2019 Chevrolet Volt: First Drive
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The GM Authority staff all agree that the Volt is one of the best passenger cars available from Chevrolet. So much so that it has become the take-home choice for two of us, ahead of all the other things we could live with. Yet we have concluded that it’s rather annoying that the most efficient way to drive the current-generation Chevrolet Volt – drive mode ‘L’ – is also the most uncomfortable. For those that can’t find themselves to properly modulate the throttle, this driving mode can initiate the phenomenon known as the “Low Mode Head Bob,” especially in stop-go traffic and/or city driving.
Perhaps the best new aspect of the 2019 Chevrolet Volt is that this phenomenon goes away.
Rather than re-skinning the Volt, as Chevrolet has done with its other passenger cars, engineers were instead tasked with improving the already strong driving and ownership characteristics of the PHEV five-door hatchback. This includes the shortening of 240V charging times down to just two hours for a full charge, the engine won’t kick on in cold weather until much lower temperatures — minus 13 degrees F / minus 25 degrees C — which allows for more all-electric operation in cold climates, and no single-digit fuel economy stints. Snow Belt-based Chevy Volt owners know exactly what I’m talking about.
Chevrolet also improved the efficiency tracking (read: gamification) in the 2019 Volt, thanks to the new Energy App integrated into the new Infotainment 3 system. The app now breaks down driving style, route, weather conditions and cabin comfort settings based on mileage, rather than an arbitrary “score” that seemed loosely defined and thinly grounded.
The digital center readout is also refreshed compared to the previous 2017-2018 model year Chevrolet Volt. Another update that all 2019 Chevrolet Volt models receive is an increase in volume of its ambient noise generator intended to alert visually-impaired pedestrians. Our co-drive described it as “a new song from Enya.” Others described it as a UFO landing. We happen to think the white noise from the 2019 Chevrolet Volt would be right at home at the yoga studio.
Otherwise, the range on the 2019 Chevrolet Volt is the same as before – 53 miles of pure EV range, AKA 106 MPGe. And the ride and handling is the same as before, which is to say surprisingly balanced and athletic, but lacks the proper rubber, brakes and suspension to give it true hot-hatch credentials. We will continue to evangelize the need for a performance variant of the Chevrolet Volt, because it has potential for groundbreaking greatness.
For the current Volt driver with an expiring lease, it might be just enough improvement to keep buyers from sampling other makes. For those looking to finally embrace the plug-in life, there’s never been a better time.
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“the engine won’t kick on in cold weather until much lower temperatures — minus 13 degrees F / minus 25 degrees C — which allows for more all-electric operation in cold climates, and no single-digit fuel economy stints. Snow Belt-based Chevy Volt owners know exactly what I’m talking about.”
On my 2017 Volt, I have ERDTT (Engine Running Due to Temperature) deferred to 15 degrees F – which is right around the point where relying solely on seat heaters and the heated steering wheel to keep me warm is a futile effort. I’ve come to see ERDTT is a somewhat affectionate light: I get to drive to work in a car that is actually warm (if I am not running in ERDTT mode, I do not use cabin heat – aside from defrost, only when required, and the heat the car automatically uses when preconditioning), and I actually see a significant *increase* in EV range compared to without ERDTT, as the engine actually spends it’s extra energy (not used to assist cabin heat) charging the battery.
Being in SE Michigan, driving to work in low single digit temps is not uncommon in January, but fuel economy never gets anywhere near single digits. I think the worst I’ve seen for ERDTT is maybe 20 – it usually averages 20-22.
It’s the concept or lack of engineering that bothers me. If Tesla’s, Leafs and other pure EV’s don’t have an engine to warm the battery, why would Volt?
This would be an assumption since I wasn’t on the engineering team but my guess is that it differs from a pure EV because it has the heat potential from the ICE thereby requiring a smaller KW elec heater which works just fine for us folks down in AZ. We never have had the ERDTT come on in 80,000 miles. And I agree with a performance model idea since that’s how I tend to drive it anyway. But most of all I hope they make an AWD CUV EV or at least a PHEV soon as I lifted our ’13 Volt 3 inches to better deal with the many dirt roads here in Central AZ.
Imagine the joyful surprise of the EV range gauge reading 65 miles at start-up, after a full charge. A wonderful car. Simply wonderful.
Richard Dlatin, Hello. I am not having any 65 mi range indications. Our weather had cooled off before we got the car about 6 weeks ago. Then the range kept dropping down to about 40. I took it in and they adjusted the generator warm-up parameters but I’m still not getting more than 42 mi for range with temps in the 20s. What is the ambient temp where you live and how many actual miles are you getting? PS, on our 2017 we DID get 60+ range in warm weather and I expected the same on the 19.
Well, sadly it not enough over the 2015 model, that we have battery life is good only good I expected much more for the chevy volt. I hope she is as good as they say? What is to be done with the Nooses and White only crap its never ending, right, need to fix the both not patch the 2015 model for 10 gran more and STOP THE race CRAP PLEASE.