Top 10 Myths About The Chevrolet Volt – Debunked!
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It’s been called the vehicle that will “save” General Motors, the car of the future, and the electric car that will bring GM into the 21st century…
But contrary to what others may opine, the Chevy Volt is not a product that will make or break The General. The Volt does, however, carry enough non-financial cachet that is sure to have a lasting effect on GM. More than anything, the Volt holds the promise of transforming GM’s image of a staid, old-school automaker with little imagination into one of an iconic and forward-thinking company — akin to what the Prius has done to give Toyota an eco-friendly perception in the minds of consumers (as contradictory to reality as that may be — Tundra V8, Lexus LF-A and IS-F, I’m looking at you).
Since the Volt’s launch at the end of 2010, many consumers continue to be misinformed and blatantly misunderstand what the Volt is, what it does, and why it may be of value to them. If you don’t believe me, attend the public days of an auto show, and listen to how many people worry about the Volt running out of its electric charge in the middle of traffic. This lack of understanding equips the Volt skeptics with a stronger (if not louder) voice that will undoubtedly bestow false information upon the mis-informed public.
If this continues, the end result could be disastrous, as GM could remain — in the eyes of the average consumer — an unenterprising, lazy, and non-innovative car maker that simply doesn’t get it. Add to that the political mess that came in the form of the government bailout in 2009, and the picture can instantly procure very dusky undertones… at least for General Motors.
Insofar as to convey the truth about the Volt to the public at large, we’ve compiled the ten most popular myths — and their corresponding facts — about this vehicle. Here they are:
Myth: it can only drive for a total of 40 miles
Fact: the Volt can travel between 25 and 50 miles on pure electric charge, but that’s not as far as it can go. After the battery’s charge has been depleted for driving purposes, the Volt seamlessly switches to an on-board gasoline engine-generator, which is capable of powering the car for a range of approximately 300 miles with a full tank of (required) premium fuel. This means that the Volt is the only electric vehicle capable of traveling as far as a regular gasoline-powered car: about 340 miles in total, 40 miles on pure electricity and 300 on pure gasoline.
Myth: it won’t work in hot or cold weather
Fact: extreme temperatures will unquestionably affect overall battery performance. But when the battery is depleted and the Volt switches to the engine-generator for power, outdoor conditions cease to be a factor. As such, severe outside temperatures won’t stop the Volt dead in its tracks.
Myth: it’s just another hybrid… who cares?
Fact: most advanced hybrids can drive very short distances (usually less than a mile) at very low speeds (20-40 mph) on electric power alone. The Volt, however, can drive a total of 25-50 miles on electricity. This is the major difference between today’s advanced hybrid systems (found in such cars as the Toyota Prius) and the Volt. For those wanting to get more technical, the Volt actually has five distinct operating modes:
- Battery discharging, acceleration or low-speed cruising
- Battery discharging, high-speed cruising
- Battery depleted, acceleration or low-speed cruising
- Battery depleted, high-speed cruising
- Braking
By comparison, the most popular hybrids only have two modes.
Myth: it must constantly be plugged in
Fact: the gasoline engine-generator powers the Volt after the first 25-50 miles of pure electric driving. When the battery runs out or charge for pure electric driving, the Volt will continue on its way by using the engine generator.
Myth: it’s too expensive
Fact: compared to what? Being in a segment all by itself, the Volt has no equal. It may have plenty of “comparable” vehicles, but no direct competitors. That said, the Volt’s $41,000 price tag is definitely not cheap; a federal tax credit cuts $7,500 off that 41k, while individual States may offer incentives of their own to lower the price even further. And when it comes to leases, the Volt’s set lease price of $350 a month is one dollar more than what Nissan is asking for the Leaf — an electric vehicle without an engine-generator. As such, the Leaf is dead when the batteries are empty (after about 100 miles), contributing to range anxiety and resulting in inferior levels of convenience.
Myth: the government forced GM to built it
Fact: this one can’t be further from reality. GM embarked on the Volt project in 2006 – long before its widespread financial problems and the 2010 government intervention. Ironically, the presidential automotive task force (that researched GM’s position during the now-infamous chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings) supported the move to scrap the Volt project due to the program’s inability to make money for at least the first few years. GM convinced the government that the technology was too important and that the Volt had to carry on. And it did.
Myth: it has a better bumper-to-bumper warranty than any other Chevy
Fact: the Volt carries the same three-year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty as any other Chevrolet. However, the important components (the ones that are most unfamiliar to consumers today) are covered for way longer…
In fact, the Volt’s warranty covers the battery and Voltec drive unit for eight years or 100,000 miles while the powertrain warranty covers the powertrain/drivetrain (read: engine) for five year or 100,000 miles. The batteries should, however, last much longer. Today’s competitive marketplace compels automakers to make sure parts — especially expensive ones such as the lithium-ion batteries in the Volt — last well beyond the warranty period simply because it’s prohibitively expensive to foot the bill for a repair or a replacement for the automaker itself.
For instance, many owners of the original Honda Insight Hybrid (which began production in 1999) report that the original batteries in their cars still work today — after more than 10 years of driving! Given the fact that the Volt has a more modern battery system, its batteries should still have plenty of power after the warranty expires. And the myth of intentional failure is just that — a myth: companies have much more important things to worry about (such as competitors and long-term vehicle testing) than to set their products to break after a calculated period of time.
That, however, is not to say that the Volt will last forever. But chances are, it won’t keel over and die when the powertrain warranty runs out.
Myth: the batteries are produced in Korea
Fact: they are assembled at GM’s Brownstown Township plant, between Telegraph Road and I-75 in suburban Detroit. However, the individual pieces of the batteries are currently manufactured in Korea. GM plans to move production to a new factory in western Michigan in 2013.
Myth: it’s not available in Europe
Fact: the Volt will be sold in Europe for €41,000. It will be sold alongside its brother — the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera.
Myth: the only innovation is in the powertrain
Fact: this is a matter of perspective, but we’d be more than happy to provide the facts.
GM applied for more than 200 patents during the Volt’s development. And the vehicle’s ability to serve as an everyday driver while providing the ownership experience that doesn’t carry the baggage that is range anxiety is innovation in and of itself. However, the integration of modern aerodynamics technologies, the world’s lightest and most low-rolling resistance tires in a mainstream vehicle, and an all-digital driver’s information console is more than impressive. Couple that with the Volt’s high-tech smartphone app that provides the ability to turn wall charging on and off, start the car, and even locate the Volt on a map — and it’s easy to see why the powertrain is not the only innovation in the Volt.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to take a trip outside and enjoy the Volt’s instant torque while making Prius owners jealous…
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I suspect the “haters” are actually plants from the competition. I have been an owner of the Volt since early May and my experience has been phenomenal. My daily commute to work is a hilly 42 miles each way. I’m able to charge at work to get a partial charge for the ride home. On a bad day I use up 0.5 gallons of gasoline. On a good day I use less than 0.2 gallons. I used to fill my gas tank twice a week on my old car. Since I’ve owned this car 2.5 months I’ve only filled the 9 gallon tank four times! The onboard computer tells me the average mpg for all driving is 145 mpg on a total of 4721 miles. My electric bill at home has only increased $30 or so, and will go down when I have the 240 volt charger installed and go on the lower rate from midnight. I’ve driven BMW’s and Mercedes sports cars, and this Volt drives very much like my 325i BMW did.
Alex – nice article. I’ve owned Volt #822 since February. 2,700 miles and about 4.5 gals of gas. I’ve moved from LA to South Bend, IN – so my cost to run 40 miles on electric is about $0.70 (although it was 3X that in LA). How much does it cost to drive 40 miles in a gas powered car? I was getting take out last week and a woman with a Prius was behind me in line. Her question – “how far can you go in that thing?” My answer – “as far as you want.” Lots of misinformation out there…
I didn’t care for the seemly hard ball tactics by the dealers as they charge 5K to 10K over MSRP. Doubt I will buy from them…
Tom, wow who is the sensitive let’s get all political one, dude if you want politics go somewhere else this is about cars and the article is about bogus myths about a car, take your political views elsewhere.
Tom, Alex has just stated facts to disprove false ideas, you on the otherhand are making statements that have no foundation, are you one of those conspericy theorists, you probably believe the government brought down the twin towers. Good. Grief….
I am probably a “conspericy” theorist who believes the government brought down the twin towers? wow…. ok… don’t worry, yabadabadoo (really that is your handle?) I won’t be back here.
Tom – Chill out, please good grief. I and others do not agree with your posts. They strey away from the real topic, you got all political and conspiracal on us… I don’t doubt GMs Influences but get a grip and stay on topic…
Interesting mix of comments to a nicely done article. I’m a Volt owner, as well as a GM enthusiast going way back. Naturally I’m going to defend my decision to go with a Volt. I could have gotten a Leaf, as the range is within my commute. But I get all the Leaf’s advantages and still get a car that can go to Vegas or Portland (from Los Angeles) whenever I want without worry. And it’s every bit a real car. You can’t say a word against its cred as a real car until you’ve driven it. Then, if you don’t like it, you don’t like it. Nothing wrong with having a preference. But I bet you will like it because it’s a nice mix of sporty and comfortable. The fit and finish are really excellent, quite comparable to the STS and DTS Cadillacs I had before this car. Mine is fully loaded and it feels every bit worth the $41K price tag even without all the advantages of the Voltec powertrain. But I bought it for the Voltec, make no mistake. I’m a computer guy and a car enthusiast, and this car combines the two interests in a very elegant way. Simple enough for a housewife to operate and geeky enough for Linuxheads.
I do have to comment on the guy who got upset over the question, “compared to what?” That guy said GM just lost his business… over a question posed by a person who is not a GM employee and is not financially affiliated with GM in any way I know of. How do you get through life buddy? People must offend you every five seconds! More importantly, the question explained itself a few words later in the sentence by illustrating there is no direct comparison possible with any other car since there is no other car with this type of system. (The closest I can think of are diesel/electric trains, except I don’t think they have storage batteries.) So the question is semi-legitimate. But, the author of the article must know the comparison is going to be made between the Volt and other vehicles that are not in exactly the save category so perhaps he could have phrased it differently.
Oh yes, I had a great dealer (Bunnin Chevrolet) who was extremely exceptional to work with. I also visited one dealer who wanted $5K over MSRP. I reported him to my Volt Adviser. I opted for the lease because in three years technology will have advanced quite a bit and I’m going to want to have the latest GM has to offer.
I also have extremely low EV electric rates due to LADWP incentives and a Level 2 charger on a Time-Of-Use meter. It costs me about $6 per month to drive my 32 mile round trip commute. No gas required except on weekends when I go visit relatives in Redlands. 😉
The Volt is Obama’s marxist wet dream and by God, we will pay for it (either directly or by taxation). Sieg Heil! How about a big clean running V8 using pure gasoline refined from domestic petroleum from Gulf of Mexico or Alaskan oil fields?? Oh yea, oil is evil as dictated by our Marxist in Chief Hussein Obama. Seig Heil again!!
@seidy68: “Obama’s marxist wet dream”? Well, I am not well versed in Marx, but I know that there are parts of Marxist theory used throughout America to it’s benefit. Without co-operative ownership of utilities and exchanges in farming communities, they would not be able to sell their products let alone have electricity and phone service. I think it is striking that many people, apparently you being one of them, has no tolerance for using part of something that works and not using the parts that don’t, even though that’s one of the things American Ingenuity is all about. So you think we should do away with socialized Police, Fire and Military protections because they are “Socialist”? You think only those who can afford to pay the true cost of a 911 call should be allowed to use 911? Do you think socialized education is bad because smart people who happen to be poor shouldn’t better themselves and be productive in society? Where would this country be if people didn’t work together to make great things happen? Oh, about where it’s headed right now…
But all that aside, what has this got to do with a great car using cutting edge technology to better the world through alternative energy and reduction on a known pollutant sourced from hostile foreign countries? A “clean running” V8 is a better alternative, you say? Don’t you know that a gasoline powered engine is a host of compromises? The very fact that it can’t be set to run at it’s most optimum speed because the car’s speed is controlled by the engine speed means that much of the time it is not running cleanly or at its most powerful and efficient level, not to even mention when it’s idling for hours in gridlock running the richest air/fuel mixture but going nowhere. And to get the most power from each drop of gas you can’t avoid certain kinds of pollutants that choked our skies until people put regulations in place. To avoid the pollutants, the engines had to be detuned so they use more gas to produce less power, but they burn cleaner… Honda did some wonderful engineering on the CVCC engine technology to get better emissions without reducing power, but there are limits to how far you can take such technology before the law of diminishing returns makes it virtually a dead end.
And you want to use only domestic oil for your clean running V8. Well I don’t know much about oil supply and reserves in this country other than to say that, for decades now, we have been sucking oil out of the middle east and there must be a reason. I recently saw interviews with John F Kennedy when he was still a Senator, talking about issues with Iran and oil that sounded just about identical to issues today… Yes we have oil in this country. Ask the folks who are still living with the nightmare of the BP oil spill how they feel about “Drill, Baby, Drill”. And oil companies are drilling in such high-risk places because the easy oil is already tapped here. These companies don’t put high-risk, high-expense rigs out there in the gulf if they can put one in their backyard. So I don’t think your clean V8 is going to be able to run for long on just what we have to refine in this country.
On top of all the above, you have to realize that the rest of the world (I know, hard to believe there are billions of people who are not Americans that still have brains and hearts and families to protect…) are a lot farther ahead of us on the realization that cars powered directly from fossil fuels are killing us in so many ways. We have to change. In those countries, say Germany for example, they are blocking off whole areas of cities from car traffic. Yes, there are whole zones you can not drive any car except a zero-emission vehicle. People there don’t have the luxury of the subsidized oil industry we have. Our Socially subsidized gasoline. Yes that’s right… those big tax breaks and incentives the oil company has keep your gasoline priced way below what the rest of the world has to pay, for now. A friend of mine in Scotland pays over $9 per gallon, and he’s happy to get it at that price. But sooner or later those subsides have to stop because they are one of the contributors to our national deficit folks are so interested in reducing.
Now, I’m not a particularly smart guy, and I’m sure much of what I know about politics is slanted by the media. But I have contacts out in the world and I ask their perspective when we chat and I listen to what’s going on. Maybe not all of my facts are straight, but at least I understand cars pretty well. I also understand that I can drive a nice car with lots of pep and comfort every day with a minimum of energy use, and that all domestically produced. It sounds like you probably want the same thing. So why make it about Obama and Marx? But if you just can’t stomach a Volt because you think it’s a commie plot, there are other cars with similar benefits. Meanwhile, I will be enjoying my Volt and the fact that I don’t depend on the whims of anyone in Iran, Iraq or Libya to operate it.
To quote Hardees/Carl’s Jr’s advertising… “And that’s just the way it is.”
Joe; Nice….
Very interesting write-up. Plenty of specifics for any tremendous newbi at all like me.