Living with the Chevy Volt: The First 1300 Miles

A first hand account of Volt ownership. (open article in new window)

Chevy Volt: Fact vs. Fiction

BY MARK PHELAN
DETROIT FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
OCT. 31, 2010

MYTH:

It can only go 40 miles.

Reality:

The Volt's battery will carry it 40 miles or so. Beyond that, the car keeps going because a gasoline-powered generator makes more electricity. That makes the Volt the only electric vehicle that can go as far as a conventional car - 350 miles or so - before refueling.

MYTH:

If some drivers get less than 40 miles from a battery charge, the Volt is a fraud.

Reality:

Just as with gasoline cars, driving style, weather and other variables affect fuel efficiency. I've driven fully charged Volts three times. The battery took me 40, 46 and 35 miles. After that, the generator turned on and the car kept going.

MYTH:

It won't work in really hot or cold weather.

Reality:

Extreme temperatures may affect how far the batteries take the car before the generator starts, but neither heat nor cold will stop the Volt.

MYTH:

It's just another hybrid.

Reality:

The most advanced hybrids can go short distances at moderate speeds - let's say a couple of miles at 20-40 m.p.h. - on electric power alone. The Volt goes much farther and faster on electricity.

MYTH:

It's too expensive.

Reality:

Compared to what? There's nothing else like it. The Volt's $41,000 price tag is high, but a federal tax credit knocks $7,500 off that, and states may offer other incentives.
 
The Volt's lease price of $350 a month is just $1 more than Nissan will charge for its Leaf electric car, and the Leaf has no generator, so it's dead when the batteries are drained.

MYTH:

The government forced GM to build it.

Reality:

GM began work on the Volt in 2006, long before the financial crisis and the government assistance that saved the company. The presidential auto task force wanted GM to scrap the project, because the Volt won't make money for at least the first few years. GM convinced the government the technology was too important, and that the Volt had to go on.

MYTH:

The batteries will die after eight years.

Reality:

The warranty covers the batteries for eight years or 100,000 miles, but they should last much longer. Companies make sure parts - especially expensive parts like batteries - last well beyond the warranty, because it's really expensive when they miscalculate and have to eat repair and replacement costs. The batteries in the original Honda Insight hybrid still work after more than 10 years. The Volt's batteries should still have plenty of power after the warranty expires.

MYTH:

The batteries are made in Korea.

Reality:

The batteries are put together at a GM plant in Brownstown Township, between Telegraph Road and I-75 in suburban Detroit. The individual pieces are made in Korea now. That work moves to a new factory in western Michigan in 2013.

Chevy Volt: The future is electrifying
The extended-range electric vehicle that is redefining the automotive world is no longer just a rumor. In fact, its propulsion system is so revolutionary, it's unlike any other vehicle or electric car that's ever been introduced. And we're making this remarkable vision a reality, so that one day you'll have the freedom to drive gas-free.

Chevy Volt is designed to move more than 75 percent of America's daily commuters without a single drop of gas. That means for someone who drives less than 40 miles a day, Chevy Volt will use zero gasoline and produce zero emissions.

Unlike traditional electric cars, Chevy Volt has a revolutionary propulsion system that takes you beyond the power of the battery. It will use a lithium-ion battery with a variety of range-extending onboard power sources, including gas and, in some vehicles, E85 ethanol to recharge the battery while you drive beyond the 40-mile battery range. And when it comes to being plugged in, Chevy Volt will be designed to use a common household plug.

Chevy Volt. Fully Charged.