GM Chevy Volt

[Bangor Bob]

Someone has to be on the other end of the Voltstats bell curve. My EV percentage is roughly 30% lately. What do I win? (Answer: Another trip to the gas station.) Not having much luck talking my employer into workplace charging, but the telecommuting conversation is improving...

 

[loganss]

My fiance placed an order for a 2017 Chevy Volt. Hopefully in May it'll be here.

 

[shrspeedblade]

She'll be really happy with it, I think. I sure love mine! (Makes waiting for the Model 3 FAR less painful, too!)

 

[Quietninja22]

She'll be really happy with it, I think. I sure love mine! (Makes waiting for the Model 3 FAR less painful, too!)

Are you going to sell your volt when you get model 3? I can not swing a model 3 just yet, but I am hoping I can buy a pre-owned 2nd gen volt around 2017, not sure how many of those there will be though

 

[shrspeedblade]

Are you going to sell your volt when you get model 3? I can not swing a model 3 just yet, but I am hoping I can buy a pre-owned 2nd gen volt around 2017, not sure how many of those there will be though

I'd really like to keep it if I can swing it. I really like the flexibility of having the gas engine for certain locations and I think the two would be great stablemates. It may mean leasing the Model 3 but that might be a better route to go for various reasons.

Why would you buy a used one when there is a $7500 federal tax credit and a $1500 Tennessee state one as well? You are not a CARB state too so used 2nd gen Volts will be hard to come by in 2017.

 

[Quietninja22]

I'd really like to keep it if I can swing it. I really like the flexibility of having the gas engine for certain locations and I think the two would be great stablemates. It may mean leasing the Model 3 but that might be a better route to go for various reasons.

Why would you buy a used one when there is a $7500 federal tax credit and a $1500 Tennessee state one as well? You are not a CARB state too so used 2nd gen Volts will be hard to come by in 2017.

1500 in Tennessee? Since when? That is good to know

 

[shrspeedblade]

....at least that's what I found when I Googled it before posting.

 

[Quietninja22]

I see it now as well. Brings model 3 and Volt both to around 26k. Figure autopilot and supercharging will bring m3 to around 30k. Have to see how much the stocks bring in

 

[Phillip L]

I think I'd like to get it for my wife if I can convince her to get a volt.

I am in the same boat. Would like to get the Volt for my wife ... One reason is that she doesn't get the ev concept like my son and I do. She says our Model S is a giant electric gadget so we love it. (Have to admit, there is some truth to that ) But the real reason is that she doesn't like the bother of waiting while we need to charge on a road trip, and especially if she is alone. She feels vulnerable as a female because charging areas tend to be more isolated than a well travelled, well lit gasoline refuelling spot (I almost forget what that is like because I try never to use our ice vehicle). Hard to argue with that.

 

[shrspeedblade]

I've been driving a lot of long trips lately, so using the ICE more. It's just like a gas car- that I'm averaging 45mpg with!
If she drives less than 50 or so miles a day it will basically be an EV, she'll hardly ever have to visit the gas station too.

 

[Drucifer]

I've been driving a lot of long trips lately, so using the ICE more. It's just like a gas car- that I'm averaging 45mpg with!
If she drives less than 50 or so miles a day it will basically be an EV, she'll hardly ever have to visit the gas station too.

On a long trip, the Volt is a heavy, slightly less efficient Prius. But that is a small trade-off for not using gas day-to-day.

 

[Saghost]

On a long trip, the Volt is a heavy, slightly less efficient Prius. But that is a small trade-off for not using gas day-to-day.

There's a little more to it than that - the Volt is still more stable/less windblown, quicker, and able to regenerate down those long mountain grades that quickly fill a Prius battery, in addition to the better looks and more comfortable seating with better instrumentation (never could get used to the Prius center panel - we'll see how this Model 3 business goes.) Less space, but a lot more options about when the engine runs.

So it's not just the ability to not use gas day to day that you're getting from the 10-20% more gasoline on long trips, but I suppose it'll do for a single sentence explanation if something so concise becomes necessary.

 

[thelastdeadmouse]

I think a lot of non-owners tend to over-estimate how many miles you need to travel to make the Prius more efficient in long distance travel because with the Volt you start with 38 or 53 electric miles before you star using gas at all. Assuming EPA highway mileage the break even is around 155 miles fr 2013-15 Volts and Priuses, and 330 miles for 2016 and later Volts and Priuses.

 

[shrspeedblade]

Are you factoring in to get to that 155/330 mile mark you have to be in a Prius?

Thank you for the calculations though, as it shows that only 2 weeks a year would the Prius be more efficient for me.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

On a long trip, the Volt is a heavy, slightly less efficient Prius. But that is a small trade-off for not using gas day-to-day.

Also on a cold short trip it's a heavy, slight less-efficient Prius Plug-in.

We have a 2013 Volt and I'm planning to get a Model 3 or, if not, some other long-range BEV. My wife is not comfortable with the B, but I expect that if we get the Model 3 she'll be arguing that she should have it on those weekdays when she drives 50 miles to my 42/41.3, because, you know, we'll use less gasoline that way. (Doesn't do that now with Volt v Prius.)

 

[Phillip L]

When I had my garage built to house my new baby, the Model S, at the same time I had the electrician put in a NEMA 14-50 outlet on the outside of the garage (only room for a single car garage). Now seriously looking at the 2017 Volt we test drove yesterday. Question is... There are 30 and 40 amp chargers that we can buy that will just plug into the 14-50 outlet. Will the Volt benefit from the difference of the 40 amp charger over the 30 amp one?

 

[Drucifer]

When I had my garage built to house my new baby, the Model S, at the same time I had the electrician put in a NEMA 14-50 outlet on the outside of the garage (only room for a single car garage). Now seriously looking at the 2017 Volt we test drove yesterday. Question is... There are 30 and 40 amp chargers that we can buy that will just plug into the 14-50 outlet. Will the Volt benefit from the difference of the 40 amp charger over the 30 amp one?

Yes, you can buy a 30 (more common is 32 amp) or 40 amp charger that plugs into the 14-50 outlet.

No, the Volt can only use 16 amps (Gen 1 Volt) or 18 amps (Gen 2 Volt) max, so no added benefit above a 20 amp EVSE essentially..

 

[Phillip L]

Yes, you can buy a 30 (more common is 32 amp) or 40 amp charger that plugs into the 14-50 outlet.

No, the Volt can only use 16 amps (Gen 1 Volt) or 18 amps (Gen 2 Volt) max, so no added benefit above a 20 amp EVSE essentially..

Thanks Drucifer. Could not find that out by googling it. Would you know if it Is possible to get an adaptor for the volt charger that comes with the car that would go into the 14-50?

 

[Drucifer]

Thanks Drucifer. Could not find that out by googling it. Would you know if it Is possible to get an adaptor for the volt charger that comes with the car that would go into the 14-50?

Not without doing major surgery on the unit and voiding the warranty. Very not recommended. Would recommend getting a Clipper Creek or other 32 or 40 amp unit that you could use also for a Tesla or other cars as well, and keeping the one that comes with the Volt in the hatch for travel.

 

[S'toon]

Thanks Drucifer. Could not find that out by googling it. Would you know if it Is possible to get an adaptor for the volt charger that comes with the car that would go into the 14-50?

Something like this?
240V 16A Portable Level 2 Charger EVSE