Buy a 2016 Volt?

[eloder]

A Volt can never be plugged in and operate 100% on the range extender (ICE).
A Volt can be run as an EV using as little as 3/10 of a gallon of gas per year (just enough for Engine Maintenance Mode, to ensure the engine is run just enough to be reliable and for the oil and fluids to be circulated periodically (.03 gallons every 6 weeks does this).
A Volt can be something in between.

It isn't economical nor does it make sense operating in gas-only mode without plugging in.

It doesn't make much sense as a very heavy EV only, due to low range and still having some iCE maintenance to deal with.

It's really only good as an in-between car if you're ignoring things like the smooth electric drive train. And for most commuters (those between the 40-80 mile daily range) get much more savings out of a cheap Leaf or smart ED lease and renting or just using the household's second car for rare longer trips than they would buying or leasing a Volt. It's definitely not a bad second car though for people who can't yet afford a Tesla as a second vehicle, if I had room for two cars in my garage I'd talk my partner into a used Volt over a new Prius as her upcoming car--however, it still comes at quite a big premium over something like a Prius C due to the huge initial price difference.

When I was shopping, a Volt lease was over $100 more a month than a Leaf lease, which in itself is $100 more than a smart ED lease.

 

[stopcrazypp]

The Volt battery is the best protected of any plug-in car with less degradation over time than even Model S.

Is there any evidence for this? AFAIK there is no actual way to measure the capacity change in the Volt, and the way the battery software is designed does not preclude allowing a sliding battery window to hide any degradation.

 

[eloder]

Is there any evidence for this? AFAIK there is no actual way to measure the capacity change in the Volt, and the way the battery software is designed does not preclude allowing a sliding battery window to hide any degradation.

There's enough real-world anecdotal evidence, in my opinion, to support this. I think the biggest example is the Volt with over 250k miles that's still hitting 40 miles of EV range in the summer.

 

[Drucifer]

[/B] If I had room for two cars in my garage I'd talk my partner into a used Volt over a new Prius as her upcoming car--however, it still comes at quite a big premium over something like a Prius C due to the huge initial price difference.

A used Volt can be had between $15k and $20k at around 30k miles, and is an excellent value proposition. Better economy and more space than Prius C, and much better feature set and comfort as well.

 

[stopcrazypp]

There's enough real-world anecdotal evidence, in my opinion, to support this. I think the biggest example is the Volt with over 250k miles that's still hitting 40 miles of EV range in the summer.

That's not a measure of battery capacity though. First, total miles is not what matters, but EV miles. Second is the owner would have to compare how much AER they have when the car is brand new under the same conditions vs what they get today. You can't make comparisons between different cars because of varying conditions.

Another common mistake is that absolute loss in range is much more significant in the Volt than other plug-ins because of the short EV range. For example, let's say that Volt lost 1 mile of range out of 40 miles. That's already 2.5%. A Model S would have to lose 7 miles of range for the same degradation. And the probability of a Volt owner saying it still gets "around 40 miles" when they get 39 miles is extremely high.

 

[SmartElectric]

the owner would have to compare how much AER they have when the car is brand new under the same conditions vs what they get today

Like all battery assisted vehicles, the Volt offers to drivers a smaller percentage of it's total battery capacity than electric-only vehicles. So much so, that Chevy have been very conservative, and there are signs this has benefited them from a customer trust and warranty perspective compared to Nissan Leaf for example.

At What Point Will a Chevy Volt Battery Show Signs of Range Loss?

and

Chevy Volt: How It Really Works Vs Common Myths Misconceptions

Chevy warrants the Volt battery for 8 years/100,000 miles or 10 years/150,000 miles (depending on the state it was sold in), and early indications seem to be that battery-capacity loss has been almost nonexistent.It's worth noting here that GM's Voltec engineers took a very, very conservative approach to the battery, using less of its total capacity than in almost any other plug-in car.
They also equipped it with liquid cooling, a step that adds expense and some complication but probably offers the best possible way to keep the battery at the optimal temperature for long life.

 

[Mr X]

Get a Model S. Prices have dropped quite a bit, if money isn't an issue then there should no hesitation for you to get a Tesla, i would and will leap on a Tesla when im able to.



Volt is a great car but it isn't a Tesla.

 

[Skotty]

Another big plus of a 2016 Volt over a 2012 Volt is the ERDTT mode (Engine Running Due To Temperature). In the 2012, the engine will come on in the winter periodically whenever the temperature is below 25 degrees, which is quite often in winter in some places. Kind of annoying when it's cold in the winter and the engine comes on on my 1 mile trip to the local daycare and I get back home with an MPG readout of like 17. They changed that in newer models where it can be set to much lower temperatures, which would be much appreciated in the colder months.

I haven't noticed any battery degradation in my Volt at about 60K miles and 3.5 years, if you care for some more anecdotal reports.

I do agree that you are getting better use out of a Volt if you periodically take trips that use the engine, so that you are indeed taking advantage of the range extender. I do that perhaps too often, where I end up only doing about 25-30% EV driving and about 70-75% driving on the range extender. Some folks would say I should just drive something like a Prius given this, but much of my motivation in buying the Volt was in supporting the electrification of the automobile, which buying a Prius does not do. This is also why I will not be buying a Tesla from a 3rd party; I will only buy new from Tesla or perhaps from the Tesla CPO program, as I want my dollars going direct to Tesla.

 

[Drucifer]

[/B]It's really only good as an in-between car if you're ignoring things like the smooth electric drive train. And for most commuters (those between the 40-80 mile daily range) get much more savings out of a cheap Leaf or smart ED lease and renting or just using the household's second car for rare longer trips than they would buying or leasing a Volt. It's definitely not a bad second car though for people who can't yet afford a Tesla as a second vehicle, if I had room for two cars in my garage I'd talk my partner into a used Volt over a new Prius as her upcoming car--however, it still comes at quite a big premium over something like a Prius C due to the huge initial price difference.

The in-between use case is huge. I pretty much never used gas, except on the coldest days in winter, or when taking a road trip. 90% electric, 10% ICE in my usage. That puts me with about 1000 miles a year on gas, and 9000 miles a year electric with 20+/- gallons of gas consumed per year (one year less than 6 gallons actually). Very good - moving from approx 450 gallons a year in my Saab 9-3 to about 20. Don't be such a purist that you downplay a solution that eliminates 95% of gas usage for someone.

Of course, I sound a bit like a "Volt fanboi", since I am a "hall of fame" (#4) driver.

Volt Stats: Details for Volt #2013-04108 (Be Yoga NC)

 

[SmartElectric]

Another big plus of a 2016 Volt over a 2012 Volt is the ERDTT mode (Engine Running Due To Temperature). In the 2012, the engine will come on in the winter periodically whenever the temperature is below 25 degrees, which is quite often in winter in some places

ERDTT has a quick fix with a cheap aftermarket hack:
ERDTT temp override

 

[eloder]

A used Volt can be had between $15k and $20k at around 30k miles, and is an excellent value proposition. Better economy and more space than Prius C, and much better feature set and comfort as well.

As soon as I can get access to a second plug, it's a done deal for me.

I'm hoping either my work place or her workplace adds in free charging so we can go one Volt and one low-range econo-EV until a Model 3 comes out, but Model 3 will probably beat us both to the punch. I'm fine juggling one garage/charger spot with two Model 3's.

The in-between use case is huge. I pretty much never used gas, except on the coldest days in winter, or when taking a road trip. 90% electric, 10% ICE in my usage. That puts me with about 1000 miles a year on gas, and 9000 miles a year electric with 20+/- gallons of gas consumed per year (one year less than 6 gallons actually). Very good - moving from approx 450 gallons a year in my Saab 9-3 to about 20. Don't be such a purist that you downplay a solution that eliminates 95% of gas usage for someone.

It is. For me personally, I'd just rather do full-on BEV for all my daily stuff (would not fit on a Volt's battery on some days weekly, and almost not at all in winter) rather than worry about gas and generator maintenance even if it was a small amount. I know with planning I could very easily fit 95%+ of miles on EV mode. I guess it's ironic because I did not choose a used Volt, because it'd involve more planning for me to stay in EV mode

Ultimately cost was a huge factor as a new Leaf lease was much cheaper than a Volt lease, and purchasing would not be too great an idea as I'm aiming for a Model 3 ASAP.

 

[Drucifer]

I juggle one L2 between the Volt and the Model S. My wife's commute is short enough that it has never been an issue. Also, the Model S charged to 80% would cover me even if I missed a couple of nights. It is a super easy juggle, but I am still going to add a second EVSE and NEMA 14-50 plug, just for convenience and as a backup in case the current one fails.

 

[Tripple_T]

I spent the better part of 2014 and half of 2015 waiting for a 2016 Volt to hit the market. At first it was thought that it would be released with the summer line up, but it now looks like the very end of this year before dealers start getting the cars. I decided to keep in contact with my local Tesla store and have them keep an eye out for a CPO / used model S. In May they called with an offer I couldn't pass up. I have over 2000 EV miles at this point and don't regret a thing. The Volt was a tempting vehicle coming from pure ICE cars. However, I believe I would have regretted the purchase if I had waited until the 2016 Volt. If I were you, I would start looking at CPO or past (bumper-bumper) warranty Model S. After driving/owning this car I really do believe it is the future of personal automobiles. The Tesla business model has me hooked as well.

The things that moved me away from the 2016 Volt was the 3.6k charging, and the added mechanical complexity of the car. In the end, it just wasn't a simple and elegant design. To many moving parts to break and require replacement/service work.

I have since removed myself from the 2016 Volt e-mail notifications.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

I was waiting on the second generation Volt for a while...but when it was finally unveiled and there was no AWD option and no CrossVolt offered, I removed it from my list. I then focused on the XC90 T8 for a while until the 70D was announced and decided that would be the better way to go. Since the X is close to being released, I'm considering it but if it's not what I need/want, I'll probably end up with a 70D or 85D instead.

 

[Skotty]

Thanks everyone for the thoughts.

What we have decided to do is wait until later in the year when we can review a 2016 Volt in person. At that point, we will compare buying a 2016 Volt against doing nothing and keeping the 2012 Volt, or getting a Model S via the CPO program. Any new intel on the Model X and Model E/3 will play into that decision (if we decide we want to prioritize getting a Model X or a Model E/3, it means keeping the 2012 Volt for another year or two).

 

[Tripple_T]

If you haven't found this page: http://ev-cpo.com

I watched this page for a few months knowing what was out there. My Tesla center appeared to get information on the cars before it was posted to the Tesla page, so your Tesla rep will be able to give you a heads up before it hits the public.