We also have a 2017 Volt, which we use as a "backup" car for our Ioniq 5. We end up putting very few miles on it. So we also run into the same issues. Every year we get reminded to change the oil. Even if we only put 300 miles on it. Then we are forced to use the engine for "engine maintenance" periodically. And recently we were forced to use the engine for "fuel maintenance". Which meant we had to burn off 3/4 of the tank before we could use the electrical drive. When the Volt was our main daily driver, it was a great fit. We did trips around town on electric, and longer trips on gas.
Leased a 2013 Volt and loved it. Even though we live in a very rural area there were two uni towns 15 miles away and our lifetime mileage ave was 200 mpg for about 1/2 our use and about 100 for the rest of the time. Both the 'all battery' mode and normal it was a fast car and lots of power. In full out acceleration either mode was within a second to 60 mph. Looking out the windshield I was seeing the future as it was obvious that all GM had to do was throw out the gas engine. And I got one of the first Bolts outside of California. In all, I had two Bolts and bought a used Spark EV (still have) and a Kia EV 6 which is a great car - except Kia really isn't interested in telling the customer or the shops how some things actually work. It's a complex car and I love to know those things, having owned and operated many kinds of vehicles and equipment.
I’ve owned both a Volt and an ELR. Ten miles to work each way meant I could easily do all my commuting on electricity. I strategically kept two gallons of gas in my tank so I could make it to various family members (or a gas station) in an emergency if the car hadn’t recharged yet. I purposely took it on a longer trip once a year to use up and replace the small amount of gas I kept in the tank. I was able to drive both cars as EVs 96% of the time over 11 years. I was lucky both cars were new enough to have “Hold” mode so you could easily drive them over the mountains without any issues. 70 MPH on cruise control over the I5 mountain passes from California to Oregon was easy, but if you let the battery run out, it would have been horribly slow. Both cars worked great for me, but the charging infrastructure and battery technology has gotten good enough (as you’ve shown!) that I was happy to upgrade to a pure EV (Equinox EV). I just wish GM offered electric CARS-not just trucks and crossovers. I truly loved my ELR.
For me, the 2016 Volt is perfect. The battery range is rated at about 50 miles. Daily driving is almost always less than 35. The design of the first generation Volt is inefficient to support GM's claim of being EV with range extender. The gasoline engine is mechanically isolated from the wheels. It powers a generator which supplies the electric motor powering the wheels. The 2nd generation uses a planetary gear set similar to the Toyota HSD (In Volt, gasoline powers the sun gear; Toyota's powers the planetary carrier). I get 38 mpg at 75 mph on cross country trips. My bladder and the 8-gallon gas tank have matched capacity. For normal use, the battery retains enough power to assist the gasoline engine accelerating from a stoplight or climbing a hill. For driving through the mountains, the reserve is increased. My wife has irrational range anxiety. She worries about driving my pure EV across town (30 miles round trip) with 100 miles of range. Putting 2 gallons in the gas tank every 6 months reassures her. With our minimal use of gasoline, the oil change light allows 2 years between changes.
PHEVs are the worst of both worlds. You want to plug in at home or work to make the most of the small battery range, but if you're plugging in, you could have a full BEV that would require charging less often. Most US PHEV owners just drive on gas and don't plug in and the main benefit is currently getting a tax credit.
I hear what you are saying and I mostly agree with you in the assessment that an PHEV is NOT the way to go in the XXI century. But, at the same time, I had a Volt 2014 for 4 years before I changed it for a Bolt EV. And it was the best car I ever owned. The Bolt EV in winter (high and slim tires) can't be compared with the Volt in the winter time, the later being a tank. I had a commute of 50 km round trip (31 miles) and my Volt was an EV during the week days and a hybrid that didn't need to care about the charging stations (or the lack of them at the time) during week-ends and vacation. I could drive 60-80 km per charge during three seasons, which made my Volt a VE for 3/4 of the year. That's why I moved to the Bolt EV, paired with the fact that GM stopped the production of the Volt in Jan 2019. Stupid move if you ask me, because the voltec system that GM put in the Volt is a marvel of engineering and it's the best I ever seen in the PHEV world. Driving a Volt on highway is best to use the gas engine once you are at the 70-75 mph speeds, and switching to EV when driving in the city or when you have a lot of speed variations. I was at 2.1 L/100 km lifetime. That's 112 mpg. No Prius of this world could reach this number. The PHEV has its place but being that you have two technologies in a car, you have to understand that you have to deal with double the problems if you are unlucky to be on the wrong side of the stick. And the PHEV are the worst fire-hazard cars driving on the roads.
Yes, the Volt and other PHEVs certainly served as a gateway technology. They are just very limited in their functionality and use cases. At the time the Volt was (relatively) popular, people couldn't even imagine a 300-mile EV that could charge from 10% to 80% in under 20 minutes or the charging infrastructure to support it. Fast forward to today, and we have multiple options to meet those needs.
@@newscoulomb3705 Definitely yes. I didn't buy an EV 10 years ago and went with the Volt because 10 years ago the DCFC infrastructure was nowhere to be seen. GM chose the 55 kW charging speed limit on its Bolt EV because there were no DCFC on the road that could give more than 45 kW at the time that wasn't called Tesla Supercharger. Which puts into perspective how far the EV technology and DCFC infrastructure developed in only 10 years !!
@@voldar70 Yup. That charging limit for the Bolt EV was partly organic, due to the limits of both the charging infrastructure and the Bolt EV's 1 C battery. The 200 A CCS1 standard was known at that time, though, so there was definitely room to improve. However, I don't think anyone expected what came after, or how quickly. People forget that even the Superchargers were capped at 120 kW until 2019.
My first 'EV' was a 2020 Prius Prime...I quickly realized that I really enjoyed driving the car in EV mode and that lead me to trade it in for my current BEV. My wife and I tried to lease a 2013 Volt but the local Chev dealer didn't know how to work out a lease deal!
Yep, PHEVs were just gateway drugs to lead people to EVs. They made sense for some people when battery packs cost $1k/kWh. I'm amazed anyone still buys them. Now that California's carpool sticker program is winding down (the final ones expire 9/30/25), we'll see if there's actually a PHEV market. When my partner had on we were careful to keep the tank close to empty so we could easily add a gallon of fresh gasoline every few months. I think we put 3k miles on it in 2.5 years, because we just took my Bolt everywhere.
That's a good point. I completely forgot about the artificial demand created by carpool stickers. It's not really a thing in Northern California, but most of the people I knew in LA who bought PHEVs did so solely because of the carpool access. A lot of the time, they didn't even plug them in and just drove them like regular hybrids.
I admire Volt owners. I really wanted one, but was not in a financial position to get a new car at the time. Such a great idea and I have heard nothing but pride of folks who did. I agree that now, the added burden of the ICE makes BEV better options. Back then, there were not much in the bin to choose from and the Volt stood out as smart engineering. Thank you for the video. I enjoyed being able to see one in action.
I loved my volt, it was the perfect car at the time. I had a normal 30mile (round trip) commute most days, and the battery was great for that. Then about once a month or so (on average), I had to drive out of town for work, and that used the gas engine, and usually used about one tank of gas to go round trip. So it was the perfect car for my situation. Now I have a different job, but I got a bolt a couple years ago, and it's worked very well, even for my out of town trips (usually one DCFC stop on the way back to make it back). I love being fully electric now. I think PHEVs in general are great gateway cars for people, to introduce them to EVs. They get familiar with the electric infrastructure, and realize just how little they actually need to go long distances (usually), while still having the reassuring safety net of a gas engine.
Eric, go drive a 2015 Leaf. I don’t think you’ll see much difference. It was gutless which is why I bought a Bolt in 2018. Now I have a Taycan. I purchased a 2015 Volt for my wife a few years ago, it’s fine, not stunning but many drives about 40 to 50 miles or 10 miles so she can keep the fuel utilized and often run on solar charged electricity. Thank you for the video Eric, always entertaining.
Yes, the Volt and LEAF have nearly identical power running on electric. What I was calling out is that the gas engine is only about half of that, so when the battery runs out (or if you're forced to run on the engine like I was here), it is extremely down on power.
@@newscoulomb3705 Yup. (for other readers) You can borrow about 400wh from the "float" for a highway pass or a hill, but that's maybe 45 seconds of boost and you're out, and have to slow down to let it rebuild. Mountain Mode fixes that by giving you a 10x bigger "float" buffer, but at the cost of regular range and your OVERALL power output (on the scale of 20 miles or so) is still limited by the output from the engine, which is Not Big.
Another drawback of plugin hybrids that often goes under-appreciated is those trips in the 50-200 mile range. With a modern BEV, you can complete the entire trip without ever charging away from home; with a PHEV, the battery will deplete, and large portion of the trip miles will be powered by gas. This was a big deal to me, as I drive 50-200 mile days a lot - much more often than trips over 200 miles. So, even if the BEV option means occasionally needing to stop at a public charger on a longer trip, that is offset by not needing to stop at gas stations for the medium-length trips that I do much more often. And, even the longer trips I do need public charging for, I'm usually not there for that long, in spite of driving a Bolt EV, one of the slowest-charging cars available. The reason why is, again, the longer a trip, the less often it tends to happen. Hence, I drive 200-300 miles much more often than 300+ miles. Thus, the majority of the trips where I do need public charging, I just need a little bit of juice near the end of the trip to get home comfortably, without range anxiety. Which usually means translates to charging sessions in the 10-15 minute range, which usually happen at a point in the trip where I need to make a bathroom stop anyway, keeping the added travel time as a result of needing to charge negligible. Sometimes, I even end up *overcharging* because the line for the bathroom is longer than expected. Both the quality and quantity of public charging have dramatically improved in the four years since I got the car.
if you want to save money, you are best off going with 1 car. thats where every discussion about saving money with an ev should start. phev has no compromise in the winter for cold climates, unlike full ev. my 2014 volt gets 45-55 miles of range depending on the time of year. if you dont like your gas going bad, keep the car at half a tank, you get better range lol. if you dont like the change of power, keep it in mountain mode. gen1 is port injected low compression, iron block, planitary gear trans. gen2 is direct injected, higher compression, aluminum block, CVT belt style transmission, with almost the same battery but with lower state of charge protection. if you know your way around cars, you will realize these are all longevity tradeoffs. at high mileage, the gen2 volt by design will have carbon buildup issues on the valves, head gasket issues, transmission issues, and accelerated battery range loss. gen1 volt was made to go forever. gen2 was made to try and stop hemorrhaging money from gen1 volt. i commute 170 miles per day for work where i can charge for free, and my volt paid for itself after 18 months in gas savings. there is not an EV that could do that. DC fast charging is more expensive than gas. if you put all the costs on paper, its actually really hard to beat a volt as your only daily driver. full EV will always win when you own more than one car.
@@vevenaneathna Sure. If you want to save money, you should never buy a new car at all. Also, it seems like you are fixated on pre-2018 BEV tech. There are plenty of EVs today that could meet your commuting needs, and many of them cost less than your Volt's MSRP. I bought my Bolt EV in 2016 because I had a 165-mile daily commute, and I was hemorrhaging too much cash by driving the Volt.
@@newscoulomb3705 hmm well im focused on older cars because theyve already maxed out their depreciation. volt has actually been appreciating the last 2 years until the new used ev tax credit messed up the numbers. to me it seems like a much better idea to buy an older reliable car at the sweet spot of its value curve. value = cash paid for car received. focusing on msrp for a used car requires time travel. i got my volt for 6000$, and saved that amount of money in 18 months. you and i both know it takes some mental gymnastics to put double that into a newer ev like the bolt, and capture all the depreciation passively while putting up with the inconvenience of dc fast charging over gas. the irony is that dc fast charging is less convenient and more expensive. maybe what youre saying is that you dont buy used cars. if youve got that money to blow, i wouldnt be worrying about a tank of gas that you let go stale.
@@WestFortJacoby if you search for "gen2 voltect drive train" you will find many diagram images showing the large belt. gen2 volt owners regularly report lots of wear/tear on the transmission fluid due to its signficantly higher friction. its not between two shifting pullies, but it is a cost saving measure gm did to save weight and money and get the gear ratio up a little bit higher so that the mechanical linkage for the gen2 could be engauged at more hwy speeds for better fuel economy. gen1 is only able to split power the wheels directly around 55-65mph, gen2 does so with a large stamped metal belt at a little bit higher speeds which most hwy drives are likely to be at ~75mph. both have planetary gears around clutch packs, but gen2 doesnt have the very large gear arrangement. gen1 owners report draining their trans fluid at 200k+ miles with it looking basically brand new due to the significantly lower friction.
Here's what made me not get the volt and instead a bolt. 1. Too many moving parts 2. If the battery dies, you can't run it only on the engine. 3. Parts may become rarer to find for it. 4. Having to put gas in it
what..you can definitely run the Volt 100% on gasoline and NEVER plug it in. You can drive it cross country on gas only. I've driven it at sustained 90mph on gasoline only and it never missed a beat
@@user-ns7ip8qy9l No, IF the battery is DEAD...not fully charged..like DEAD...CAN'T HOLD A CHARGE DEAD...CELLS ARE DEAD!! Which has happened to some volts. I was about to buy one used but the guy described a behavior that mean the battery was on it's last legs...and he sunk in 3k for other repairs..
@@Art_and_Logic the vast majority of volts with battery issues (which is a small fraction already) will run fine in mountain mode. there was a guy on youtube who drove his volt like that from 200k to 450k miles until a clutch pack gave up. worst of both worlds is a false choice. better to have two propulsion methods which share the wear and tear in a complementary way. your talking about a car that only uses its engine for highway driving, which means 200k miles of use is more like 40-50k miles. as many early gen ev's have shown, using them only around town at low speed will make them last forever. theres that cab driver from cypres with a garbage tier 1st gen leaf with over 450k miles on the og battery because of low speeds and no exposure to extreme weather/fast charging. ICE protects the battery from cold temps and over discharge while replacing the need for fast charging. these are all factors which accelerate battery aging for full ev's. If you dont like the weight penalty of the ICE, just keep the tank at 1-2 gallons, which reduces weight by 55lb. upgrade the AGM battery to a diy 32ah lifep4 battery for 45$, thats another 50lbs, and now youre lighter than a model 3. old style perm magnet motors are the most efficient low speed ev motors around town, and thats what the gen1 volt has. no wonder it gets 5+mi/kwh around town. how much extra battery weight do you have to lug around for the lifetime of a full ev to account for cold, windy days or snow, not to mention battery range loss later in the cars life. a full ev with 300mi of range means you have to regularly discharge the battery into the high wear domain of the state of charge curve, while also relying on slow dc charging which isnt good for the car.
The Gen 1 Volt is aerodynamically optimized up to 50mph. I see a noticeable drop off in efficiency after 60mph. Also, proper tires seem to make biggest difference in range efficiency. The OEM Goodyear tires(and the revised OEM versions) were among the best with range, I’m unhappy that they were discontinued.
I'm torn here because the likes of the Volt have been such good bridge vehicles for many early EV adopters, but the industry has changed so much in 10 years and I agree with your complexity/limitations points. Perhaps the EREV option will be valuable for electric pickups as they're earlier in the product development timeline, but for regular cars I think it's time to go all-electric and steer clear of petrol prison 👍
Yes, that's true, but it was nowhere near as popular as it should have been. That might have been my biggest gripe because if everyone who clamored about how important PHEVs were actually bought a Volt for themselves, it would have been different. What I've seen instead is a major disconnect between what people say they want and what they actually buy. If I was a conspiracy theorist, I might suggest that many of the people pushing PHEVs are doing so to either maintain a higher demand on fossil fuels or ensure that their favorite EV brands maintain a competitive advantage. An all-electric automaker would seriously benefit and build a significant advantage by keeping automakers like GM and Toyota distracted with PHEVs that suffer from the same declining interest and sales as we've seen with ICE vehicles since 2017. I will admit that PHEVs seem a little more interesting for fullsize HD trucks, though most of the benefit for those vehicles could be gained with an engine-stop hybrid powertrain. A small battery could aid with regenerative braking, but that's a small gain relative to the complexity, cost, and weight of a PHEV powertrain.
We considered a Volt in 2011, but it was so low to the ground and so lacked power, that we decided not to. GM should have skipped the Volt and gone directly to an EV version of their most popular car, the Equinox, that would get 200 of range in 2011 and then increased the range as battery technology advanced. I would really love to see how long the Volt goes on a full battery and a full tank of gas at 70 mph test to almost empty. In other words, what is the total range at 70mph.
@@Jeff-wb3hh Yes, the ground clearance is a serious issue for me. The Volt has gotten stuck a couple times on our driveway. I think the power is fine. A little low, but okay for a commuter. The 70 mph test would be interesting, but long. It only has a 9 gallon tank, but it would be pretty close to 350 miles.
@@newscoulomb3705 You're right it really would be a long haul. If it was still available it may be worth it, but not now since it's been discontinued. I say the sooner you sell it the better. Or maybe you can trade it along with your Bolt EV and get a 2025 Equinox EV base LT now that they are out.
@@Jeff-wb3hh Yes. I'm on the fence about the Equinox EV. I'm trying to downsize a bit, though, so I worry that the Equinox EV would have a bit too much overlap with my Bolt EV in terms of functionality. Stay tuned, I suppose! 🙂
@@newscoulomb3705 Well, if you trade-in both the Bolt and the Volt for the Equinox EV, you'd be downsizing and no longer overlapping with the Bolt and imagine having 319 miles of range. FYI - We traded in our EV6 for the Equinox EV FWD last month because we didn't need the super-fast DC charging, but we did need more comfortable seats that the Equinox EV provided compared to the EV6. And we love the slightly better ride the Equinox EV provides.
Basically anyone living 40 miles from services or more really ought to be looking for a Cruze Eco or a Cruze diesel instead of a plug-in hybrid. 50 mpg (1gph) is pretty easy to hit with either of those on back-country roads, and both cars can squeak ahead of a normal-hybrid Prius at freeway speeds in terms of economy, while still delivering a slightly nicer driving experience: not QUITE as anemic, not QUITE as buzzy, a LITTLE better planted.
Do yourself a favor and buy a Prius instead. The Cruze in general is a pretty unreliable car.. especially the 1.4 Turbo.. the Diesel is interesting, but is not really more fuel efficient than a Prius, Diesel cost more, and eats into any MPG savings, and nobody knows how to work on them.. very few ever sold. Prius is boring, but reliable and efficient.. got 425K on my last one, know a guy with 580K on same one i had.
Our family came from an Outlander PHEV, Fusion Energi and A3 Sportback e-tron. We later sold the Mitsubishi and Audi to get the full BEV Q4 which I drive today. PHEVs are definitely a gateway drug to EV ownership.
We had a 2014 C-Max for a few years. Worst car we ever owned. Electric-only was pointless, range too low and really hard to find working AC L2 chargers. Gas and hybrid mode just not enough power - like you say - going uphill it engendered jokes about "beating the squirrels" to make it go faster. Ford could not maintain it - no parts, no knowledge. In shop 8 times year 1. Parts were literally falling off the car.
I’ll start by saying that I really liked my 2017 Volt but I agree about the drawbacks. I don’t remember having any issues with acceleration when the gas engine was engaged. I’m wondering if that is a gen 1 issue. The conclusion I came to was it didn’t make sense to carry the gas engine as I rarely drove more than the EV range and even more rarely more than 100 miles in a day which is easily within the range of my Bolt EUV. We still have an ICE vehicle for long trips but I have been taking the Bolt anyway even with the charging limitations. I like driving it plus EV road trips are fun when you are a nerd and enjoy planning.
Kinda expensive. But many this year models have 75 miles electric range. You have to remember to run the engine now and then in order to avoid it wearing out by NOT using the engine.
PHEVs have some real benefits vs most BEVs on the USA market in 2024, mostly when road tripping. Best PHEV use case is when the owner can plugin at home while sleeping and/or plugin at work. For 200+ mile road trips in regions without reliable and fast EV chargers, PHEVs eliminates that range anxiety (or should I say "charger anxiety"). When EV fast chargers do reliably work, a ~20 minute charging session to achieve 0-80% State of Charge is fine, but waiting in line to charge is infuriating. PHEV drivers don't have to worry about a EV station being down or full. Gas stations are frequent and reliable.
Had a 2015 Volt and a 2021 Prius Prime, loved the Volt but it wasn't a good "eco" car with the limited EV range and the sub 40 MPG gas mileage. Wasn't the biggest fan of the Prius as a car but it did the whole PHEV thing better from the standpoint of using less fuel despite having less range (though in nice weather 35+ miles was doable) but significantly better MPG when in hybrid mode. I actually managed 70 MPG on a 350 mile highway trip with no charging, double what the Volt got on some drives. Still, PHEVs are for a very specific use case. Traded the Prius in for a Kona EV when I knew I'd be losing my ability to charge at home due to a move, a PHEV makes the least sense if you can't charge at home or work. I remember finding excuses to sit at level 2 stations for hours to charge the Volt when on longer drives, feels silly in hindsight.
What a coincidence! I am currently in "petrol prison" (a well-coined phrase!) in mine. What my 2017 Gen 2 Volt does is calculate the average age of the gas in the tank. Once it's over a year I go into petrol prison until I put more gas in the tank. I've put in as little as two and a half gallons, but of course that means that in 3 to 4 months I'm back at the gas station again. I generally bite the bullet and drive it down to half a tank before topping it up so that I don't have to go back for 6 months. Currently getting 50 mpg, but have been as low as 30 mpg during a particularly cold spell here in Colorado.
No, that is what I meant. A majority of the benefit of a hybrid internal combustion system comes from eliminating or reducing idling, which is what a mild hybrid does (whether a series hybrid like the traditional Prius or an IMA system like what Honda used in the Insight). A slightly larger battery with a more powerful electric motor does have an additional benefit reduced brake pad wear through regenerative braking, but even that doesn't necessarily require a plug-in (rechargeable) battery. The point is, if you can do 90% or more of your driving on electricity with a PHEV, you are more than likely better off with a BEV. If traveling in a BEV is a sticking point, you're better off renting an ICE car for long trips. If you can't manage most of your driving on electricity with a PHEV, you're better off with either a BEV that has sufficient range or (if you are not able to plug in at home) a mild/series hybrid.
@ yes, I agree with your overall point, but mild hybrids do not do much for fuel economy. The current Volvo mild hybrids get 24-26 MPG (depending on model), while my rav4 hybrid gets low 40’s.
@@larryaugsburger8452 Now compare a Toyota Camry NON Hybrid vs Hybrid? same gas engine used in both.. on gets 25/35 the other 50/50 MPG It is a big difference if you compare like or similar model.. Or your Rav 4.. the Non Hybrid is 22/28 aprox. vs 40Mpg. It is literally almost DOUBLE the fuel economy.
We have a Plug-in Pacifica.. there is no BEV for that size. We stay in electric for weeks, since we always charge. The gas engine comes into play only for longer trips
The ID line is subpar at best. Kia EV 9 is the closest. But sake price must be taken into consideration. I paid 33 k for mine brand new before the 10 k or so in incentives. That made it worth. Even then, at the 43k MSRP it was a dicey proposition. Now it’s being sold for 58k. Or it’s not being sold for that.
I used to have a 2017 Volt which was my first ev foray. I was pleased to get around 60 miles on all electric with it so only needed the gas motor on trips that were a few hours away from home. I'd say my pure EV use was at least 90%. It gives a good experience to learn about just how great electric travel is and was my gateway drug to going fully electric. The second gen Volt only would run for about 10 minutes if it needed conditioning due to lack of gas use.
love our PHEV, just love it plug it in to household current at end of day and next day we have 33 miles of range. have not used half a tank of gas in over 5 months Tuscon PHEV my wife and i are just not going back to ICE
My prediction is that PHEVs will disappear before non-hybrid I.C.E. vehicles. I think we'll get to the point where the only time an EV isn't ideal is when you drive cannon ball run style for hundreds of miles at a time and only stop to fuel up (and presumably change your diaper). As we all know from reading RUclips comments, there's an endless amount of people who claim to fall into this camp. For these people, a PHEV let alone a basic hybrid, doesn't provide any appreciable benefit. If you're not a cannon ball runner, a BEV will work for you, and you won't need to lug around an engine, fuel tank, and all of their ancillary components. Also, keep in mind that EV batteries will most likely follow the same pricing trajectory as solar panels and flat screens. Expensive at first, and dirt cheap 10 years later.
Functionally, there's no real difference between those terms. The Volt was initially marketed as an "EREV," yet as you can see from this video, it is still dependent on a fossil fuel system.
@@newscoulomb3705 you don't have Gears box in EREV . And no need for engine if the distance is less than 100km . But many Chinese companies promise that the next generation of EREV can reach 200km in electric mode only..
@@DeniSaputta Technically, all that's required for a car to be an EREV is that it can run entirely on electric power so long as the battery has sufficient energy. The BMW i3 and Chevy Volt are both technically EREVs. The physical detachment of the Gen Set is redefining the term.
I own a 21 RAV4 Prime and it’s been great. Lots of fun to drive in EV mode and hybrid mode too. I’m driving most of the time electric and then on longer trips it’s a very efficient hybrid car. It has held it’s value very well compared to an EV and that more than has paid for any maintenance. It has been very reliable and has scored very well on consumer reports. It’s been a good gateway drug to go all electric, but when I make the switch it won’t be for practical reasons, it will just be that I want to drive electric all the time.
PHEVs and Hybrids have the complexity of an ICE engine as well as the lithium ion battery and electric motor, and they have all the problems an EV has, plus the maintenance of a ICE engine, where as a purely ICE vehicles are much simpler. PHEVs and Hybrids are good as long as the lithium ion battery is good, when it expires the car becomes disposable. CO2 as a greenhouse gas is bad science. Net-nonsense government policy is bad policy.
Brave guy, but you are right and it’s good to stand up and make people aware of reality! More people will realize some of these simple facts that you bring out for us. I am driving EV over three years would never need a hybrid or plug-in hybrid as I have Enough vehicles to go around that I can choose different ones for different needs. I realize many people have only one vehicle and these folks have different situations so I’m not saying it works for everybody but for many many people it’s getting better and better to just go simply pure electric. Thanks again for sticking out like a sore thumb but telling it like it is!!!!good job!
I’ve owned both a Volt and an ELR. Ten miles to work each way meant I could easily do all my commuting on electricity. I strategically kept two gallons of gas in my tank so I could make it to various family members (or a gas station) in an emergency if the car hadn’t recharged yet. I purposely took it on a longer trip once a year to use up and replace the small amount of gas I kept in the tank. I was able to drive both cars as EVs 96% of the time over 11 years (about 2 miles/kWh efficiency). I was lucky both cars were new enough to have “Hold” mode so you could easily drive them over the mountains without any issues. 70 MPH on cruise control over the I5 mountain passes from California to Oregon was easy, but if you let the battery run out, it would have been horribly slow. Both cars worked great for me, but the charging infrastructure and battery technology has gotten good enough (as you’ve shown!) that I was happy to upgrade to a pure EV (Equinox EV). I just wish GM offered electric CARS-not just trucks and crossovers. I truly loved my ELR.
@@caddyzig Thank you! Yes, I can't really get away with the low gas tank trick. For me it's more that if I drive, it's usually 80 to 100 miles or more in a single trip.
average about $4.50 for premium for me Mr postman. But Eric is at a Chevron station they cost a bit more as it’s Standard Oil. 😅 Most people only use them as they have a work gas card.
@@tkmedia3866 Yes. That's why I called out the Colusa Casino. It's much, much cheaper there, but I hadn't burned enough gas yet. Call me crazy, but when it comes to old, potentially stale gas, I do like to fill up with a name brand. If I've been running through gas, I'll usually fill up with whatever is cheapest and easiest.
Totally agree on your comment about which powertrain to get.. Mild Hybrid, Plug in Hybrid, or EV. You absolutely nailed the use case for those. Hard to go wrong with a Prius of any type. But you seem to make getting gas SO complicated.. and it is not. At least it has never been for me. Why are you going in.. paying cash then filling up.. and having to mess with all that. Tap to pay at the pump.. pump the gas.. DONE. I made a video showing this the last time you did a gas stop.. just to see actual time spent. From the time I pulled to the pump to the time I left. was 2.5 min. to pump 12 gallons. Can't be much easier. I have Bolt EV now Love the car mostly BUT charging at EA is a pain in the ass. Tesla is actually easier and 100% more reliable. I spend more than 2 min.. just trying to activate the charger... let alone then waiting 30-40 min to charge the car. I charge at home.. that saves me a lot, that is easy. I don't have to do oil changes.. Love that. But I drive 200-350 miles per day. So I end up needing public charging on some days. After a year and 60,0000 miles put on my Bolt EV.. I will either get a Tesla, or Go back to a Toyota Hybrid.
Paying cash typically gets about a 10 cent per gallon discount, so it's a significant savings. The issue is more that it's a PITA to run a gas car in general, which is made even worse by a car that's suppose to be (mostly) electric. Keep in mind that, even on my typical 150+ mile shopping trips, I don't actually need to charge my Bolt EV. I really only DC charge on longer trips, and I rarely use Electrify America anymore. At this point, I'm primarily using EVgo (Autocharge) or chargers with CC readers, and unless I'm stopping for a meal, I almost never charge for more than 25 to 30 minutes in my Bolt EV. Any stop less than 15 minutes, and I barely have time to use the facilities.
@newscoulomb3705 $0.10 per gallon with a 12 gallon tank? Is $1.20. I'll gladly pay $1.20 to not have to go stand in line pay with cash that I never carry with me , get change come back out then pump find out I need a little bit more. Nah. Tap to pay done in 2 minutes.. I'm driving closer to 250 miles per day. All in my home city. So I have to decide when do I want to stop sometime around midnight usually. Top the car back up so that I can then work through the bar rush and have enough range to get back to my house. The EA station you have about 50% chance of 50% of the charger is not working. And about 50% chance that if you do get one that works you end up with a session error 10 minutes in. The Tesla supercharger is 100 times more reliable. But it's a 15 minute drive east to get to it. And sometimes it's busy. The one on the far west side is a 35 minute drive from City center. That one has 18 stalls and is never busy and is cheaper. It's hilarious to me that the Tesla supercharger is easier and faster to activate than EA? We don't have any EVGO stations where I live. I have used them in Phoenix and they are quite nice plug and charge works well and I've never had any faults with them. I've also used some charge point chargers as well as a Francis energy charger both of those worked well too. Unfortunately the EA station in my city is old and shitty. I'm an expert in getting gas, when I had my Prius I was filling up the car every day. Not because I was out but because I want to have a full tank for the day ahead so I don't have to worry about it. Gas station is on the way home. So it was easy to get at that time. At least with the Tesla if I go that route. The model 3 long range will have about a 380 mi range so I likely would never need to stop at a charger in the middle of my shift. And if I did I would be there a much shorter time. One of the major issues I have with my car is that the charge port is on the wrong side to use Tesla superchargers. So you're taking up two stalls. And at the charger that's closer that becomes a problem. I have driven all the way over there only to find that there isn't a stall open where I can use it because I need two stalls next to each other. I am very seriously considering going back to a Prius or Camry Hybrid. Cheaper to buy, probably more reliable long-term, but will cost me more in maintenance. Although with a Prius it's really just oil changes.
@@newscoulomb3705 Same here, 10 cents cheaper to pay cash. I will gladly pay $1.20 more to NOT have to go in, waiting in line, paying with cash, pump the gas. I want to pay, and leave I been driving for 10 hours at that point. Plus I never carry cash in the first place. I drive 200-300 miles per day doing rideshare. The EA Station is terrible, about a 50% chance of 50% of the chargers not working, and then a 50% chance of a session error once you do start charging. So I spend 20 min messing around finding a working charger to then spend 15-35 min charging. The Tesla Supercharger experience is 1000% better.. always works, easier to activate too. But they are farther away, and the one is often busy.. with the Bolt your taking up 2 stalls.. so that is a problem. The other Tesla SC location is 35 min away. We have no EV Go chargers, and all the Changepoint chargers are at dealers and inaccessible after hours. I have used EV go in Phoenix, and some Francis Energy chargers.. They works great. Plug N Charge with EV go works great. I love my Bolt EV.. Love not doing an oil change every 5 weeks. Charging at home IS cheaper than gas in a Prius by about 1/2. But 1/2 of cost of Prius is actually not that much money. Lack of range in the Bolt EV often costs me more income loss than the savings in operation costs... or it's break even. So I think I will try for a LR Tesla M3, or go back to Toyota Hybrid. I will definitely miss the driving experience though,.... I LOVE how the EV drives. If your interested.. Here is the link to my average gas stop experience. was in my older Toyota, but same tank size as my Prius was. BTW filmed this a while ago.. Gas is now $2.88/ gallon. ruclips.net/video/arDKJMg-05w/видео.html
I don't see the problem. If you're not using 5 gallons every 6 months (what my PHEV owner's manual reccomends), then stop topping off the tank, unless you have a long trip coming up. Otherwise, wait until it's at one eighth full, then put in just a couple of gallons of premium. You'll always have fresh gas. You can always use self-charging mode to burn off gas faster, rather than wasting it. Aside from your case being extremely unusual, the behavior of your car seems weird. It does not apply to most PHEVs AFAIK. Your real problem is not the car. You are driving the vehicle wrong. Use EV mode for short trips and getting to the highway, when you need the acceleration and power of EV mode. At speed on the highway, switch to HV mode where the ICE engine is more efficient and not as much power is needed. EV mode should not be used routinely on the highway. I'm sure the manufacturers will automate the process in the future. For example, automate going from from EV to HV when the MPH cruising over 45, and dropping from HV to EV when the MPH goes under 20. Remember, regenerative braking is still active in both modes. (Well I've heard of a gas only mode on one model; that's a pointless feature.) The overlap should ensure that constant switching is not a problem. Automatic transmissions change gears much more frequently. My 2017 PHEV now reads 82 MPG lifetime. Thanks to the pandemic and working from home, I now only drive aout 5000 miles a year, and rarely make long trips. The A and B odometers read higher MPGs. I did have a problem once with stale gas during the pandemic; unlike the maker of this video, I learned my lesson and the car still runs like new. For anyone out there who is thinking about getting a new car, disregard almost everything in this video. PHEVs are the perfect car for everybody now and in the future. Hybrids will become stranded assets, and not everybody can afford and charge a BEV. My purchase was pure luck. My 2001 hybrid (HEV) ran for 17 years; I would have kept it on the road if it hadn't got a check engine light just before I moved 1500 miles for a new job. Don't count on having a gasoline station on every street corner in 17 years. Just the other day I saw two boarded up gas stations right opposite each other at the intersection of two 6 lane roads. Great job making a video mountain out of a mole hill. If you have a lemon, either by design or manufacture, there is no reason to group all PHEVs with your mistakes. PHEVs don't suck; this video does.
Yes, I'm aware of the Shark, but it's not being sold in the United States. So unfortunately, I can't realistically test it, but I also doubt the 100 mile EV claim. Not with a 30 kWh battery pack. Maybe in perfect weather with slow driving speeds. For reference, I'm putting a 100 kWh pack in my Ford Ranger EV, and I'm only expecting about 275 miles of real-world range out of it. My greater point is, all PHEVs present a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" battery size proposition. Add too little battery, and it's better as a series hybrid. Add too much battery, and it's better as a BEV. Add just the right battery size, and it use case is limited to a very narrow population of consumers.
@@newscoulomb3705 There's a certain irony here with PHEV, where it's alleged purpose is to avoid range anxiety. Yet, the only way to avoid "petrol prison" is to keep the total range of the vehicle relatively small. Make the battery too big, your need for gas gets infrequent enough that you end up in petrol prison. Make the fuel tank too big, once you do end up in petrol prison, you have to stay there a long time before you're allowed to drive electric again. This is why the Volt's 300'ish miles of total range is actually kind of small by gas car standards, and even many BEVs nowadays exceed this.
@@VinnieWarlock Not sure about that. The site I used was vandalized and recently fixed, and even though the screen was down, the L2 AC was working. The issue with the session not starting was the Volt's fault (it wouldn't activate when the car was on for some reason.
e-POWER is Nissan's unique electric-drive _Series hybrid_ powertrain that integrates a gasoline engine and motor. e-POWER vehicles surpassed 1.5 million units as of the end of October 2024. At present, e-POWER vehicles are sold in 68 markets around the world - _Except_ North America. As you know, a series hybrid is like a a diesel-electric locomotive, which is a train that uses a ICE engine to generate electricity that powers electric motors to move the train. IMO, it is the most efficient method of propulsion. In a PHEV format, a Series Hybrid PHEV reduces emissions, as well as cost, by about 90% without the utter insanity of "public charging stations". Eric, you and I probably do not see this option in the same light. But *_Factually_* speaking, there is no denying that Americans spend 90% of there driving time commuting less than 50 miles per day. A PHEV that is charged at home overnight reduces C02 emissions 90% (assuming a non-carbon based energy source like Solar), yet has no need for _Inconvenient_ charging stations (supplied by fossil fuel based energy) for the rare out-of-battery-range trips. I submit BEV's are (factually) an utter failure in America considering after 13 years, an 7.6% adoption rate. Hybrids have an almost 11% adoption rate. ICE vehicles are STILL about 82% of ALL vehicles sold in America. At this rate, it will take another 100 years for BEVs to get to 50% adoption rate. PHEV's solve the core issues. We can continue to pretend that Cobalt - the blood diamond of electric cars - mined my African child slaves is a non-issue, but PHEV's mitigate that reality. (please don't attempt to parrot Musk by suggesting that LFP batteries are "conflict-free" as magnesium comes primarily from the African countries of South Africa, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, and Gabon. Just a new "blood-diamond").
I'm not sure how we can say that BEVs are an utter failure at 8% of sales after 13 years while hybrids are a success with only 11% sales after 25 years. Yes, ICE still represents over 80% of new car sales, but ICE sales also peaked in 2017. So new car adoption is a downward trend overall. Part of why I called out this Petrol Prison is because it's conveniently omitted from the argument that "but Americans only drive 30 miles a day." If someone truly only drives 30 miles a day, the emphasis should be on a short-range, city car EV, not a hybrid. Also, in terms of "conflict" materials, hybrids and PHEVs require more critical materials than BEVs on a per kWh basis (i.e., per mile of range). I'll assume you're referring to manganese (no magnesium), but those are primarily used in NCM and NCMA, not LFP, batteries. A BEV using LFP battery is closer to an ICE in terms of the critical materials used in manufacturing. Yes, there is a discussion of transitioning to LFMP batteries, but that is really just transitioning manganese usage from NCM/A to LFMP.
Do you have a source for that 7.6% adoption rate of EVs? I've been searching for sales figures, but mostly just get percentages of the new vehicle market, not actual vehicles on the road. Bloomberg say that 50% of new car sales are on track to be EVs (but presumably include hybrids) by 2030.
@@ziploc2000 I've seen a few different places post the numbers. I'm assuming the 7.6% of new car sales was sourced from KBB, but that was 2023 sales. We know that EV sales grew relative to market in 2024. We're not done with the year yet, but it is approaching 10%. As far as the existing vehicle market is concerned, that is a much larger number, with over 300 million vehicles registered for road use in the United States. I haven't seen any official numbers, but my best guess is that EVs only represent about 1% of vehicles licensed for road use. So at the current pace, it would take 100 years to replace all the ICE cars on the road with EVs; however, that is the current pace. It completely ignores projected growth in EV production and sales.
@@shotelco You're pretending that there isn't tons of harm in the oil industry, which is wild. We will never get ahead of climate change without cutting our oil consumption.
@@ziploc2000 look for August 26, 2024 "U.S. share of electric and hybrid vehicle sales increased in the second quarter of 2024" there is a graph at the top right of the page. Hybrids are almost 10% and the lowly PHEV is about 2%, with BEV's inching down.
I remember those days. I only kept a small amount of gas in the tank. I recall keeping 2 gallons, and then add some more to average down the life.
We also have a 2017 Volt, which we use as a "backup" car for our Ioniq 5. We end up putting very few miles on it. So we also run into the same issues. Every year we get reminded to change the oil. Even if we only put 300 miles on it. Then we are forced to use the engine for "engine maintenance" periodically. And recently we were forced to use the engine for "fuel maintenance". Which meant we had to burn off 3/4 of the tank before we could use the electrical drive.
When the Volt was our main daily driver, it was a great fit. We did trips around town on electric, and longer trips on gas.
Leased a 2013 Volt and loved it. Even though we live in a very rural area there were two uni towns 15 miles away and our lifetime mileage ave was 200 mpg for about 1/2 our use and about 100 for the rest of the time. Both the 'all battery' mode and normal it was a fast car and lots of power. In full out acceleration either mode was within a second to 60 mph. Looking out the windshield I was seeing the future as it was obvious that all GM had to do was throw out the gas engine. And I got one of the first Bolts outside of California. In all, I had two Bolts and bought a used Spark EV (still have) and a Kia EV 6 which is a great car - except Kia really isn't interested in telling the customer or the shops how some things actually work. It's a complex car and I love to know those things, having owned and operated many kinds of vehicles and equipment.
I’ve owned both a Volt and an ELR. Ten miles to work each way meant I could easily do all my commuting on electricity. I strategically kept two gallons of gas in my tank so I could make it to various family members (or a gas station) in an emergency if the car hadn’t recharged yet. I purposely took it on a longer trip once a year to use up and replace the small amount of gas I kept in the tank. I was able to drive both cars as EVs 96% of the time over 11 years. I was lucky both cars were new enough to have “Hold” mode so you could easily drive them over the mountains without any issues. 70 MPH on cruise control over the I5 mountain passes from California to Oregon was easy, but if you let the battery run out, it would have been horribly slow. Both cars worked great for me, but the charging infrastructure and battery technology has gotten good enough (as you’ve shown!) that I was happy to upgrade to a pure EV (Equinox EV). I just wish GM offered electric CARS-not just trucks and crossovers. I truly loved my ELR.
For me, the 2016 Volt is perfect. The battery range is rated at about 50 miles. Daily driving is almost always less than 35.
The design of the first generation Volt is inefficient to support GM's claim of being EV with range extender. The gasoline engine is mechanically isolated from the wheels. It powers a generator which supplies the electric motor powering the wheels. The 2nd generation uses a planetary gear set similar to the Toyota HSD (In Volt, gasoline powers the sun gear; Toyota's powers the planetary carrier). I get 38 mpg at 75 mph on cross country trips. My bladder and the 8-gallon gas tank have matched capacity. For normal use, the battery retains enough power to assist the gasoline engine accelerating from a stoplight or climbing a hill. For driving through the mountains, the reserve is increased.
My wife has irrational range anxiety. She worries about driving my pure EV across town (30 miles round trip) with 100 miles of range. Putting 2 gallons in the gas tank every 6 months reassures her.
With our minimal use of gasoline, the oil change light allows 2 years between changes.
PHEVs are the worst of both worlds. You want to plug in at home or work to make the most of the small battery range, but if you're plugging in, you could have a full BEV that would require charging less often. Most US PHEV owners just drive on gas and don't plug in and the main benefit is currently getting a tax credit.
That's me, only because I learned that electricity was more expensive than gas. 😮
@TheFrog-cs3ot that's completely broken! My Bolt and home kWh prices are way less than what I was spending on gas before.
I hear what you are saying and I mostly agree with you in the assessment that an PHEV is NOT the way to go in the XXI century.
But, at the same time, I had a Volt 2014 for 4 years before I changed it for a Bolt EV. And it was the best car I ever owned. The Bolt EV in winter (high and slim tires) can't be compared with the Volt in the winter time, the later being a tank.
I had a commute of 50 km round trip (31 miles) and my Volt was an EV during the week days and a hybrid that didn't need to care about the charging stations (or the lack of them at the time) during week-ends and vacation. I could drive 60-80 km per charge during three seasons, which made my Volt a VE for 3/4 of the year. That's why I moved to the Bolt EV, paired with the fact that GM stopped the production of the Volt in Jan 2019. Stupid move if you ask me, because the voltec system that GM put in the Volt is a marvel of engineering and it's the best I ever seen in the PHEV world.
Driving a Volt on highway is best to use the gas engine once you are at the 70-75 mph speeds, and switching to EV when driving in the city or when you have a lot of speed variations. I was at 2.1 L/100 km lifetime. That's 112 mpg. No Prius of this world could reach this number.
The PHEV has its place but being that you have two technologies in a car, you have to understand that you have to deal with double the problems if you are unlucky to be on the wrong side of the stick. And the PHEV are the worst fire-hazard cars driving on the roads.
Yes, the Volt and other PHEVs certainly served as a gateway technology. They are just very limited in their functionality and use cases. At the time the Volt was (relatively) popular, people couldn't even imagine a 300-mile EV that could charge from 10% to 80% in under 20 minutes or the charging infrastructure to support it. Fast forward to today, and we have multiple options to meet those needs.
@@newscoulomb3705 Definitely yes. I didn't buy an EV 10 years ago and went with the Volt because 10 years ago the DCFC infrastructure was nowhere to be seen. GM chose the 55 kW charging speed limit on its Bolt EV because there were no DCFC on the road that could give more than 45 kW at the time that wasn't called Tesla Supercharger. Which puts into perspective how far the EV technology and DCFC infrastructure developed in only 10 years !!
@@voldar70 Yup. That charging limit for the Bolt EV was partly organic, due to the limits of both the charging infrastructure and the Bolt EV's 1 C battery. The 200 A CCS1 standard was known at that time, though, so there was definitely room to improve. However, I don't think anyone expected what came after, or how quickly. People forget that even the Superchargers were capped at 120 kW until 2019.
@@newscoulomb3705In china they move from PHEV to EREV
My first 'EV' was a 2020 Prius Prime...I quickly realized that I really enjoyed driving the car in EV mode and that lead me to trade it in for my current BEV. My wife and I tried to lease a 2013 Volt but the local Chev dealer didn't know how to work out a lease deal!
Yep, PHEVs were just gateway drugs to lead people to EVs. They made sense for some people when battery packs cost $1k/kWh. I'm amazed anyone still buys them. Now that California's carpool sticker program is winding down (the final ones expire 9/30/25), we'll see if there's actually a PHEV market.
When my partner had on we were careful to keep the tank close to empty so we could easily add a gallon of fresh gasoline every few months. I think we put 3k miles on it in 2.5 years, because we just took my Bolt everywhere.
That's a good point. I completely forgot about the artificial demand created by carpool stickers. It's not really a thing in Northern California, but most of the people I knew in LA who bought PHEVs did so solely because of the carpool access. A lot of the time, they didn't even plug them in and just drove them like regular hybrids.
@@newscoulomb3705In china they move from PHEV to EREV
I admire Volt owners. I really wanted one, but was not in a financial position to get a new car at the time. Such a great idea and I have heard nothing but pride of folks who did. I agree that now, the added burden of the ICE makes BEV better options. Back then, there were not much in the bin to choose from and the Volt stood out as smart engineering. Thank you for the video. I enjoyed being able to see one in action.
I loved my volt, it was the perfect car at the time. I had a normal 30mile (round trip) commute most days, and the battery was great for that. Then about once a month or so (on average), I had to drive out of town for work, and that used the gas engine, and usually used about one tank of gas to go round trip. So it was the perfect car for my situation. Now I have a different job, but I got a bolt a couple years ago, and it's worked very well, even for my out of town trips (usually one DCFC stop on the way back to make it back). I love being fully electric now.
I think PHEVs in general are great gateway cars for people, to introduce them to EVs. They get familiar with the electric infrastructure, and realize just how little they actually need to go long distances (usually), while still having the reassuring safety net of a gas engine.
Eric, go drive a 2015 Leaf. I don’t think you’ll see much difference. It was gutless which is why I bought a Bolt in 2018. Now I have a Taycan.
I purchased a 2015 Volt for my wife a few years ago, it’s fine, not stunning but many drives about 40 to 50 miles or 10 miles so she can keep the fuel utilized and often run on solar charged electricity.
Thank you for the video Eric, always entertaining.
Yes, the Volt and LEAF have nearly identical power running on electric. What I was calling out is that the gas engine is only about half of that, so when the battery runs out (or if you're forced to run on the engine like I was here), it is extremely down on power.
Congrats on the Taycan.
@@newscoulomb3705 Yup. (for other readers) You can borrow about 400wh from the "float" for a highway pass or a hill, but that's maybe 45 seconds of boost and you're out, and have to slow down to let it rebuild.
Mountain Mode fixes that by giving you a 10x bigger "float" buffer, but at the cost of regular range and your OVERALL power output (on the scale of 20 miles or so) is still limited by the output from the engine, which is Not Big.
Another drawback of plugin hybrids that often goes under-appreciated is those trips in the 50-200 mile range. With a modern BEV, you can complete the entire trip without ever charging away from home; with a PHEV, the battery will deplete, and large portion of the trip miles will be powered by gas. This was a big deal to me, as I drive 50-200 mile days a lot - much more often than trips over 200 miles. So, even if the BEV option means occasionally needing to stop at a public charger on a longer trip, that is offset by not needing to stop at gas stations for the medium-length trips that I do much more often.
And, even the longer trips I do need public charging for, I'm usually not there for that long, in spite of driving a Bolt EV, one of the slowest-charging cars available. The reason why is, again, the longer a trip, the less often it tends to happen. Hence, I drive 200-300 miles much more often than 300+ miles. Thus, the majority of the trips where I do need public charging, I just need a little bit of juice near the end of the trip to get home comfortably, without range anxiety. Which usually means translates to charging sessions in the 10-15 minute range, which usually happen at a point in the trip where I need to make a bathroom stop anyway, keeping the added travel time as a result of needing to charge negligible. Sometimes, I even end up *overcharging* because the line for the bathroom is longer than expected. Both the quality and quantity of public charging have dramatically improved in the four years since I got the car.
if you want to save money, you are best off going with 1 car. thats where every discussion about saving money with an ev should start. phev has no compromise in the winter for cold climates, unlike full ev. my 2014 volt gets 45-55 miles of range depending on the time of year. if you dont like your gas going bad, keep the car at half a tank, you get better range lol. if you dont like the change of power, keep it in mountain mode. gen1 is port injected low compression, iron block, planitary gear trans. gen2 is direct injected, higher compression, aluminum block, CVT belt style transmission, with almost the same battery but with lower state of charge protection. if you know your way around cars, you will realize these are all longevity tradeoffs.
at high mileage, the gen2 volt by design will have carbon buildup issues on the valves, head gasket issues, transmission issues, and accelerated battery range loss.
gen1 volt was made to go forever. gen2 was made to try and stop hemorrhaging money from gen1 volt.
i commute 170 miles per day for work where i can charge for free, and my volt paid for itself after 18 months in gas savings. there is not an EV that could do that. DC fast charging is more expensive than gas. if you put all the costs on paper, its actually really hard to beat a volt as your only daily driver. full EV will always win when you own more than one car.
@@vevenaneathna Sure. If you want to save money, you should never buy a new car at all. Also, it seems like you are fixated on pre-2018 BEV tech. There are plenty of EVs today that could meet your commuting needs, and many of them cost less than your Volt's MSRP. I bought my Bolt EV in 2016 because I had a 165-mile daily commute, and I was hemorrhaging too much cash by driving the Volt.
@@newscoulomb3705 hmm well im focused on older cars because theyve already maxed out their depreciation. volt has actually been appreciating the last 2 years until the new used ev tax credit messed up the numbers. to me it seems like a much better idea to buy an older reliable car at the sweet spot of its value curve. value = cash paid for car received. focusing on msrp for a used car requires time travel. i got my volt for 6000$, and saved that amount of money in 18 months. you and i both know it takes some mental gymnastics to put double that into a newer ev like the bolt, and capture all the depreciation passively while putting up with the inconvenience of dc fast charging over gas. the irony is that dc fast charging is less convenient and more expensive. maybe what youre saying is that you dont buy used cars. if youve got that money to blow, i wouldnt be worrying about a tank of gas that you let go stale.
You are spot on except for the transmission. The Gen 2 volts still use a planetary gear set. There is no "belt" like in a CVT.
@@WestFortJacoby if you search for "gen2 voltect drive train" you will find many diagram images showing the large belt. gen2 volt owners regularly report lots of wear/tear on the transmission fluid due to its signficantly higher friction. its not between two shifting pullies, but it is a cost saving measure gm did to save weight and money and get the gear ratio up a little bit higher so that the mechanical linkage for the gen2 could be engauged at more hwy speeds for better fuel economy. gen1 is only able to split power the wheels directly around 55-65mph, gen2 does so with a large stamped metal belt at a little bit higher speeds which most hwy drives are likely to be at ~75mph. both have planetary gears around clutch packs, but gen2 doesnt have the very large gear arrangement. gen1 owners report draining their trans fluid at 200k+ miles with it looking basically brand new due to the significantly lower friction.
Here's what made me not get the volt and instead a bolt.
1. Too many moving parts
2. If the battery dies, you can't run it only on the engine.
3. Parts may become rarer to find for it.
4. Having to put gas in it
what..you can definitely run the Volt 100% on gasoline and NEVER plug it in. You can drive it cross country on gas only. I've driven it at sustained 90mph on gasoline only and it never missed a beat
@@user-ns7ip8qy9l No, IF the battery is DEAD...not fully charged..like DEAD...CAN'T HOLD A CHARGE DEAD...CELLS ARE DEAD!! Which has happened to some volts. I was about to buy one used but the guy described a behavior that mean the battery was on it's last legs...and he sunk in 3k for other repairs..
@@Art_and_Logic the vast majority of volts with battery issues (which is a small fraction already) will run fine in mountain mode. there was a guy on youtube who drove his volt like that from 200k to 450k miles until a clutch pack gave up.
worst of both worlds is a false choice. better to have two propulsion methods which share the wear and tear in a complementary way.
your talking about a car that only uses its engine for highway driving, which means 200k miles of use is more like 40-50k miles.
as many early gen ev's have shown, using them only around town at low speed will make them last forever. theres that cab driver from cypres with a garbage tier 1st gen leaf with over 450k miles on the og battery because of low speeds and no exposure to extreme weather/fast charging. ICE protects the battery from cold temps and over discharge while replacing the need for fast charging. these are all factors which accelerate battery aging for full ev's. If you dont like the weight penalty of the ICE, just keep the tank at 1-2 gallons, which reduces weight by 55lb. upgrade the AGM battery to a diy 32ah lifep4 battery for 45$, thats another 50lbs, and now youre lighter than a model 3. old style perm magnet motors are the most efficient low speed ev motors around town, and thats what the gen1 volt has. no wonder it gets 5+mi/kwh around town. how much extra battery weight do you have to lug around for the lifetime of a full ev to account for cold, windy days or snow, not to mention battery range loss later in the cars life. a full ev with 300mi of range means you have to regularly discharge the battery into the high wear domain of the state of charge curve, while also relying on slow dc charging which isnt good for the car.
The Gen 1 Volt is aerodynamically optimized up to 50mph. I see a noticeable drop off in efficiency after 60mph. Also, proper tires seem to make biggest difference in range efficiency. The OEM Goodyear tires(and the revised OEM versions) were among the best with range, I’m unhappy that they were discontinued.
I'm torn here because the likes of the Volt have been such good bridge vehicles for many early EV adopters, but the industry has changed so much in 10 years and I agree with your complexity/limitations points. Perhaps the EREV option will be valuable for electric pickups as they're earlier in the product development timeline, but for regular cars I think it's time to go all-electric and steer clear of petrol prison 👍
Yes, that's true, but it was nowhere near as popular as it should have been. That might have been my biggest gripe because if everyone who clamored about how important PHEVs were actually bought a Volt for themselves, it would have been different. What I've seen instead is a major disconnect between what people say they want and what they actually buy.
If I was a conspiracy theorist, I might suggest that many of the people pushing PHEVs are doing so to either maintain a higher demand on fossil fuels or ensure that their favorite EV brands maintain a competitive advantage. An all-electric automaker would seriously benefit and build a significant advantage by keeping automakers like GM and Toyota distracted with PHEVs that suffer from the same declining interest and sales as we've seen with ICE vehicles since 2017.
I will admit that PHEVs seem a little more interesting for fullsize HD trucks, though most of the benefit for those vehicles could be gained with an engine-stop hybrid powertrain. A small battery could aid with regenerative braking, but that's a small gain relative to the complexity, cost, and weight of a PHEV powertrain.
We considered a Volt in 2011, but it was so low to the ground and so lacked power, that we decided not to. GM should have skipped the Volt and gone directly to an EV version of their most popular car, the Equinox, that would get 200 of range in 2011 and then increased the range as battery technology advanced.
I would really love to see how long the Volt goes on a full battery and a full tank of gas at 70 mph test to almost empty. In other words, what is the total range at 70mph.
@@Jeff-wb3hh Yes, the ground clearance is a serious issue for me. The Volt has gotten stuck a couple times on our driveway. I think the power is fine. A little low, but okay for a commuter.
The 70 mph test would be interesting, but long. It only has a 9 gallon tank, but it would be pretty close to 350 miles.
@@newscoulomb3705 You're right it really would be a long haul. If it was still available it may be worth it, but not now since it's been discontinued. I say the sooner you sell it the better. Or maybe you can trade it along with your Bolt EV and get a 2025 Equinox EV base LT now that they are out.
@@Jeff-wb3hh Yes. I'm on the fence about the Equinox EV. I'm trying to downsize a bit, though, so I worry that the Equinox EV would have a bit too much overlap with my Bolt EV in terms of functionality. Stay tuned, I suppose! 🙂
@@newscoulomb3705 Well, if you trade-in both the Bolt and the Volt for the Equinox EV, you'd be downsizing and no longer overlapping with the Bolt and imagine having 319 miles of range.
FYI - We traded in our EV6 for the Equinox EV FWD last month because we didn't need the super-fast DC charging, but we did need more comfortable seats that the Equinox EV provided compared to the EV6. And we love the slightly better ride the Equinox EV provides.
I drove my old 2013 leaf today after sitting for a month,really no phantom battery loss
Basically anyone living 40 miles from services or more really ought to be looking for a Cruze Eco or a Cruze diesel instead of a plug-in hybrid. 50 mpg (1gph) is pretty easy to hit with either of those on back-country roads, and both cars can squeak ahead of a normal-hybrid Prius at freeway speeds in terms of economy, while still delivering a slightly nicer driving experience: not QUITE as anemic, not QUITE as buzzy, a LITTLE better planted.
Do yourself a favor and buy a Prius instead. The Cruze in general is a pretty unreliable car.. especially the 1.4 Turbo.. the Diesel is interesting, but is not really more fuel efficient than a Prius, Diesel cost more, and eats into any MPG savings, and nobody knows how to work on them.. very few ever sold.
Prius is boring, but reliable and efficient.. got 425K on my last one, know a guy with 580K on same one i had.
I love phev's when they have 50 miles of range, I really want to see a bunch of them with fast chargers. Then, the gas really becomes a backup.
Our family came from an Outlander PHEV, Fusion Energi and A3 Sportback e-tron. We later sold the Mitsubishi and Audi to get the full BEV Q4 which I drive today. PHEVs are definitely a gateway drug to EV ownership.
We had a 2014 C-Max for a few years. Worst car we ever owned. Electric-only was pointless, range too low and really hard to find working AC L2 chargers. Gas and hybrid mode just not enough power - like you say - going uphill it engendered jokes about "beating the squirrels" to make it go faster. Ford could not maintain it - no parts, no knowledge. In shop 8 times year 1. Parts were literally falling off the car.
I’ll start by saying that I really liked my 2017 Volt but I agree about the drawbacks. I don’t remember having any issues with acceleration when the gas engine was engaged. I’m wondering if that is a gen 1 issue.
The conclusion I came to was it didn’t make sense to carry the gas engine as I rarely drove more than the EV range and even more rarely more than 100 miles in a day which is easily within the range of my Bolt EUV. We still have an ICE vehicle for long trips but I have been taking the Bolt anyway even with the charging limitations. I like driving it plus EV road trips are fun when you are a nerd and enjoy planning.
@@meandmyEV Yes. I'll probably address this soon, but they did fix the engine power issue for the Gen 2.
Kinda expensive. But many this year models have 75 miles electric range. You have to remember to run the engine now and then in order to avoid it wearing out by NOT using the engine.
PHEVs have some real benefits vs most BEVs on the USA market in 2024, mostly when road tripping. Best PHEV use case is when the owner can plugin at home while sleeping and/or plugin at work. For 200+ mile road trips in regions without reliable and fast EV chargers, PHEVs eliminates that range anxiety (or should I say "charger anxiety"). When EV fast chargers do reliably work, a ~20 minute charging session to achieve 0-80% State of Charge is fine, but waiting in line to charge is infuriating. PHEV drivers don't have to worry about a EV station being down or full. Gas stations are frequent and reliable.
Had a 2015 Volt and a 2021 Prius Prime, loved the Volt but it wasn't a good "eco" car with the limited EV range and the sub 40 MPG gas mileage. Wasn't the biggest fan of the Prius as a car but it did the whole PHEV thing better from the standpoint of using less fuel despite having less range (though in nice weather 35+ miles was doable) but significantly better MPG when in hybrid mode. I actually managed 70 MPG on a 350 mile highway trip with no charging, double what the Volt got on some drives. Still, PHEVs are for a very specific use case. Traded the Prius in for a Kona EV when I knew I'd be losing my ability to charge at home due to a move, a PHEV makes the least sense if you can't charge at home or work.
I remember finding excuses to sit at level 2 stations for hours to charge the Volt when on longer drives, feels silly in hindsight.
What a coincidence! I am currently in "petrol prison" (a well-coined phrase!) in mine. What my 2017 Gen 2 Volt does is calculate the average age of the gas in the tank. Once it's over a year I go into petrol prison until I put more gas in the tank. I've put in as little as two and a half gallons, but of course that means that in 3 to 4 months I'm back at the gas station again. I generally bite the bullet and drive it down to half a tank before topping it up so that I don't have to go back for 6 months. Currently getting 50 mpg, but have been as low as 30 mpg during a particularly cold spell here in Colorado.
U should check out byd shark 6 or byd phev
A “mild hybrid“ is where there is very little electrical assistance and probably not what you meant.
No, that is what I meant. A majority of the benefit of a hybrid internal combustion system comes from eliminating or reducing idling, which is what a mild hybrid does (whether a series hybrid like the traditional Prius or an IMA system like what Honda used in the Insight). A slightly larger battery with a more powerful electric motor does have an additional benefit reduced brake pad wear through regenerative braking, but even that doesn't necessarily require a plug-in (rechargeable) battery.
The point is, if you can do 90% or more of your driving on electricity with a PHEV, you are more than likely better off with a BEV. If traveling in a BEV is a sticking point, you're better off renting an ICE car for long trips. If you can't manage most of your driving on electricity with a PHEV, you're better off with either a BEV that has sufficient range or (if you are not able to plug in at home) a mild/series hybrid.
@ yes, I agree with your overall point, but mild hybrids do not do much for fuel economy. The current Volvo mild hybrids get 24-26 MPG (depending on model), while my rav4 hybrid gets low 40’s.
@@larryaugsburger8452
Now compare a Toyota Camry NON Hybrid vs Hybrid? same gas engine used in both.. on gets 25/35 the other 50/50 MPG It is a big difference if you compare like or similar model.. Or your Rav 4.. the Non Hybrid is 22/28 aprox. vs 40Mpg. It is literally almost DOUBLE the fuel economy.
@@kens97sto171 None of those is a mild hybrid, which was my original point. A hybrid’s benefit is obvious. A mild hybrid does not bring much benefit.
We have a Plug-in Pacifica.. there is no BEV for that size. We stay in electric for weeks, since we always charge. The gas engine comes into play only for longer trips
Yes. It's taken a while for EV vans. Right now, I think the ID.Buzz is the only option.
The ID line is subpar at best. Kia EV 9 is the closest. But sake price must be taken into consideration. I paid 33 k for mine brand new before the 10 k or so in incentives. That made it worth. Even then, at the 43k MSRP it was a dicey proposition. Now it’s being sold for 58k. Or it’s not being sold for that.
I used to have a 2017 Volt which was my first ev foray. I was pleased to get around 60 miles on all electric with it so only needed the gas motor on trips that were a few hours away from home. I'd say my pure EV use was at least 90%. It gives a good experience to learn about just how great electric travel is and was my gateway drug to going fully electric. The second gen Volt only would run for about 10 minutes if it needed conditioning due to lack of gas use.
The 10 minute gasoline episodes are to circulate lubricants and prevent seals from drying.
All hybrids are flawed because you are hauling 2 power plants around with you, and you have the disadvantages of each - like an SUV.
love our PHEV, just love it plug it in to household current at end of day and next day we have 33 miles of range. have not used half a tank of gas in over 5 months Tuscon PHEV my wife and i are just not going back to ICE
My prediction is that PHEVs will disappear before non-hybrid I.C.E. vehicles. I think we'll get to the point where the only time an EV isn't ideal is when you drive cannon ball run style for hundreds of miles at a time and only stop to fuel up (and presumably change your diaper). As we all know from reading RUclips comments, there's an endless amount of people who claim to fall into this camp. For these people, a PHEV let alone a basic hybrid, doesn't provide any appreciable benefit. If you're not a cannon ball runner, a BEV will work for you, and you won't need to lug around an engine, fuel tank, and all of their ancillary components. Also, keep in mind that EV batteries will most likely follow the same pricing trajectory as solar panels and flat screens. Expensive at first, and dirt cheap 10 years later.
In china they move from PHEV to EREV
Functionally, there's no real difference between those terms. The Volt was initially marketed as an "EREV," yet as you can see from this video, it is still dependent on a fossil fuel system.
@@newscoulomb3705 you don't have Gears box in EREV . And no need for engine if the distance is less than 100km .
But many Chinese companies promise that the next generation of EREV can reach 200km in electric mode only..
@@DeniSaputta Technically, all that's required for a car to be an EREV is that it can run entirely on electric power so long as the battery has sufficient energy. The BMW i3 and Chevy Volt are both technically EREVs. The physical detachment of the Gen Set is redefining the term.
I own a 21 RAV4 Prime and it’s been great. Lots of fun to drive in EV mode and hybrid mode too. I’m driving most of the time electric and then on longer trips it’s a very efficient hybrid car. It has held it’s value very well compared to an EV and that more than has paid for any maintenance. It has been very reliable and has scored very well on consumer reports. It’s been a good gateway drug to go all electric, but when I make the switch it won’t be for practical reasons, it will just be that I want to drive electric all the time.
PHEVs and Hybrids have the complexity of an ICE engine as well as the lithium ion battery and electric motor, and they have all the problems an EV has, plus the maintenance of a ICE engine, where as a purely ICE vehicles are much simpler. PHEVs and Hybrids are good as long as the lithium ion battery is good, when it expires the car becomes disposable. CO2 as a greenhouse gas is bad science. Net-nonsense government policy is bad policy.
Great Bjorn facepalm! Maybe you too will be featured by the sun someday LOL
Brave guy, but you are right and it’s good to stand up and make people aware of reality! More people will realize some of these simple facts that you bring out for us. I am driving EV over three years would never need a hybrid or plug-in hybrid as I have Enough vehicles to go around that I can choose different ones for different needs. I realize many people have only one vehicle and these folks have different situations so I’m not saying it works for everybody but for many many people it’s getting better and better to just go simply pure electric. Thanks again for sticking out like a sore thumb but telling it like it is!!!!good job!
I’ve owned both a Volt and an ELR. Ten miles to work each way meant I could easily do all my commuting on electricity. I strategically kept two gallons of gas in my tank so I could make it to various family members (or a gas station) in an emergency if the car hadn’t recharged yet. I purposely took it on a longer trip once a year to use up and replace the small amount of gas I kept in the tank. I was able to drive both cars as EVs 96% of the time over 11 years (about 2 miles/kWh efficiency). I was lucky both cars were new enough to have “Hold” mode so you could easily drive them over the mountains without any issues. 70 MPH on cruise control over the I5 mountain passes from California to Oregon was easy, but if you let the battery run out, it would have been horribly slow. Both cars worked great for me, but the charging infrastructure and battery technology has gotten good enough (as you’ve shown!) that I was happy to upgrade to a pure EV (Equinox EV). I just wish GM offered electric CARS-not just trucks and crossovers. I truly loved my ELR.
@@caddyzig Thank you! Yes, I can't really get away with the low gas tank trick. For me it's more that if I drive, it's usually 80 to 100 miles or more in a single trip.
Holy crap, man. Gas is 2.22 here.
Now you know why I don't complain about $0.50 per kWh charging! 😀
average about $4.50 for premium for me Mr postman. But Eric is at a Chevron station they cost a bit more as it’s Standard Oil. 😅 Most people only use them as they have a work gas card.
@@tkmedia3866 Yes. That's why I called out the Colusa Casino. It's much, much cheaper there, but I hadn't burned enough gas yet. Call me crazy, but when it comes to old, potentially stale gas, I do like to fill up with a name brand. If I've been running through gas, I'll usually fill up with whatever is cheapest and easiest.
@@newscoulomb3705I get it, I use Shell V-Power in a Camry and that’s a lot extra but every part of my car is meticulously maintained at 63k miles.
Totally agree on your comment about which powertrain to get.. Mild Hybrid, Plug in Hybrid, or EV. You absolutely nailed the use case for those. Hard to go wrong with a Prius of any type.
But you seem to make getting gas SO complicated.. and it is not. At least it has never been for me. Why are you going in.. paying cash then filling up.. and having to mess with all that.
Tap to pay at the pump.. pump the gas.. DONE.
I made a video showing this the last time you did a gas stop.. just to see actual time spent.
From the time I pulled to the pump to the time I left. was 2.5 min. to pump 12 gallons.
Can't be much easier.
I have Bolt EV now Love the car mostly BUT charging at EA is a pain in the ass. Tesla is actually easier and 100% more reliable.
I spend more than 2 min.. just trying to activate the charger... let alone then waiting 30-40 min to charge the car.
I charge at home.. that saves me a lot, that is easy. I don't have to do oil changes.. Love that.
But I drive 200-350 miles per day. So I end up needing public charging on some days.
After a year and 60,0000 miles put on my Bolt EV.. I will either get a Tesla, or Go back to a Toyota Hybrid.
Paying cash typically gets about a 10 cent per gallon discount, so it's a significant savings. The issue is more that it's a PITA to run a gas car in general, which is made even worse by a car that's suppose to be (mostly) electric. Keep in mind that, even on my typical 150+ mile shopping trips, I don't actually need to charge my Bolt EV.
I really only DC charge on longer trips, and I rarely use Electrify America anymore. At this point, I'm primarily using EVgo (Autocharge) or chargers with CC readers, and unless I'm stopping for a meal, I almost never charge for more than 25 to 30 minutes in my Bolt EV. Any stop less than 15 minutes, and I barely have time to use the facilities.
@newscoulomb3705
$0.10 per gallon with a 12 gallon tank? Is $1.20.
I'll gladly pay $1.20 to not have to go stand in line pay with cash that I never carry with me , get change come back out then pump find out I need a little bit more. Nah. Tap to pay done in 2 minutes..
I'm driving closer to 250 miles per day. All in my home city. So I have to decide when do I want to stop sometime around midnight usually. Top the car back up so that I can then work through the bar rush and have enough range to get back to my house. The EA station you have about 50% chance of 50% of the charger is not working. And about 50% chance that if you do get one that works you end up with a session error 10 minutes in. The Tesla supercharger is 100 times more reliable. But it's a 15 minute drive east to get to it. And sometimes it's busy. The one on the far west side is a 35 minute drive from City center. That one has 18 stalls and is never busy and is cheaper. It's hilarious to me that the Tesla supercharger is easier and faster to activate than EA? We don't have any EVGO stations where I live. I have used them in Phoenix and they are quite nice plug and charge works well and I've never had any faults with them. I've also used some charge point chargers as well as a Francis energy charger both of those worked well too. Unfortunately the EA station in my city is old and shitty.
I'm an expert in getting gas, when I had my Prius I was filling up the car every day. Not because I was out but because I want to have a full tank for the day ahead so I don't have to worry about it. Gas station is on the way home. So it was easy to get at that time.
At least with the Tesla if I go that route. The model 3 long range will have about a 380 mi range so I likely would never need to stop at a charger in the middle of my shift. And if I did I would be there a much shorter time.
One of the major issues I have with my car is that the charge port is on the wrong side to use Tesla superchargers. So you're taking up two stalls. And at the charger that's closer that becomes a problem. I have driven all the way over there only to find that there isn't a stall open where I can use it because I need two stalls next to each other.
I am very seriously considering going back to a Prius or Camry Hybrid. Cheaper to buy, probably more reliable long-term, but will cost me more in maintenance. Although with a Prius it's really just oil changes.
@@newscoulomb3705
Same here, 10 cents cheaper to pay cash. I will gladly pay $1.20 more to NOT have to go in, waiting in line, paying with cash, pump the gas.
I want to pay, and leave I been driving for 10 hours at that point. Plus I never carry cash in the first place.
I drive 200-300 miles per day doing rideshare. The EA Station is terrible, about a 50% chance of 50% of the chargers not working, and then a 50% chance of a session error once you do start charging. So I spend 20 min messing around finding a working charger to then spend 15-35 min charging. The Tesla Supercharger experience is 1000% better.. always works, easier to activate too. But they are farther away, and the one is often busy.. with the Bolt your taking up 2 stalls.. so that is a problem. The other Tesla SC location is 35 min away. We have no EV Go chargers, and all the Changepoint chargers are at dealers and inaccessible after hours. I have used EV go in Phoenix, and some Francis Energy chargers.. They works great. Plug N Charge with EV go works great.
I love my Bolt EV.. Love not doing an oil change every 5 weeks. Charging at home IS cheaper than gas in a Prius by about 1/2. But 1/2 of cost of Prius is actually not that much money.
Lack of range in the Bolt EV often costs me more income loss than the savings in operation costs... or it's break even.
So I think I will try for a LR Tesla M3, or go back to Toyota Hybrid.
I will definitely miss the driving experience though,.... I LOVE how the EV drives. If your interested.. Here is the link to my average gas stop experience. was in my older Toyota, but same tank size as my Prius was. BTW filmed this a while ago.. Gas is now $2.88/ gallon.
ruclips.net/video/arDKJMg-05w/видео.html
I don't see the problem. If you're not using 5 gallons every 6 months (what my PHEV owner's manual reccomends), then stop topping off the tank, unless you have a long trip coming up. Otherwise, wait until it's at one eighth full, then put in just a couple of gallons of premium. You'll always have fresh gas. You can always use self-charging mode to burn off gas faster, rather than wasting it. Aside from your case being extremely unusual, the behavior of your car seems weird. It does not apply to most PHEVs AFAIK.
Your real problem is not the car. You are driving the vehicle wrong. Use EV mode for short trips and getting to the highway, when you need the acceleration and power of EV mode. At speed on the highway, switch to HV mode where the ICE engine is more efficient and not as much power is needed.
EV mode should not be used routinely on the highway. I'm sure the manufacturers will automate the process in the future. For example, automate going from from EV to HV when the MPH cruising over 45, and dropping from HV to EV when the MPH goes under 20. Remember, regenerative braking is still active in both modes. (Well I've heard of a gas only mode on one model; that's a pointless feature.) The overlap should ensure that constant switching is not a problem. Automatic transmissions change gears much more frequently.
My 2017 PHEV now reads 82 MPG lifetime. Thanks to the pandemic and working from home, I now only drive aout 5000 miles a year, and rarely make long trips. The A and B odometers read higher MPGs. I did have a problem once with stale gas during the pandemic; unlike the maker of this video, I learned my lesson and the car still runs like new.
For anyone out there who is thinking about getting a new car, disregard almost everything in this video. PHEVs are the perfect car for everybody now and in the future. Hybrids will become stranded assets, and not everybody can afford and charge a BEV. My purchase was pure luck. My 2001 hybrid (HEV) ran for 17 years; I would have kept it on the road if it hadn't got a check engine light just before I moved 1500 miles for a new job. Don't count on having a gasoline station on every street corner in 17 years. Just the other day I saw two boarded up gas stations right opposite each other at the intersection of two 6 lane roads.
Great job making a video mountain out of a mole hill. If you have a lemon, either by design or manufacture, there is no reason to group all PHEVs with your mistakes. PHEVs don't suck; this video does.
Byd shark 100miles range of electric and uses the gas engine to work as a generator for the battery
Yes, I'm aware of the Shark, but it's not being sold in the United States. So unfortunately, I can't realistically test it, but I also doubt the 100 mile EV claim. Not with a 30 kWh battery pack. Maybe in perfect weather with slow driving speeds.
For reference, I'm putting a 100 kWh pack in my Ford Ranger EV, and I'm only expecting about 275 miles of real-world range out of it.
My greater point is, all PHEVs present a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" battery size proposition. Add too little battery, and it's better as a series hybrid. Add too much battery, and it's better as a BEV. Add just the right battery size, and it use case is limited to a very narrow population of consumers.
@newscoulomb3705 sorry I meant to say 100km
@@mkkm8540 Ah, yeah. That makes more sense.
@@newscoulomb3705
There's a certain irony here with PHEV, where it's alleged purpose is to avoid range anxiety. Yet, the only way to avoid "petrol prison" is to keep the total range of the vehicle relatively small. Make the battery too big, your need for gas gets infrequent enough that you end up in petrol prison. Make the fuel tank too big, once you do end up in petrol prison, you have to stay there a long time before you're allowed to drive electric again. This is why the Volt's 300'ish miles of total range is actually kind of small by gas car standards, and even many BEVs nowadays exceed this.
EVgo is such a mess....
@@VinnieWarlock Not sure about that. The site I used was vandalized and recently fixed, and even though the screen was down, the L2 AC was working. The issue with the session not starting was the Volt's fault (it wouldn't activate when the car was on for some reason.
e-POWER is Nissan's unique electric-drive _Series hybrid_ powertrain that integrates a gasoline engine and motor. e-POWER vehicles surpassed 1.5 million units as of the end of October 2024. At present, e-POWER vehicles are sold in 68 markets around the world - _Except_ North America. As you know, a series hybrid is like a a diesel-electric locomotive, which is a train that uses a ICE engine to generate electricity that powers electric motors to move the train. IMO, it is the most efficient method of propulsion. In a PHEV format, a Series Hybrid PHEV reduces emissions, as well as cost, by about 90% without the utter insanity of "public charging stations". Eric, you and I probably do not see this option in the same light. But *_Factually_* speaking, there is no denying that Americans spend 90% of there driving time commuting less than 50 miles per day. A PHEV that is charged at home overnight reduces C02 emissions 90% (assuming a non-carbon based energy source like Solar), yet has no need for _Inconvenient_ charging stations (supplied by fossil fuel based energy) for the rare out-of-battery-range trips.
I submit BEV's are (factually) an utter failure in America considering after 13 years, an 7.6% adoption rate. Hybrids have an almost 11% adoption rate. ICE vehicles are STILL about 82% of ALL vehicles sold in America. At this rate, it will take another 100 years for BEVs to get to 50% adoption rate. PHEV's solve the core issues. We can continue to pretend that Cobalt - the blood diamond of electric cars - mined my African child slaves is a non-issue, but PHEV's mitigate that reality. (please don't attempt to parrot Musk by suggesting that LFP batteries are "conflict-free" as magnesium comes primarily from the African countries of South Africa, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, and Gabon. Just a new "blood-diamond").
I'm not sure how we can say that BEVs are an utter failure at 8% of sales after 13 years while hybrids are a success with only 11% sales after 25 years. Yes, ICE still represents over 80% of new car sales, but ICE sales also peaked in 2017. So new car adoption is a downward trend overall.
Part of why I called out this Petrol Prison is because it's conveniently omitted from the argument that "but Americans only drive 30 miles a day." If someone truly only drives 30 miles a day, the emphasis should be on a short-range, city car EV, not a hybrid.
Also, in terms of "conflict" materials, hybrids and PHEVs require more critical materials than BEVs on a per kWh basis (i.e., per mile of range). I'll assume you're referring to manganese (no magnesium), but those are primarily used in NCM and NCMA, not LFP, batteries. A BEV using LFP battery is closer to an ICE in terms of the critical materials used in manufacturing. Yes, there is a discussion of transitioning to LFMP batteries, but that is really just transitioning manganese usage from NCM/A to LFMP.
Do you have a source for that 7.6% adoption rate of EVs? I've been searching for sales figures, but mostly just get percentages of the new vehicle market, not actual vehicles on the road. Bloomberg say that 50% of new car sales are on track to be EVs (but presumably include hybrids) by 2030.
@@ziploc2000 I've seen a few different places post the numbers. I'm assuming the 7.6% of new car sales was sourced from KBB, but that was 2023 sales. We know that EV sales grew relative to market in 2024. We're not done with the year yet, but it is approaching 10%.
As far as the existing vehicle market is concerned, that is a much larger number, with over 300 million vehicles registered for road use in the United States. I haven't seen any official numbers, but my best guess is that EVs only represent about 1% of vehicles licensed for road use.
So at the current pace, it would take 100 years to replace all the ICE cars on the road with EVs; however, that is the current pace. It completely ignores projected growth in EV production and sales.
@@shotelco You're pretending that there isn't tons of harm in the oil industry, which is wild. We will never get ahead of climate change without cutting our oil consumption.
@@ziploc2000 look for August 26, 2024
"U.S. share of electric and hybrid vehicle sales increased in the second quarter of 2024" there is a graph at the top right of the page. Hybrids are almost 10% and the lowly PHEV is about 2%, with BEV's inching down.