2016 Volt

[siai47]

Thank you GM for the buildup on a car I really wanted to buy--the 2016 Volt. I actually got rid of my I-MiEV in anticipation of buying one this Fall. Now, after reading todays Detroit News, for those of us who are unlucky enough not to be members of the elite group of citizens of the 11 "California emissions" States, we won't be allowed to order on of them. Us peons will have to wait for the 2017 model year to get ours! Even my local Chevrolet dealer had no clue. A GM spokesmen said that 40% of the Volts are sold in California so they needed to be supplied first----so you dis 60% of your customers (in other words). Can you say compliance car? Can we get more emission credits so we can shove more Escalades down peoples throats? What a bunch of B.S. I think the real reason beyond this is (and mentioned in the article) is the thousands of unsold 2015 and 2014 Volts sitting around that GM isn't willing to discount enough to move them. So some brainchild in the marketing department came up with a "shortage" to move some rotting, stale inventory sitting around the country. Even Mitsubishi did the right thing and moved it's old stock and finally released a new model year vehicle. And Mitsubishi allowed you to buy wherever you lived. Shame on you GM---I can't print what they can do with their Volt---but I will never darken the door of a GM dealership for one of their products again :twisted: .

 

[PV1]

So, does that mean you're back to i-MiEVs? :lol:

If anything, the announcement of a new model would make people NOT buy the current model and wait for the new one. What a way to trap inventory and screw the dealers.

I guess I can tell my work not to wait for the new Volt (although I doubt they'll buy more than the one they have anyway).

Just for future reference, what are the 11 states?

 

[siai47]

There are actually 14 "California emissions" states. Pennsylvania is one of them but not one of the 11 "California emissions" states that the Volt will be sold in. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy if you live there and wanted a Volt. Here is a link to the Detroit News article.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2015/09/08/chevy-delays-national-roll-volt-early/71897188/

 

[rkarl89203]

Or you could buy an actual ELECTRIC car.
Just saying....

 

[Don]

Or you could buy an actual ELECTRIC car.
Just saying....

Actually, the Volt is an electric car - Without juice to it's electric motor, it won't move at all. True, it does have a gasoline 'range extender' motor which recharges the batteries, but the drivetrain is still 100% electric

I had been looking at the new Volt as well, though likely we would buy a 2 year old one in 2018 or '19 since we won't qualify for the $7500 Federal credit. If the 2017 model does indeed come with a more powerful onboard charger, it might be worth the wait over the 2016 model

As much trouble as EV sales are in with sub $2 gas ($1.85 here currently) you would *think* GM would allow every single dealership in every state to take orders for the car on a one by one basis - The last thing they needed to do was piss off potential customers by favoring some of them over others

Don

 

[SyCo]

Or you could buy an actual ELECTRIC car.
Just saying....

Actually, the Volt is an electric car - Without juice to it's electric motor, it won't move at all. True, it does have a gasoline 'range extender' motor which recharges the batteries, but the drivetrain is still 100% electric
Don

Then again everyone knows that the Volt is simply a plug-in hybrid where the ICE actually moves the car. Just look how GM copied the Prius planetary gearset and simply added clutches .

You could also take a look at numerous articles that have confirmed that "When above 70 mph or in battery depleted mode the ICE can 'assist' the electric motor in driving the wheels."

Of course, you should also not forget about ERDTT "Engine Running Due To Low Temperature" mode where everytime it's below 14F the engine will run :roll:

So to me, and many others, it's not what I call an electric car But it is indeed a good plug-in hybrid.

Now to OP, it's sad to know about that delay

 

[jray3]

Go easy on the admin there, SyCo. I found it interesting but appropriate that the 2016 will use a 'more direct connection' to the wheels, or at least hook up the engine more often than the first generation car.

I've no interest in owning a Volt, but would love the ability to rent one, or any other high efficiency model for long highway trips. There's just no rental company that reliably inventories high MPG vehicles, let alone for a competitive price.

 

[rkarl89203]

If it uses gasoline, it's not an electric car.
I like ELECTRIC cars.
That's why I have two.
I don't go to 'gasoline stations' in my electric car.
Because I choose to own an ELECTRIC car.
Just saying.

 

[Phximiev]

Speaking of renting a Volt, I've seen a few on Relay Rides. On our next vacation, we may try one if another electric doesn't make more sense.

 

[siai47]

Just to clear up a couple of things about my desire to purchase a new Volt. First I love BEV's and have owned quite a few. I have also owned several Prius'. I have never owned a PHEV and was looking forward to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (for years) which is more of a Unicorn in the US then the Volt is. For me the Volt would fill a specific need for a vehicle with a 50 mile range in any conditions. This cannot be counted on in the I-MiEV in all cases--even in city driving. I know as I have owned two I-MiEV's and sweated the last few miles on cold, dark rainy nights on many occasions. This would have only gotten worse as the battery capacity drops due to age. The 2016 Volt can do this with no range limitation with limited use of it's gasoline engine. As some of you know, I also own a Tesla Model S which has outstanding range and is a great highway car. However, it is large car, very wide and feels like driving a battleship through narrow city streets and getting around small parking lots. This is where the I-MiEV really shined and I would buy another in a heartbeat if it had just 20 miles more range. I had the best of both worlds with the I-MiEV and the Tesla and only got rid of the I-MiEV because of it's limited range and the promise of a cheaper, longer range Volt. Knowing what I do now about the delayed introduction of the 2016 Volt in my part of the country, I would have still had the I-MiEV and wouldn't be having this discussion. GM overpromised and underdelivered on the Volt just like Mitsubishi did on the Outlander PHEV.

 

[PV1]

Maybe a BMW i3 would better suit your needs. The i3 REx I had on extended test drive offered 80-90 main road/city miles on electricity, and an additional 60-70 miles from the range extender, which is strictly a generator. I got 75 miles on a charge before the REx kicked in, 35 miles of that on the highway at 65 MPH, the rest on main roads 45 and under. It holds the highway better than the i-MiEV, despite having tires just as narrow.

Space and packaging wise, the i3 is nearly identical to the i-MiEV with nearly as tight a turning radius, but has much more get up and go. Plus, it has the 6.6 kW onboard charger. Unfortunately, it's a choice between the REx or SAE Combo quick charging, you can't get both.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8z5iyqohu3fouiy/AABZGM100B08gWDkX4cWiOSva?dl=0

The best thing is, you can go to a BMW dealer and get one now.

 

[misterbleepy]

Over here in Europe Nissan have just announced a 30KWh Leaf option for 2016 - maybe that would work for you if it's available in the US?

 

[Barbagris]

Just curiosity: does the Kia Soul EV (LiPo - 27 kWh) sold in the US market?

 

[SyCo]

Maybe a BMW i3 would better suit your needs.

Test driven one also... VERY nice car !!

@misterbleepy, Yes announced for U.S. and Canada

@Barbagris, Yes available in U.S. and Canada Plus the U.S. Soul EV get QC on both models where in Canada it's only on the "Luxury" model

 

[PV1]

The Soul EV is sold in California, Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.

Yes, CHAdeMO quick charging is standard, but oddly heated/cooled seats are only available on the top trim level on the US model.

 

[rkarl89203]

Looking ahead, the BEV Chevy Bolt late next year might be a great option too ..
During a recent test drive I found the Kia Soul EV just awesome, but they don't sell it here in Rockford IL.

 

[Don]

If it uses gasoline, it's not an electric car.
I like ELECTRIC cars.
That's why I have two.
I don't go to 'gasoline stations' in my electric car.
Because I choose to own an ELECTRIC car.

I have two also. Bought our first iMiEV 3 1/2 years ago, thinking it *might* be good for about 75% of our driving needs - We had 2 other ICE vehicles to cover the other 25%

As it turned out, the hope for 75% pretty quickly turned into 90 to 95% of everything we needed - We were buying gas treatment and trickle chargers for the other cars . . . . but we couldn't live without them either

If we were in a position to only own one vehicle (or one second vehicle to complement a pure BEV) I think we'd prefer to have something like a Volt rather than a Tesla. Knowing that a small, lightweight, 16 Kw car can do 95% of what we need, it makes little sense to 'invest' in a very expensive, heavy 85 Kw battery just to cover the other 5% and still be limited as to where and when we could get it recharged. For less than half the cost of the Tesla, the Volt could easily cover that remaining 5% and we could 'refuel' anywhere . . . . and still be 95% electric the rest of the time - A truly practical solution, IMO

I'm not so 'anti-gasoline' that I would mind buying 40 or 60 gallons or so of it each year rather than lugging around a $30K battery that I wouldn't use 3/4ths of 95% of the time - I'm buying about that much gas now anyway, but I'm getting zero EV miles from the car. I think a gas burning 'extended range' EV makes a world of sense . . . . at least it does to me. Even though I own two pure EV's I still have need of a gas burner in my garage - Something like a Volt could replace that 100% gas burner and I could drive it electric 90% of the time and it would cover *all* my needs . . . . and allow me to retire that 100% gas burner - What's not to like?

Don

 

[rkarl89203]

Guess I would just disagree, but its only a personal preference.
It is hard for some to break completely free of gasoline. I had friends killed in the Middle East fighting to protect that stuff. While in the military I myself nearly died protecting that stuff and all he territorial imperatives that went along with it. When I was stationed in Alaska I helped clean the beaches from the Exxon Valdiz crude spill. One of my favorite states, North Dakota is being systematically destroyed to get that stuff. We recently had an 'oil train' explode here near Galena Illinois carrying that stuff. Let's talk about what BP did to the Gulf, too.
That being said, my EV doesn't go 'vroom' to impress people. I don't need giant exhaust pipes to compensate for any lack of macho-ness or size of whatever.
At times it is necessary for long trips to rent a gas vehicle, but when a enhanced BEV
Range vehicle is available, even that won't be necessary. I don't have any problem breaking free of the 20th century gas engine solutions
Just saying.