Comments on: Chevy Volt Sales Rank In Upper 15 Percent of All US Alternative Energy Cars

By: John w.k.

John w.k. — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:27:07 +0000

The volt being electric won’t have as much horsepower. It more than makesp for it with torque, though. It has signifacantly more presence than anyof the 4 banger cars I’ve driven and yet makes about 40 mpg when the charge is depleted. I liked the one I tested enough that I leased it. I’m a conservative, gun toting hick and I’ve got a Volt.

By: bill mcneal

bill mcneal — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:58:33 +0000

The volt has amazing highway peformance. Its like a BMW but you use no gas.

The prius sadly to say is old and outdated.

Simple.

By: c_harnett

c_harnett — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 02:58:52 +0000

If super-high speed and performance are all that important, why do you need or want an EV? You can get awesome performance, including roll-on performance that the Volt lacks, for a lot less money.

Nor are you going to drive 80mph electrically and legally, unless you happen to live in one of the little towns where the speed limit it 80. If you don't happen to live there, you'll use up your EV range getting there.

My Prius, by the way, can sustain 80 with no apparent difficulty.

The Volt has something like 20 lbs/hp. I've owned cars with 30 and 40 lbs/hp. I didn't have any trouble merging but maybe it's knowing how to drive and how to merge that makes the difference between someone who *needs* instant torque and performance to merge and someone who doesn't *need* it.

By: ACAgal

ACAgal — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:30:24 +0000

Freeway speeds in some parts of Utah are 80 mph, between CA and NV there are areas where the limit is 70 mph. The 55mph lanes are for trucks RV and trailers. I make the drive to Las Vegas or Denver several times a year.
Most of the time I’m In CA where the freeways maybe moving at 5mph, or something over the limits. It is safest to go with the flow, to be able to move on and off those highways safely

By: ACAgal

ACAgal — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:19:02 +0000

I drove the Phev-Prius and I was disappointed with the acceleration, so we went to the Chevy dealership down the street. It wasn't a question of the Volt being better than the Prius, for California driving. It was more like "Wow, this car really is great."

If I need to get on a California freeway, the car has to have the instant acceleration. The Volt can punch it up, sustain speed and maneuver beautifully. I like the responsiveness of the brakes, steering and the acceleration , better than I liked the EV system, and I really like just plugging it in instead of going to the gas station.....two months and the only gas used has been during the monthly churn (0.07gal.). I keep thinking I will get beyond the EV range, but that hasn't happened yet.

By: Modern Marvel Fan

Modern Marvel Fan — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:59:48 +0000

Volt is the FASTEST EV for under $45k. No other production cars can beat the Volt in performance without using a drop of gas... That alone make Volt unique....

By: c_harnett

c_harnett — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:45:37 +0000

The Volt managed to eke out its 1849 sales with $7500 in federal tax rebates, significant other rebates from states and localities and very desireable HOV access in California. The Leaf, Mitsubishi I get the same. The Prius PHV gets only $2500.

So, like Mark McGwire, the Volt gets an asterisk for an unfair advantage.

Prius sales took off in 2004 when the wedge hatchback Prius was initially introduced. It got a lot of sales, not because of a massive rebate (it did get about $700) but because the car offered a lot of value. Prius sales continued to be quite good after the big tax credit expired (which did not take long at all). At one point, it outsold all but about 6 or 7 of all models of GM's cars. I think it occsasionally outsold entire GM car lines (I'd have to go look it up - not today)

The Volt is not at all that kind of success at this point.

By: Van

Van — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 19:35:09 +0000

Never met a Volt owner that did not claim he or she absolutely had to drive above 60 MPH. But I remember way back when the national speed limit was 55 MPH and none of us had to drive over 60.

Volt/GM has published driving patterns that says many of us, over 60% drive less than 40 miles per day. Therefore the Fusion will satisfy all those that drive less than 20 plus those that can recharge during the day, say at work or at the golf course.

It is too early to claim victory, me thinks.

By: cindy harford

cindy harford — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 18:03:16 +0000

The big problem with Hybrids like the Ford and Toyota. Is they are hybrids.

Basically you use gas. On my daily drives I hit past 60 MPH all the time so no matter how nice the Ford is. It will never be a full electric car like the volt.

People keep comparing the Volt to hybrids. The problem the volt primary drive is pure electric so it has no competition really. It has a back up generator. So you have a pure electric motor to drive the wheals past 100 MPH.

So while the volt might cost a little more the quality is much better. 273 lbs of torque like a BMW.

So you buy a BMW performance and use no gas. Something the ford and Toyota can never offer.

By: Opp Chg

Opp Chg — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 17:43:01 +0000

The Volt's ~40 mile battery-electric range is the sweet spot and here's why. Any less and the % of drivers who can get to work either one way (and especially round trip) drops off dramatically (aka the 80% of drivers do 40 miles or less per day research tat went into the Volt's design spec). Any more range (Leaf, Tesla, Focus EV, etc) and you won't be able to recover enough daily or even possibly evening charge on 120v, which is still what many folks will use for years to come at work and home. (People who need to drive over 80 miles round trip everyday should probably instead consider the a Prius/highest mpg hybrid that meets their needs)

Point is, I believe until a company comes out with an equal or better equipped (5 passenger, better ER mileage, etc) EREV with a 40-50 mile battery range, the Volt will reign. 20 mile range will dissatisfy many of these consumers and 80 mile BEV range is of course great until you get stuck with no ER.

What I think we are seeing with the lackluster PIP sales and even worse Leaf sales, is an understanding that the Volt can meet 75% or more elec-battery drive (or +95% of a total 5k miles so far in my case) and that benefit outweighs the initial lower price of a Prius and the "green" factor of the Leaf.

Plus once you drive a Volt, you realize how much nicer/fun to drive it is than pretty much anything else out there in the "under $50k alt energy vehicle" price range.