The tally of electric-only miles accumulated by Chevrolet Volt owners surpassed the 400,000,000 (that’s 400 million) mile mark yesterday, equivalent to walking the Great Wall of China 30,000 times, according to General Motors.
Total miles driven by Volt owners have topped 640,000,000, with the EREV saving about 21 million gallons of gasoline. The money saved by fuel-conscious Volt owners on gasoline is enough to buy 159 acres of a private island.
According to Volt driver stats, a driver (appropriately named) The Most Driven Volt has accumulated 56,500 EV miles, while user Voltdriver has run their Volt almost exclusively on electricity, accumulating 40,827 EV miles out of 42,755 total miles.
How does the Volt compare to the competition? According to Clean Technica, the Nissan Leaf electric car has covered about 420 million (all-electric) miles, while Tesla owner Elon Musk estimates that all owners of the Tesla Roadster and Model S have driven 250 million (all-electric) miles.
Comments
Don’t you mean Tesla founder Elon Musk?
That caught me off guard. I also read the paragraph wrong and thought that Mark Zuckerberg has driven a Model S 250,000,000 miles; roughly 2.7 astronomical units. 😉
Truly, GM shouldn’t ditch the Chevrolet Volt/ Opel Ampera EREV. All signs today point towards no
Volt gen II – or, if they do one, it might well be another try at a hybrid. Sad, really, because that reinforces
the opinion that GM only built Volt to satisfy Congress and receive the bailout.
Volt’s EREV strategy at the electric revolution may not be as pure and risky as Tesla’s Model S, X and future
E, but it still makes the most sense in the $25-33,000 price category. GM believed Volt could leapfrog Prius
and it could if they give it a chance. Built on the current Cruze architecture, many speculated that Cruze 2’s
D2XX would surely underpin a gen 2 Volt. More recently, outgoing CEO Akerson related that a new
Volt would possess it’s own proprietary Voltec platform. This is highly doubtful now, as Mary Barra and other
top GM’ers have downtalked Volt as a niche product that disappointed beancounters with lower-than-expected
sales. Well, no kidding, GM – it MSRP’d at over $40,000 with a cast-iron block EcoTec I – 4 as range extender!
For what it is, the Volt is a beautiful thing indeed. Many owners like myself drive 90% of the time in smooth,
quiet and quick EV mode. It’s a blast going past gas stations! Many opportunity charge, or charge at work –
which just adds to the Volt’s value as a money-saving machine. I like the looks, and think it sets itself apart
from the usual Chevy wares.
Volt is a real quality piece and too bad many dealers list it’s mpg rating as “40mpg” on auto sales websites.
Not only do consumers get confused as to how the car works Рbut dealers seem blas̩ about
helping them understand also. Ad campaigns came and went – confusing all, as if the marketing agency
couldn’t wrap their heads around how to sell the car!
I can tell you Volt is a fantastic machine that brought me back to an American brand. Unlike Nissan’s LEAF or
BMW’s upcoming i3, it won’t leave you stranded if you’re not around a charger. The whole concept
is light years ahead of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive yet they sit on their hands as competitor’s catch up.
What’s with GM? They admitted they’ve hired staff to keep watch on Tesla. Will they match Tesla or just
watch as they blow by them?
Yes the Volt is a lot better car than many want to give credit to.
While the Tesla is a good car the hype has taken it to the next level. Elon has used the web effectively more so than what the car really has to offer. There is not one thing about the Tesla that any other company could do as they really have not broken any real technology.
The two areas they have broken ground is the investment in charging stations and taking the risk to build such an expensive sedan and having it sell when most others never thought it would.
As for the Volt I see them daily here year round and everyone I have spoken to that own one loves it. On the other hand I have only seen one Leaf and two S models here in all the time they have been on the market.
I really would love to see the price of the Hydrogen go down and the refills become faster and easier as it is the real way to go but the refill issue is a reap problem as even the best fill station can only fill 6 cars an hour.
I think many will be surprised at the next gen Volt and how much advancement it will make. There is a lot of things they will improve and change including price that is key.
The 1st gen volt is a very good product. There are of course some “problems” with it – 1) a high price, and 2) it only goes around 37 miles approx on EV mode.
The 2nd gen will (hopefully) have a reduced price and also have around 75 miles of pure EV range (I remember a few months back they invested in / purchased a company which has somehow increased the battery storage density by double – compared to regular batteries)
Ralph – I enjoy your optimism. But here’s some reality. GM invested in Envia systems some time ago
and their innovative battery with promises of double the density proved bunk. Envia is no longer
with us – Google it. GM investments invests in a lot of things. Many of those things end up bankrupt
or a dead end. GM also invested in Bright – inventors of an extended range plug-in van called the
Bright IDEA. Bright also went bankrupt.
I didn’t want to be a Downer Dave, but I thought you should know the facts.
I’ll repeat myself. GM has publicized zero reports that a new Volt is coming, has a proprietary
platform or will be built on Cruze 2’s D2XX. The silence out of GM is deadening. Ever since
2014 NAIAS in Detroit, Barra and company have sounded like Volt was an experiment that
didn’t go very well. Go to AutoTrader or Cars.com and enter NEW and VOLT – what you’ll
come up with is hundreds of Chevy dealers who just list the MPG rating of Volt as 37-40MPG.
– They don’t even use MPGe because there’s no space nor effort to explain what that means.
I’ve sampled Volt dealers and many don’t even want to sell the car, and most can’t adequately
explain the car and actually sell it. There’s no profit in it. Today, Volt’s are discounted to the
limits and GM dealers neither want to invest in Voltec service training, the expense of charging
stations at the dealerships, nor just work hard when they can sell ICE trucks, SUVs and CUVs
along with gas-sucking Camaros and Impalas for huge profit margins.
They haven’t been able to meet the meager projections of 50,000 units/yr in North America,
let alone the world, with the Ampera and Holden Volt versions overseas. Teslas cost from
75% to 130% more yet they sell like hotcakes. It’s not hype, net savvy CEOs or smoke and mirrors.
The Tesla Model S presents a skateboard battery pack configurable into several models, like
the 2016 Model X Crossover due out next year. Remember GM invented the skateboard – they
made several showcars – some of which even placed a hydrogen drivetrain inside. GM shelved
the idea and Tesla nabbed it – and made it viable. That is a great accomplishment. Look at
the Model S for it’s capability. Now tell me a car at ANY price that can do what it does. The
Supercharger network filling out makes the ELR look nonsensical for the price.
Uneducated people say there will definitely be a Volt version 2, that will have longer electric
range and yada yada. It’s not true. We can all hope GM pulls it’s collective head out of
it’s money-counting arse and makes a 2nd-gen Volt and offshoots like a CUV, truck and
5 seat sedan. Right now, it’s just a pipe dream.
If you need more convincing, look no further than Cadillac ELR. It’s virtually the same
under it’s sexy two-door, 2.5 seat skin, yet costs $80,000. This is where GM feels it
needs to be at pricewise to make a profit off of the 16.5 kwh lithium ion battery pack.
I wouldn’t want to work at LG’s new Michigan battery plant. GM isn’t going to be able
to keep them afloat.
Let me express I am a Volt owner. Volt is a spectacular car. The car does what it does so well,
it speaks volumes of what GM engineers were and are capable of. Just think – an electric car which
you can pick up for under $$28,000 ( with $7500 kickback from Uncle Sam ) which even gets
added benefits from some states, like Georgia, Colorado and California – which gives it HOV lane
access. Compare it to a Prius and the Toyota is pathetic. Volt is smoother, more solid, better
handling and it’ll take most people to work and back and daily errands too WITHOUT USING GAS!
Here in Washington State, we use 80% hydropower so it’s fueled with clean energy and I don’t
even have to put solar panels or wind turbines on my roof ( but I want to anyway) to power my car.
To me – this is truly energy independence of the purist form.
It saddens me GM has dropped the ball so badly with the Volt and the EREV concept. They sit and
watch Tesla build Superchargers, and each one installed makes the EREV concept, with it’s complexity
of 2 powertrains look less like the winning way. Still though – Volt makes hybrids look silly. Now that
the cars are affordable – I encourage each and every GM fan who comes here to just test drive one.
Take a Volt out on the freeway, or on a twisty road and be amazed. Instant torque is fun! Silent
running is wild – and boy can you listen to tunes with the best sound possible! To some gas-car lovers,
it’s ethereal and otherworldly. But to everyone it’s a joy to just not have to pump up and pay half
your paycheck for gas! I guess the national avg. for electricity is around 11-12 cents per kwh. Here,
it’s cheaper and I go for pennies per mile.
Chevy doesn’t know what it has – and they should build upon it. If they get the economies of scale
going, they’ll dump Prius into the ditch. If you don’t believe me, ask Manoli who runs this website.
He owns a Volt and I’d love to get an update on how he likes it so far.
James you need to lighten up a bit here,
Just because there is no GM statement means little as GM operates much differently today than when the Volt was originally developed.
In the past GM would telegraph their moves 5-6 years in advance to keep stock prices up to survive. Today there is no need to do this anymore. GM has gone as dark as Area 51 on most programs.
Case in point Tell me what the new Camaro will look like or even show me proof they are even working on a Sixth Gen Camaro? Show me proof of the LTS. They only recently have show some crude Mules as being a first sign of them. How about the new Nox and Terrain that will be here very soon. Seen anything on them?
To be honest with the comments from the now retired CEO on the coming Volt we got more of a hint from him than anyone.
The reality is the car is out there. GM was working on the second and third gen models.
I do agree there is massive room for improvement in marketing that GM should be doing on all levels. I really think they dropped the ball here as they advertise the car but that is about it. There is so much more they could do to promote the car.
But as for the Tesla there is nothing special about the car. GM, Toyota, BMW and nearly any other company could reproduce this kind of car. There is no real technology here that is not already in the Volt. If GM dumped the ICE and installed a larger battery they would have the same thing. I expect GM and the others all will offer a similar car to the Tesla in the future.
The Tesla just has a larger battery but similar motors and is in a larger more expensive car. Nothing really advanced here. But with the good marketing and promotion on the web they have fooled many people who are clueless just as you James. Just look at the people we elect in this country and it is no surprise that you can fool them on a car.
As for the skate board Tesla never stole anything here,. They have a platform and are just going to stick a different body on it just as GM did with the ELR. We will see more expansion of this in the future at GM with a Minivan in the future too. The Skate board was hydrogen power that is not yet cheap and not fast or easy to fill yet though it is much faster than a Tesla. The trick is to fill more than 6 cars at the filling station in one hour. It takes time to build pressure.
James you have pushed your BS here before and you often stick snippets of truth with a lot of bull. Sorry but you do not fool those of us who have a clue.
But I am not worried as time will prove who is right here and it will not be all that long. Once the new Cruze is out we should see some movement for the new Volt. We will hear about it some 12 months out and you will be proven very wrong on your assumptions. The priority now is to get the Cruze out as it is the volume car that may see 250,000 unit a year.
I love the new EV cars but it scares me how many nut cases they collect. So many turn this into hype and almost a religion to the point that they distort the truth on many levels. I have been at this car game for a long time and while the new EV cars are delivering an option they are not the game changer that many like to claim they are. It is a slow growth market and as time goes on good and bad things will be learned of them. Once many of these cars hit old age it will be interesting to see what values and market reactions will be to them.
Scott, the GM cheerleader in rare form:
People who buy Teslas are stupid and why would we trust James anyway, someone who actually owns and drives a Volt?
Actually GM does still announce things years in advance. The Colorado diesel can’t be had until 2016, and GM half tons wearing aluminum MIGHT be done by 2018.
The only thing GM is late reporting on is when their cheapskate attitude kills people as with the most recent recall. Now there is blood in the streets from faulty ignitions and Scott is still full of excuses for the company.
How many 2014 Silverados burned before they did something? How many run like garbage now after the ECM reflash?
I really don’t get why people try to wedge a difference between old and new GM. There really isn’t a difference.
But Scott is right about questioning the intelligence of the people who voted some of our current leaders into office. After all, they artificially kept afloat a boat that should have been allowed to sink. Something better would’ve grown in its place.
GM rarely announced much anymore.
If so magirus what is the new 2016 Camaro going to look like? What about the 2015 Nox what is it going to have for a drivetrain?
James is some nut that has little fact based on reality and magrius you are and have been the consummate GM troll.
I call things here good and bad. Did you not see where I hit GM where they really have failed here in marketing. They in my view have really missed the boat here on this Vehicle.
As for the car many like Magrius have no idea how the industry works or the intents of the company. The Volt was intended to bring a EV car to market to establish a beachhead to get suppliers to invest in development. The Volt is not where GM was wanting to end up but it is where they plan to get into the game.
Keeping in mind this car was developed when GM has little money so there have been and are things that did get left out because of the lack of funds. This is where GM was already planning the 2nd and 3rd gens when development and funding was available to put them into play.
GM also is not going to do anything radical to the present car as it’s here is short. The worst thing for them to do is tell anything of the second gen as if the improvement are as great as expected would kill sales of the present car. IF a cheaper longer range car was coming in a year or two would you buy the old car unless you really needed a car?
Magirus you really need to learn how thing really work as your comments belay your lack of knowledge of how it all works. If GM makes a major mistake I am the first to state so but when they are doing something right I also give them the credit.
As for the bail outs it mattered little who did it as it had to be done. The impact on the economy would have been greater than what we have already had to deal with. Even now the economy is flat and not really doing well.
You can bash GM all you like but it is not any different at other MFG. Just look at the many recalls Toyota and others have had. Just look at the many Eco engine issue that have happened at Ford.
The one thing I have going is time will prove me right as you slink way in to trollville.
magirus
As for the wedge between old GM and new GM if you had a clue the people who were part of the problem and the people who were not part of the problem. Most of the people who were the problem are either gone or will be gone soon. As Bob Lutz stated Mary Barra and Mark Reuss were not part of the problem at GM.
If you were familiar with the way GM was run and with the new precesses that have been put in place you can see and understand the change that has been brought about. In the past if a panel gap was too great it never got fixed because the engineer was never told to fix it. To day they are enabled to make these fixes with out running it up the chain.
I would recommend Lutz book Car Guys as it will teach you much about a topic you have no clue on.
In a company like GM there is still much to do yet as it is so large you can not fix everything at once.
But cars like the new CTS , Impala, Corvette and coming new Cruze show how much they have improved in a short time and the refinement has not stopped. Just look at the changes coming to the new ATS very soon.
Like any company mistakes will be made but unlike in the past GM will not just let them go and things will be fix much faster than before.