,000 no lease or purchase incentives. It is too bad it was an amazing option for us here in Canada, Alberta too with not a great charging network that i think that this was the way to go. If GM would have put this platform like previously mention in to other models they definitely would have gotten a bigger battery and the range would have been great for most people but then you have the generator back up. I was really hoping for the Silverado EV would have put this system in that truck. The range and capability would have surpassed every truck out there.
@@thecrowfliescrooked Are you sure about your numbers? 500 km on 40 litres of gas? That's 8 l/100 km.....
@@martinliehs2513 yup. That's the volt
Arguably the best auto channel out there. There's not as much content as some channels, but the quality is through the roof. I look forward to every video Greg, you've proven to be right time and time again on your car advice when I've put it to the test. Thank you for your videos!
Thanks for this video! I bought a 2015 Volt after a deer totalled my Prius. I have never looked back. Agree with you about the placement of the door locks, but I totally love everything else about this car. 67K and going strong!
I bought a 2015 Volt when a off duty policeman ran a red light and totaled my Prius. Still have it and a Tesla.
Keep the videos coming please and thanks Greg! They’re magnificent
I think the Volt platform is a unique and very viable platform. I would love to have seen it continued as a crossover . . . a few miles of lost battery range would have solved a lot of the interior issues imo.
i would have really liked to see a truck with the volt design
thank you for making this video on my favorite car. I have owned 4 volts, two 2012, a 2103, and now a 2018. I swear by them and tell anyone I can it’s the best secret ev car
Great video, I love my 2015 Chevy Volt, bought it used. It's been a good car so far, the way it goes about its business is very satisfying!
I love my Volt (2012)for two years I drove 2 hours to work every day my little Voltron never gave me any trouble, even in bad weather. I love this this car and wish GM would bring it back. Voltron and I are working on 200,000 miles and I look forward to having him for many more❤❤
Thanks for the video
Your channel is a hidden gem
As an owner of a 2014 this is a very fair video. All the concepts are spot on. This car is one of Chevy's smartest productions in a long time.
Very good video. I have a 2012 Chevy Volt and it still gets 30 miles per charge. It is in excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive it. Without a doubt, it is a great car. Thanks and greetings from Tampa, Florida.
Cliff Notes version: GM f’d up by not continuing the EV1. They were 20 years ahead of their time. 06:12 TP was the clock set or “ Time Program” ( TP).
Thank you for the info! Just bought a 2014 Volt and it was really nice to learn more about how it works :) I'm loving it so far.
Great review
Greg, great to have you back, do have a great year ahead.
I own two 2013 Volts. First one I purchased brand new. Second one used with 18k miles two years later. This month both turned over 100k miles. Still going strong. On good weather days, still getting 40 mile range. Old technology right now, but it's still a great ride. Still no range anxiety.
It might be weird, but I've had three. My latest is a 2019 plain Jane. Charge it at night and drive up to 60 miles without using any gas. I tested it on gas only and got more than 50 MPG. On battery, it gets 120 MPGe. I bought it for 20K in November '21 and it's June now... I filled the 9 gallon tank only once since then. From 2016 on, the controls were much more intuitive and you can get 5 into it if the middle person in the back doesn't mind pretending they're riding a horse.
My record is 75 miles electric range at 9,000 feet elevation driving over mountain pass at 11,000 feet, and then returning, 40 mph average.
In 2022, I bought a 2012 Volt after watching your videos and it's been fantastic! It had it's battery replaced at ~90k miles and I got it at ~92k miles for $7500. It's currently at ~147k and I hope to keep it for many more years :)
Wow! Being a complete EV novice, the explanation of how things work in these cars ROCKS! TY
Happy new year Greg - as always, a very well researched, honest and straightforward review video. Thanks so much - great ending too, cheers
I REMEMBER the EV1!! They did a recall to get them all back. The Corvair, I never heard of. My favorite yr of Corvairs (except that one's a 4 door). Ur always interesting/great video!
Had mine for just over 3 months- I absolutely love it! The college I go to even has FREE chargers on campus :)
Great Video. I bought the Vauxhall/Opel Ampera version a couple of months ago in the UK and I love it.
Such a great video!
Your in depth summaries are always the best (especially for us cheapskates who buy proven, used cars).
We ended up with an i3 REx with a similar, but more EV-based concept.
The range extender on either car eliminates any desperate hunting for public charging while on trips.
Many daily-driven Volt and i3REx owners go 1000+ miles per gallon.
Last year we went 24,000 miles using 25 gallons of gas.
Hey Greg, great video.... I am driving the last year of the first-generation Chevy Volt (2015). Absolutely Amazing Car...This Car Rocks! It is very heavy, and the car feels stable and solid. Quick as a rabbit! Easy to park, maneuver, and is a great city car. My car gets around 40 miles of range on average per charge and with my 220 charger at home adds another 20 in about an hour. This car is built well, no rattles or squeaks so far. Only downside is driving with the windows down is the most annoying thing about this car. This September 2022 I will have owned my car for 4 years and only been to the gas station a handful of times, total gas used 50 gallons. I only drive in "L" low gear since I've owned it. Lastly, I Love, Love, Love how quite it is...I call it my Ninja mobile because it makes no noise, a little scary at times. Mine came with Leather & Suede Seats, Navigation, Rear View Camera, Red Exterior with Tan Interior and front heated seats. Best car I have ever owned, I would only trade it for a Tesla model 3. This is the only car I have ever owned that tells you how fast you're going....backwards.
I have had my 2017 Volt from new. I love it. Now has very close to 200,000 miles on it. EV range down to 38 (from 52) but I occasionally get mid 50s depending on temperature, terrain and my right foot.
It introduced me to the joys of the EV.
Now also have had a Lucid Air Touring for 9 months. A flawless car with 420 mile range and unbelievable performance.
I use the Volt day to day and the Lucid for more special occassions- you know breakfast with old buddies. Also had a thick A pillar but I like being safe!- -
Wow, great video! First-gen owner here. You had some interesting facts that I didn't know. Thanks.
Great video on one my all time favorite cars.
My wife and I both drive Gen II 2017 Volt Premiers. FYI the 2017s and beyond do have the adaptive cruise control on the Premier models.
There is no other vehicle I want to, or would rather own.
I would not even trade up even for a comparable Model 3. For us a total EV is impractical due to the rural nature of our residence.
The ability to drive electric 95+% for our daily routines and if necessary hop on the interstates and drive cross country getting 40 mpg or more is fantastic.
I have driven mine 3 times cross country and it just swallows up the miles like a bigger car.
Once you get out on to the rural interstates more than 50 miles outside of major metropolitan areas, you don't see any Tesla's, Leafs, Bolts or E-Anything. That is just the reality of it.
The infrastructure is not there yet and the convenience of ICE cars occurring in electric cars won't happen in my lifetime.
If I had my way I would buy to more Gen IIs and put them on blocks until the ones we have no longer are useful. That would likely be a waste of money as I think they might outlast us.
This is a tremendously informative video. I was shopping around for a PHEV and this has made the list!
Great video!! I didn’t know a lot of what you had in your video! I remember lusting after the first gen car then they announced the $45,000 price tag and thought I’d never be able to afford it! Now I have a full EV Bolt EV premier instead and LOVE IT!!!
Great video and fair review of the pros and cons of the Volt. I just wanted to clarify that adaptive cruise control is optional on 2017+ Volts.
Still loving my 2013 Volt at over 100k. I don't understand why they don't put this system in larger vehicles until the charging infrastructure is built out.
Are you worried about the battery dying? I’m looking to pick up a 2013
@@garythecyclingnerd6219 so yes. I sold my 2013 during the used car craziness this summer. Only could find rebuilt packs that cost more than the car was worth.
@@chadphilpott1991 Oh so the pack did die?
@Gary The Cycling Nerd no but there was alot of 12s and 13s having problems in the Volt Owners FB group so I got rid of it while it still had value.
@@chadphilpott1991 Yikes…maybe I’ll skip the Volt
Bought a 2018 Volt Premier last year, really enjoying this car 😊
dude u make sense everytime
im looking at volts right now
Thank you for this excellent video. I drive a 2012 Volt and love it.
I am enamored with this car.
The dude reviewing this is 9ft tall . I have never even seen the seat pushed so far back to show the “no leg room” for rear seats. It has normal+ to good leg room all over.
The Second generation Volt started in the 2016 Model year. This is the best version, has a bigger battery, and is more normal looking on the inside. Around town I very seldom use the engine but on long trips it functions well and gets great mileage. On Facebook and elsewhere you can find owner's groups where generally people rave about what a good car it is. I have only charged mine using a regular wall socket. Around town driving carefully in nice weather I can easily get 70 miles of range without the engine coming on. The Premium version was available with an optional adaptive cruise control. This is a fantastic feature and relatively rare. Cars with the ACC radar have a flush yellow Chevy badge in the middle of the grille. All others are black. It is well worth getting one with this feature if you can find it.
Thanks for the great video. I just helped my kid brother buy a 2015 Volt yesterday. I wish you could still find them between $5-10K. Used car market is nuts right now. We found what I hope will prove to be a good one with 75K miles for $15K. We opted for a 3 year 36K mile bumper to bumper warranty so there's some piece of mind in that. I took an interest in this car a few years ago. After driving and helping him purchase and all the research I've done in the last few days I've decided I must now have one!
Read your extended closely, it's likely that many of the hybrid components, including are not covered.
Great shot of the Ojai valley at the end! We used to live there and I saw you once at the grocery store!
The Volt drivetrain architecture is perfect for literally anyone, and is scalable.
1) Long distance needs? No problem - a gas generator can be designed to a single optimum performance point to maximize fuel efficiency while charging the batteries.
2) Short distance needs? No problem - you can run on batteries and charge at home with never having to use gas at all, minimizing fuel costs
3) Torque needs for hauling? No problem - electric motor torque will easily handle pulling stumps
4) Maintenance concerns? No problem - although there are two systems, theoretically doubling maintenance, the design reduces the opportunities for failure by optimizing the components - engine ONLY charges the battery, battery is sized for shorter distances and therefore is smaller, lighter, and cheaper than a BEV-sized battery. Everything is smaller and is stressed less, so will last longer. No multispeed transmission, so that eliminates the need to service that component.
I wish more PHEVs adopted this architecture rather than using the motor to drive the wheels. Maybe more later generation PHEVs will.
I was still getting 50 miles a charge on my 2013 at 100k miles. I lived in the Florida keys, ideal conditions most of the time. Unfortunately, a cell started going bad at 120k miles and I had to get rid of it. 6500 for a new battery pack. It was an awesome car!
I have a battery pack in my parts car about 4k miles on it. Chicago area though.
I love my volt. A used 2013 volt is a steal in the market.
Really happy with my second gen. My buddy has 2 first gen that I checked out before getting the second. Big upgrades...
I have a 2016 volt pushing for 90K miles soon but it’s been driving like a champ still. absolutely love the way it drives
Informative and clearly communicated video, thank you for making it!
Nice video! I like the inclusion of old film footage. You may hear from Corvair fans lol.
I like the drone touch with this video..!!
Glad to have you back. As always, I enjoy your videos and find them very informative and well presented. Problem, is you do not do enough to them. Wish you well and hope to see more of your videos. Thanks for all you do.
I have always felt the Volt was the perfect idea.. a great concept and I hope something like it only better, is yet to come. I think the way they extend the range of the EV using a gas engine with a generator is the obvious thing to do.. just like a diesel electric locomotive, it saves on the extra machinery of a transmission, and with the longer range of the later battery a great commute option.
Same! The 40ish mile range seems key to me for an acceptable EV range before switching to the ICE fallback. For our daily drives we normally never need the ICE range extension, but still gives us the flexibility to run errands all day or even take a road trip.
It's sadly becoming a bit tight for my family as my kids get older, but still our daily driver for now.
🇬🇧 a downside of the generator is the maintenance..oil, fluids, filters, cambelt, weight.
@@jeremylister89 What might be worth considering is the turbine. They don't do well as a direct drive type engine through a transmission but excel at running the same speed all the time. Perfect for a electric hybrid like that.
thats not how PHEVs are designed
if you have a gas engine that drives a generator, that then drives an electric motor that drives the wheels, the generator is un-necessary and wastes energy
the Volt drive train has a gas engine, an electric motor, and a transmission.
The transmission can use the engine to drive the wheels, or use the electric motor to drive the wheels, or both
or use the engine to back spin the motor to charge up the battery ( or reverse the motor field so it generates)
or use the wheels to back spin the motor to charge up the battery (regen braking)
it makes for a complicate planetary gear transmission, and in some cases the engine is reving very fast (going up steep hills for example) but it works.
I had a 2013 Volt and drove it across the country. I loved it but returned it at lease end. I now own a 2014 Cadillac ELR and a 2018 Cadillac CT6 Hybrid. I hope to keep the ELR forever (when I can get it away from my wife). The CT6 is a wonderful car I expect to keep for a long time.
Nice video. Leased a 2014 base. Loved it so much bought a 2014 premier. Can charge every night at my building and leave it plugged in when not driving for a while. Has 84k miles now, bought at 46k miles for $10k. Saw recently that GM will be reviving their PHEV tech too. Maybe GM will finally learn some lessons. Volt is def an iconic car and I love driving it. It’s appreciated in value in a rough EV market. Only unplanned repair I’ve had to do so far is replace an axle because the boot ripped. Would buy again without hesitation.
As a 2105 volt owner, really appreciate the video.
This is a terrific video. I had heard nothing but bad things about the Volt. Thanks for giving so much information. I would buy one except I am too old to take on an electric car.🤩
Don't miss EVs, they are different animals, ride them!
2018 also had the ACC option, I have a 2018 and I love that car, it has 178000km on it and still running strong, the battery is just recently starting to show a bit less than 14KWh per run after almost 7 years. My next car will probably be the Equinox EV but since this one is still working fine I'm gonna hold onto it for a bit
I have helped 6 friends buy used volts and they all love them.
This is a great value and wonderful car
I have 160k on my 2013 and no battery degradation.
Thank you GM engineers for creating a masterpiece
Learning about the EV1 is why I was so excited to buy my Chevy Bolt EV. Initially I wanted a Volt, but got a good deal on a Bolt which I have easy access to free charging at work.
Great video and educational. I have a Gen2 and just love it. It's saved me well over $4K in gas over the last 5 years.
Happy New Year! Never thought that you would do a video for none Japanese cars but this is a good difference.
Still have my 2014 chevy volt. I would like to upgrade to the 2019 for the updates in tech and distance. But I really really don't like the new look. I believe they messed up when they made it look like a normal car. We all fell in love with that awesome classic OG Volt look. They also took away that neat rear lower window. Well atleast they are not taking them away from us like the EV1
Bought my '17 LT back toward the end of 2016, Dealer had a weekend sale for $28,990. It's been a great car for me now at 98K miles. However I'm here in CA and my HOV access just expired 12/31 and I really need the decals since I drive 63 miles 4 days a week for work. I ordered a Tesla Model 3 Long Range back in early October and should take possession in 3-5 weeks. My VOLT has been a very reliable car in the 5+ years I have owned it. Other than 4-5 check engine lights which Dealer fixed at no charge I highly recommend them. I put mine up for sale last week for $14K and had folks lined up to buy it. Ended up selling to a friend for his kid who is a freshman in college. Only negative is when first purchased a full charge was getting me 52-55 miles of electric, now only 41-43 in good weather. Thanks for the video
We are a 2 Volt family. A 2013, and a 2016. Both going strong, neither using much gas at all. Really the only gas the 2016 uses is to power the gasoline generator to throw oil around the crankcase about 6 to 8 times each year. My round trip commute is 36 miles. I’ve done that twice on a charge with the ‘16. You want to take a 400 mile road trip? No problem! Stop and fill up the tank like any other car. Really stellar cars that GM chose not to spend a dime on promoting. Very few understood the vehicle and they are sadly discontinued.
Geat Video about Volt- Hope to see more videos in 2022.
I've owned two. Loved my Gen 1 and still love my 2017.
Nice video Greg, lots of good info! It's too bad GM dropped the ball, again, on expanding the Volt program to other vehicles like a larger sedan or a compact SUV, it would have sold better being a Malibu or Equinox variant.
I've highly considered a 2nd gen Volt instead of a used Leaf/Soul/FocusEV which are the only used EVs in the same price range; the Volt can get 2/3 of their EV range but then has all the gas engine backup, it makes a lot of sense when you need to go more than 70 miles vs trying to find rapidchargers along your route!
I love my 1st gen Volt, and I agree that it would have been a great powertrain to scale up to an Equinox or even TrailBlazer. Lots of folks still have range anxiety and will not adopt full EV for a long time.
The C-Max and Fusion Energi are also in that price and has farther total range (the Energi actually has a bigger gas tank than the regular hybrid). The C-Max has bigger interior but much less cargo space. I consider the Volt superior to those 2 but they are alternatives.
Just look at the Rav4 Prime. Basically the same specs, but an SUV. $20K more and it sells out instantly on lots. The Volt was both ahead of its time and marketed poorly.
Love my 2015 Volt. Bought it new and I still want to keep it for very long.
I have the 2017 Volt in white. I love it. It came with the shift to park error but Chevrolet fixed it for free. It's pretty common with the 2017+ Volts. I got mine from Carvana.
Love from Arizona!
Great video, seems to attract all us volt drivers. I too love my 2018 volt Primer. I looked long and hard to find a 2018 with adaptive cruise control but only seemed to confuse myself, when looking on line it seemed to be out their but whenever I showed up at a dealership, I was told it did not exist in volt till 2019 models. What is weird is the car has the distance warning tech in it so you would think it would be a no brainer for it to also have adaptive cruse. You did such a good job on this could you look into a elusive chevy truck that was supposed to be like the volt - I think it was limited to fleet use & ~2004 ish.
The weirdest Volt fact to me is that the executive who championed its development, Bob Lutz, is a global warming denier.
I'm a 2019 volt gen2 owner, 23,000 miles so far. Bought one of the last ones on the lot. My favorite feature is one foot driving. Most trips, I never use the brake pedal, unless rarely, a light changes to yellow on the highway and I have to stop quickly. Range depends on speed. Get 35 miles range at 85 mph, 75 miles range at 40 mph and high altitude. Typically get 50 miles range around the city. Love highway driving, quiet and fast at passing at 85 mph. Looking forward to another 10 years of driving it.
Conclusion: I love this car, best car I have ever owned by far! (Sorry Toyota, my 2012 Prius is a noisy kludge job compared to the Volt).
Congratulations on making a great video.
Just bought a single-owner used '14 Volt with 66K miles on it, and I'm *really* enjoying it! The big downside is that I live in an apartment complex with no EV parking, but there's a free chargepoint station about a mile from me with 24/7 parking. Hoping one day I can upgrade my housing situation and plug it in all the time when I'm not driving!
Love my 2018 Volt. Fantastic car.
I have a 2013 Volt that I love to death (her name is Ruby for obvious reasons). I also recently picked up a 2018 coming off lease from Southern California. 15K miles, literally every option available in that model year. I certainly love the new car especially the price (under $25K) but I make it a point to drive Ruby at least once or twice per week. I have noticed that the 2013 Volt DEFINITELY handles the ice and snow here in Pennsylvania. The 2013 can creep along at 1 MPH over ice up a hill without slipping at all whereas the 2018 is constantly using traction control going up the same hill with the same conditions. I swear that at really slow speeds on snow and ice the 2013 is easier to drive. Anyone else out there have this same experience?
The 2nd Gen does just as well.
Your correct about the traction control being a problem sometimes and it has nothing to do with it being an electric vehicle.
I was stuck on a steep mountain grade in a semi truck. Plenty of power and tires. The problem was the traction control. Instead of letting a tire slip on the ice and the other three wheels on the pavement move the truck, it slowed everything, I lost momentum and finally got stuck.
Locking the drives didn't help. I've been driving trucks in ice and snow for 25 years so I know how to do it.
Finally, I was able to disengage the traction control, lock my axles and spin my way over the top.
I love my Gen 1 but if it were able to have the interior and range of the Gen 2, it would be a nearly perfect car
Unfortunately the biggest issue with the Volt was its production cost. It was viable while GM was getting EV rebates from the government, but once those ended the car's profitability was negative.
Great video! Very informative and delivered nicely. Not once did I feel like I was wasting my time watching this lol
Thank you for the great videos
I remember when the Volt was announced, every single image of it was a sports car. When it was finally released, it was a Prius with Chevy badge. I can never unsee this now.
I still love my 2015 volt. Just over 40,000 miles and it runs great.
We owned a 2013 Volt and liked it a lot. But service was tricky with a single travelling technician shared among area Chevrolet dealers. After GM discontinued production we sold the car. Sadly there isn't yet a similar car available. Volt design & engineering are outstanding.
VERY GOOD explanation of the VOLT. Usually the Volt is ignored and not talked about its good traits.
GM DID NOT advertise the VOLT. It was more word of mouth than anything on the advertisements. for example:
GM had a commercial with 5 vehicles, one from each of its car/truck groups, the VOLT was in this line up.
The person on cam would talk about all the qualities of the vehicle on cam BUT>>>
When the cam shown on vehicle #4, the VOLT, he just mentioned the name of the car and the cam moved to the
next vehicle. GM did not want the VOLT to sell and they didn't spend money on advertisements.
Even on the forums, people talked about how the VOLT was selling with no advertisement what so ever.
GM had the best design for what was needed, electric in the city which cut gas consumption, and
a very efficient"extender" engine for long distance on highway.
That engine would give around 300 miles per about 7 gallons of gas. That would certainly cut the amount
of gasoline being sold to todays cars. GM CUT IT, just like they did the EV1. No interest, even for the
environment.
The BOLT is strictly an EV and you have to worry about finding charge stations, most now proven to either
not work, apps won't recognize you, charge stations not charging full capacity which means you are sitting
there for a long long time, or the charge stations just don't work at all..
The VOLT is still the best transitional electric car ever built, they should bring it back and forget the troublesome
straight EV car until the infrastructure is proven. Give it 10 to 20 years.