How I Discovered the Volt (on the Web, Of Course)
My first exposure to an electric car was reading about (and drooling over) the Tesla Roadster. However, not wanting to take out a second mortgage, I concluded that I would need to see what other options were available. A friend I used to work with now converts Prius’s to plug-in’s. But, I wasn’t sure I wanted to risk voiding the manufacturer’s warranty, and further, I wanted a car that could operate without burning any gas (at least for most of its driving regime). This lead me to do further research, where I found Wikipedia’s electric car page to be quite helpful. That, in turn, lead me to other sites, and eventually I came across GM-Volt.com, where I have been an avid reader for about a year. It was also the well-informed discussions on GM-Volt.com that led me to conclude a Volt was a better choice for me than a Prius, Leaf, Tesla Model S , or Aptera 2h.
Why I Wanted a Volt (to Make the World a Better Place)
I want an electric car for the same reasons as I suspect most of you do: better for the environment, better for the economy, better for national defense (improve energy independence and reduce money sent overseas to countries that sponsor terrorism). I chose the Volt because I felt that a GM car would be a lower risk choice for me than Tesla or Aptera (who seem to be struggling with both finances and delivery schedule). I also chose the Volt because it can seat my family (Aptera can’t), will NEVER burn gas when I commute (Prius will), eliminates the risk of being stranded (Tesla and Leaf can’t), and is an American design (Prius and Leaf aren’t).
I also wanted to reward GM for their transformational design. The catch-22 has always been that auto manufacturers didn’t want to build electric cars without an extensive charging infrastructure in place, and companies are reluctant to fund such an infrastructure without the real demand of widespread electric car use. The Volt’s ingenious range extender breaks that vicious cycle by enabling people to drive electric now, while creating demand (along with Leaf, plug-in Prius, Telsa, and Aptera) for charging infrastructure development.
The Volt Buying Experience (More Pain than Electric)
I decided I would be a Volt early adopter. Normally, I wait for technologies to mature a bit, but for all the reasons listed above (and having driven my trusty, but gas-thirsty Ford F-150 for 11 years), the time was right. In early 2010, I went into a Chevy dealer to establish a relationship with a sales person. They were unprepared for someone wanting a Volt that early, but agreed to create a wait list and put me on it. Unfortunately, my experience went downhill from there, as periodically I would check in with them and be told that salesperson wasn’t there any more, or there wasn’t a Volt list, or there was but I was no longer at the top of it. Sigh. Not good customer service…
Then, after reading on GM-Volt.com that dealers were beginning to take orders, I contacted another local Chevy dealership. To their credit, they (like the first one I contacted) did not charge over MSRP. But even at that later date, the salesman I met with did not have adequate information or training to confidently take my order. Sigh. So, I (reluctantly) went back to the first dealership and met with a new salesman who did seem to have a clue. I placed my order in early August 2010. “And there was much rejoicing.”
I thought it was really cool that GM established a Volt order tracking website at http://www.chevrolet.com/ordertracking/. Unfortunately, their execution didn’t match the concept. As of a couple days prior to my taking delivery, that website continued to provide only the unhelpful message “We’ve received your order from the dealer, however it is not yet available for tracking. If you would like specific information about when your order will be ready, please contact your local dealer.” I wonder if it will be available for tracking AFTER I take delivery? Sigh. Happily, I discovered through GM-Volt.com a much more helpful privately-operated tracking site at http://www.chevroletconnects.com/.
And then there was the nationwide Volt tour, Volt Unplugged. Unfortunately, for me it went about as well as Spinal Tap’s “Tap Into America” tour. Full details of my poor customer experience with that event were posted at http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?5405-Volt-Unplugged-in-San-Diego-a-mixed-experience&highlight=VoltinSD. The short version is (a) it is a cool car, and (b) due to registration snafus, I only got to ride in a Volt, but not drive one. Sigh.
I have always been a buy-and-hold (for 10+ years) type of car owner. But the robust debate on GM-Volt.com led me to conclude that leasing was better for me, since I believe that with increasing demand for electric vehicles, car and battery technology will advance significantly in the next three years. I took delivery of my Volt (#196) on the last day of 2010 – a great way to bring in the new year!
Lease Details
Since a number of GM-Volt.com readers have expressed interest in leasing, I share here the details of my lease on a base model Volt ($41,000 with $15 added for the license plate frame). The guy doing the lease seemed to really know his stuff, and was helpful in explaining details to a first-time lessor.
- Doc Fee $45
- Down Payment $2150
- GM Capital Contribution $2000 (hopefully, this will extend into 2011)
- Money factor 0.00025 (roughly equal to 0.6% interest)
- Security Deposit $0
- Acquisition Fee $695
- License Fee $558
- CA Tire Fee $9
- 44% residual value for driving 12000 miles/yr or less (and reflecting federal $7500 rebate)
- Cap Tax $455 = (Cash paid + Capital Contribution – 1st mo. payment) x 8.75% (CA tax)
I told them I wanted a $350 monthly payment (before sales tax), so the cash paid worked out to be just under $3600 (2150 + 45 + 558 + 9 + 455 + 379) , and the monthly payment with sales tax was $379.
I put my Ford F-150 up for sale, and quickly found a buyer. California requires a smog test, so I needed a few days before handing the truck over to the buyer. It was very low on gas, so I stopped to put in a few gallons to tide me over. I was very conscious at that moment that it was (a) the last I’d ever put gas in that truck, and (b) I want to see how many months (yes, months)I can go without putting gas in my new Volt. 
Taking Ownership of the Volt
The moment finally arrived. I did an inspection of the vehicle, and the knowledgeable salesman walked me through many of the features, and helped me set up a couple of things like phone numbers and home location in the GPS. They were going to fill the gas tank, but given my driving circumstances, I opted for only a third of a tank, so I’d be carrying less gas around that I’ll never use. Take that, oil sheiks!
One cool feature of the Volt is a tire pressure display. Remember, I’ve been driving a Ford F-150 with manual windows, so having buttons and gadgets (and there are a BUNCH of them) is a big deal to me. It feels like a car George Jetson would drive – I keep waiting to accidentally push a button and have the car brush my teeth for me… We did notice during the inspection that one of the tires was showing noticeably less pressure than the others. They put air in it to match the others, but the readout was unchanged. We suspect a bad sensor, and they said to drive for a couple of days, and to bring it back in if it doesn’t self-correct.
I was under the impression the charge cord locked to the car for anti-theft purposes, but that is not the case. The salesman said that if the cord is removed in mid-charge, the car alarm does go off, however. I do have MyLink (the OnStar Android app) on my phone. Maybe I can configure it to alert me if this happens. Any advice on that score would be appreciated.
How I Drive and Charge My Volt
I haven’t yet commuted with my car, but I have done a few 10 mile jaunts. I’ve been driving in Normal mode, and using fan only (for now – as I want to get a baseline on car performance before starting to drive in sport). So, I’ve put maybe 40 miles on it, all electric. Consumption has been a bit higher than I expected, but I did notice that at 70 mph, the green ball is not centered, so I’m obviously paying an efficiency price for that speed. My plan is to use cruise control on the freeway (somebody please correct me if that isn’t the most efficient) and Low mode only for stop-and-go traffic.
I have a 10-mile one-way drive to work. I can charge in my garage, and go all-electric on my daily commute. Even better, I found electrical outlets in my work parking garage, so I’ll have my full electric range when I leave work at the end of the day. This will mean that even if I make short trips after work to the grocery store, etc., I still won’t use any gas. My target is to achieve multi-hundred mpg. As a GM-Volt.com post said, I do plan to drive in Sport mode as my “guilty pleasure” (and because I can).
The federally-funded EV Project provides free 240V chargers and installation for a limited number of Leaf and Volt owners. I contacted Ecotality in mid-2010, when their website didn’t even accommodate Volt owners. Sigh. Months and many phone calls and emails later, I am happy to say that I am scheduled to have an Ecotality Blink rapid charger installed by SPX in my garage soon. Given my ability to charge at work, the main value for me will be when our household eventually gets a second electric car (so we can both do a full recharge overnight).
How I Spread the Word – Drive Electric!
I feel like a test crash dummy after all the bumps and delays associated with getting my Volt and Blink charger. But I made it! I am doing a few things to help spread the word about electric cars. First, by driving the car and talking to anyone who’ll listen. Second, I will order a license plate that gets people’s attention. I’m thinking “196 MPG”, as this is a very achievable goal for me, and I have Volt 196. Lastly, I am sporting the humorous (but true) “Starve a Terrorist. Drive Electric” bumper sticker.
“What a long, strange trip it’s been”. Thank you to the GM-Volt.com community for your help along the way.
+12
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:42 am)The two paragraphs under “Why I Wanted a Volt”, especially the first one, are a wonderfully concise guide to marketing the Volt. GM could benefit from reading that. Twice.
+8
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:54 am)Love your post!
We need 1M more.
-97
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:56 am)(click to show comment)
+8
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:57 am)You have owned this car for four days and you only have 40 miles on it????
Are you kidding me?
The first joyride in the new car should have put more miles than that on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With your daily commute of 100 miles per week, you should get 1000+ MPG.
My advice? Don’t baby it – Drive it!!!!!
Congrats, and enjoy the ride…………
+6
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:59 am)Congratulation on your Volt purchase. I’m glad to see you bought American rather than foreign. Our economy sure can use it. Anyway, good luck with it and enjoy!
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:07 am)Henry,
Thanks for sharing your lease information, and congratulations on your new Volt. Are those solar panels I spy perched on top of your garage roof? If so, three quick questions.
(1) Is your home currently “net-zero” for electricity consumption?
(2) Any idea how charging your Volt will change your electricity consumption?
(3) How does it feel to know your commuting on sun energy?
+5
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:26 am)With your 20 mile per day commute and the ability to charge at work, you might be able to virtually eliminate gasoline use without any increase in your home electricity bill. Nice!
This article brings up a point covered often here over the years. Now maybe we can get a real-world answer. How often will the ICE come on just for routine mainence and stirring the gas tank?
And given that schedule, what is the maximum possible gas mileage achievable in a Volt assuming normal driving for someone who never exceeds the batteries limits?
Henry may be the kind of driver that can answer this for us over the next few months.
Very good article!
Go Volt!
+5
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:27 am)I want to commend you for taking the time to write up the parameters of your lease —I believe others here will find it very helpful too. And regarding your comment about considering a Tesla…
I just responded to a question from Chelsea Sexton on her FB page, “What happens when you wanna go to Vegas?”, which she then answers by saying “I’m driving the Chevrolet Volt!” She explains the trip is to attend CES 2011* starting Jan 6, implying that anyone else driving an EV might not want to try that almost 300 miles one-way. So if you ever did want to take trip like that, your decision not to buy a 245-mile Tesla was probably a good one for that reason (as well as cost).
*Remember CES 2008? Was its keynote address prophetic or pathetic? GM’s CEO (Rick Wagoner) keynoted. On stage: 1) Wagoner, 2) Prominent insignia of GM’s 7 divisions and 3) Volt’s Concept Car. 2011: Wagoner, Pontiac, Saturn & Hummer disappeared, Volt survived! HUZZAH!
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:29 am)I hear you on the “oil sheiks” but do you know our #1 oil sheik is dressed as a Canadian Mountie? That’s right, Canada supplies the most oil of any country to the US for our US oil imports – over 11% of all imports.
Mexico is our #2 imported-from country.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html
Good story – and you use more parenthesis in your writing than I do (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
+14
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:37 am)I don’t think we’ll ever need a new charging infrastructure.
EREVs can eliminate 80% of our current gasoline consumption just by charging overnight. And if people with long commutes plug into 110v at work, that covers another 10%. So that’s 90% of our current gas consumption without any significant new infrastructure.
Now let’s look at our total oil consumption. The United States imports around 2/3 of the oil we consume. Oil consumption breaks down roughly as follows:
• 43% Gasoline (mostly for passenger vehicles)
• 21% Diesel (mostly for heavy duty long distance travel)
• 9% Jet Fuel
• 4% Heating Oil
• 4% Heavy Fuel Oils (Residuals)
• 4% L.P.G.
• 16% Misc. Other Products
Replacing diesel and jet fuel with electricity isn’t viable. You can’t power a plane or ship with batteries, and there is no battery technology on the horizon that can power an 18-wheel truck across the country.
If all passenger vehicles were EREVs, the 43% of our oil consumption from gasoline would decrease to less than 5%. In other words, a whole new charging infrastructure would attack less than 5% of our total oil use. I really don’t see this as a good bang-for-buck proposition.
To me, it’s obvious that any real solution for energy independence must include bio-fuels to replace diesel and jet fuel. And if bio-fuels are required anyway, why not use them for the relatively small amount of gasoline consumption that isn’t covered by EREVs?
Using cellulosic gasification, up to 35% of our current gasoline consumption can be replaced, without any affect on our food supply. EREVs can replace up to 90% of gasoline consumption. Together, that’s 125% – more than enough to completely replace gasoline, all using our current infrastructure of 110 volt outlets and liquid fuel filling stations. And by the way, cellulosic gasification is not some lab experiment. They’re scaling it up now.
Couple that with bio-diesel and jet fuel from algae, and you may have a real solution for energy independence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxNeBQCRv1c
“If we took one tenth of the state of New Mexico and converted it into algae production, we could meet all the energy demands of the U.S.”
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:38 am)I don’t believe battery technology will be significantly advanced in 3 years. The current state of the art might be significantly cheaper, but I am not seeing reported “break-throughs” from the past few years reaching production now, so I don’t see it happening any time soon.
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:41 am)Henry, Thanks for your story, it was fun to read. Let us know how its going in a month or so.
+2
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:54 am)Unlike Mr. Hendler, I do feel that battery technology will advance significantly in 3 years, so I understand your lease decision. I’m like you – buy and hold for 8-10 years and still plan to do so when Volts are available in my area. My thought is that after 5 or so years I can swap out a battery for a more efficient (maybe double the mileage capacity) and less expensive battery pack. I enjoyed your post – I can’t wait to be in your shoes!
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:03 am)Spent about $45 filling the tank this morning. Granted, I fill up once a month because I choose to live as close as possible to my work. But, it still made me very grumpy.
Can’t wait until the only reason I stop at that place is to buy a bag of chips. My Volt can’t come soon enough.
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:38 am)Experts are predicting an 8-9% yearly increase in energy density, so don’t expect battery packs to become smaller or more powerful anytime soon.
There may be some tweaks to the chemistry that improve longevity and cold weather performance. This could happen in the next 3 years.
Battery pack costs will come down significantly. As volume production kicks in, they’ll figure out more ways to streamline the production process.
I think this is a very bad assumption.
Remember that the battery pack includes a processor. The embedded software commentates with all the other sub-systems in the car, and this interface is proprietary. This software also includes patented algorithms. There’s no way GM is going to open up the battery pack design to 3rd party aftermarket companies.
In addition, if battery technology does have significantly better energy density in 3-5 years, GM has specifically stated that they will use this to reduce cost and increase interior space, not to increase range.
http://gm-volt.com/2008/12/24/future-volt-generations-will-offer-cheaper-smaller-batteries-not-longer-ranges/
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:48 am)Hi Rooster
Good eye, catching the PV panels (but no llama, alas). Yes, we are currently net zero on electric use in the home. We thought about adding panels for the Volt, but decided to wait until we saw the answer to your question #2. And it feels really good to be driving my Volt on photons!
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:49 am)The salesman mentioned the engine kicks on for “a few minutes” every 42 days. It prompts you the first time, and you have the option of ignoring it, but the second time you must allow it to turn on the ICE when you are driving.
+2
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:56 am)Just curious ….. Where did you put your Lama?
+5
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:56 am)You can’t just make stuff up like this.
The battery cells used in the Volt are nothing like the ones used in laptops. Different chemistry. This is the first issue GM looked at. If they didn’t have a valid solution, there would be no Volt.
And by the way, do you think maybe GM tested this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Ps_L_wzHk
+2
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:56 am)Dave G,
I suspect as a person who would buy and hold, Muv66 is saying that the volume taken up by the battery on the car he retains for 10+ years will at some future date have a replacement battery provided by GM or a third party which makes use of this unchanged volume to provide more range.
I suspect production of replacement batteries will be shifted to another line and the only advance he may see is a possible drop in the replacement cost of the part. Although if it remains a GM-only part, they may choose to keep the higher profit margin.
This is question we won’t have an answer to in the near future. More range in the same volume battery replacemnt at a lighter weight would be nice though .
+4
Jan 4th, 2011 (10:09 am)“I hear you on the “oil sheiks” but do you know our #1 oil sheik is dressed as a Canadian Mountie? That’s right, Canada supplies the most oil of any country to the US for our US oil imports – over 11% of all imports.
Mexico is our #2 imported-from country.”
-Regardless of where U.S. oil supplies come from, oil is a worldwide commodity that is fungible, so to speak.
There is just one market for oil–the worldwide market(and priced in U.S. $s, btw)–and as such, all who produce share equally in its profit based on worldwide demand.
So while Canada may get the plurality of our petro dollars, that worldwide demand ensures that every oil producer, from Venezuela to Iran, gets the same $ price per barrel.
What they decide to do with those petrodollars from all consuming nations is, of course, up to them.
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (10:14 am)Let’s assume the gas in the tank has to be used up every year to keep it from going stale, so 9 gallons a year minimum. If you drive 35 miles a day, every day, that’s 12,775 miles a year. So max mileage with the Volt would be over 1400 MPG.
But as I’ve said before, I don’t think MPG is a meaningful number fo for plug-ins. Gallons Per Year (GPY) is a much better yardstick. The Volt uses around 9 GPY minimum.
By the way, this assumes you do’t live in a cold climate. If the temerature outside gets below 20 degrees and the car hasn’t been plugged in for a while, the engine turns on for a few minutes to warm the battery when you start driving. When the car is plugged in, the battery is warmed, if necessary, using grid power.
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (10:21 am)I love the 196 MPG license plate. I have #198, so our cars are buddies.
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (10:34 am)Spent $3.45/gallon last night for REGULAR in Bethesda, MD. It really pissed me off.
That’s $3.80/gallon in summer dollars (given the widely accepted 35 cent bump that summer fuel gets due to processing and additives). We still have 3-4 months of potential upside from gas price increases before the summer hit kicks in!
My Volt can’t come to soon. Thanks for the article.
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (10:36 am)==========================
What if you only put in 4.5 gallons, like Henry did? Your 9 gallons per year minimum is then not really accurate………
Just something to consider!
Jan 4th, 2011 (10:38 am)Car manufacturers won’t allow third parties to make battery packs. Too much proprietary software in the pack. The specific pack implementation can also affect the other sub-systems, like the software that controls the electric motor.
For GM to make an upgraded replacement pack, there would have to be a good business case, and I really don’t see that. As an analogy, gas engine technology usually improves significantly over 10 years, but car makers don’t market engine upgrades for older cars. They would rather sell a new car. If your car needs a new engine, you’ll have to get one that matches the original design, or buy a new car.
This is why the battery warranty is so important. After the warranty, when the battery goes bad, you basically have to buy a new car. The cost of replacing the pack probably won’t be worth it.
+2
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:01 am)I assumed GM would run the car periodically enough to use a full tank once a year, in order to be sure it doesn’t go stale. I could be off here, but it doesn’t really matter that much, since we’re only talking about a difference of around 4 gallons a year.
This is why I think MPG is a meaningless number for plug-ins. If the Volt only uses a minimum of 4.5 gallons a year, that would be 2800 MPG, which sounds a lot higher than 1400 MPG, but it ends up being just a few gallons per year.
What’s more: How many people actually relate MPG to dollars? They understand that lower MPG cars cost more to fuel, but if you ask people how much more, 90% would probably have no idea. If cars were rated in Gallons Per Year (GPY) for a typical driver, most people could easily translate that to dollars per year based on current gas prices.
And if you look at other energy consuming products, like a furnace, water heater, or oven, the amount of energy these use varies wildly depending on how much you use them – and yet these products are all rated with typical yearly fuel use. That’s the number people use to compare. I don’t see why cars should be any different.
+2
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:09 am)Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think they have been known to change their minds … LOL
I think the decision on the Gen II pack will depend on what customers are asking for. Cost and interior space seem logical but you never know. Keep in mind that a larger pack would also offer faster acceleration. Lots of options.
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:11 am)Nice report Henry. I’ll be looking for your car, so if you’re followed into a parking lot don’t be alarmed!
Congrats on your car. Turning in an F150 for a Volt displaces a huge amount of gasoline so that’s a big deal.
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:16 am)+1. All great points.
+2
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:22 am)I love these testimonials- the more the better. Chevrolet marketing, start spreading the good word.
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:30 am)#2
Amen. +1
+2
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:33 am)#5
Amen to that too! +1
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:36 am)Thanks for the great post Henry.
….”I’m thinking “196 MPG”, as this is a very achievable goal for me, and I have Volt 196.”
After 376 miles I’m at 214 mpg.
-13
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:44 am)(click to show comment)
-3
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:49 am)lol…..OMG a Station Wagon Volt. Now we just need Chevy Chase to drive it to Walley World.
/don’t forget to photoshop in the wood panel s on the doors…..
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (12:02 pm)Am I crazy, or is the author’s experience so far been absolutely terrible? He seems to be happy with the car (though 4 days isn’t really long enough to tell), but the process of getting there sounds like a nightmare. Would anyone buy an Apple product (for example) if the experience were similar to what Volt purchasers have gone through?
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (12:06 pm)No offense to CorvetteGuy but it sounds like a normal dealership process/interaction.
But then again, it was pretty early in the process.
+7
Jan 4th, 2011 (12:08 pm)Betcha he didn’t sleep on a sidewalk in a line wrapped around the Chevy dealer’s!
.
+8
Jan 4th, 2011 (12:11 pm)The process of getting the Volt was bumpy. However, I was willing to tolerate it because of my love of the Volt’s design and performance. My driving experience has been very enjoyable. To me, this is analogous to waiting in line overnight for concert tickets or the first release of iPads or Call of Duty.
Chris,
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (12:14 pm)Well, I got that wrong! You’re the man, Henry —enjoy that Volt, you earned the right to!
Jan 4th, 2011 (12:23 pm)I’d agree to a point. What salesman is motivated for future sales tho?
+2
Jan 4th, 2011 (12:29 pm)Some one who owns a ten year old car can replace worn or damaged parts with whatever is on the market at the time, some parts don’t match the originals per se. Could be a good match, a bargain, an upgrade or a caveat emptor.
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (12:42 pm)Not quite yet. Someone will still be driving the F 150. Hopefully it will get better mileage than the ’74 Silverado that guy was driving before. Though we’ll begin to see the really big displacements when people buy used volts to replace their ’86 Broncos and other gas hogs equipped with antiquated smog reduction technology.
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (1:01 pm)FYI
The VOLT will be on display at the Montreal Car show this January, can’t wait to have my first look.
WoW!!
-1
Jan 4th, 2011 (1:03 pm)The most positive take I get from your experience is your persistence to get away from the gas guzzler you had paid off. It wasn’t easy to get that Volt in your garage, but you did it.
I like the way you went to different dealers, educating everyone along the way – and they say 2011 Volt buyers aren’t pioneers….pffft. It’s fantastic so many dealers are not price gouging – that is great news!
One advantage, if you can call it that , that I have in waiting eons to get my Volt here in Washington State is having time to ponder lease vs. buy. I am starting to lean towards a lease even though I’ve never leased a car in my life. As I said before, a battery pack that is done in 10 years and may cost $10,000 to replace might render a used Volt – not such a valuable piece. At the least, it might mean a 4 year and out purchase – to be replaced by the better/newer future Volt. Since I’m a 10 year car owner, this too is a new way to do things.
Hey, plugging in the wheels is a new way of doing things – so let the future begin!
OIL IS HELL! ,
James
+13
Jan 4th, 2011 (1:38 pm)Another VOLT first – NEW BUYER TURNS DOWN FREE GAS FILLUP!!!!
“They were going to fill the gas tank, but given my driving circumstances, I opted for only a third of a tank, so I’d be carrying less gas around that I’ll never use. Take that, oil sheiks!”
That should have been the title. Nothing can be more amazing – the salesman must have choked…
+4
Jan 4th, 2011 (1:47 pm)US Bank Lease offer 1/4/11-2/28/11
Ok forum people, we know now that the US Bank lease offer will continue unchanged through 2/28/11. This comes from a regional GM mgr and other sources. So, still one bank, .00025 MF, $2000 GM rebate, and .44 residual using 36 months/12k figures. They believe as stated before that the offer will be extended through the rest of 2011. Still $350 a month before TTL and options.
This is great news for those who are wanting/needing a lease on the Volt. Atleast, most of us who want/need a Volt lease. Personally, we choose a dealership who later turns out will not be honoring the national lease or any lease deal on the Volt. So, there should be a disclaimer on the national lease such as:
*National lease subject to Dealership agreeing to US Bank terms, fees, and conditions. Dealerships are allowed to order Volts are not required to honor US Bank terms, fees, and conditions.
Our specific dealership- Hewlett Chevy-Buick in Georgetown,TX will not honor the national lease. I suspect given the US Bank terms, there are many other dealerships that will put customers in the same boat of having to choose a purchase or no car.
We are in the process of deciding what to do at this point. We might be able to swing a purchase (possible, but unlikely), but looking like we will be forced to give up #724 and start all over again waiting months. So let this news serve as GREAT news for most and a warning for all to confirm your dealer is good to go with US Bank lease terms.
Paul (Cari’s husband)
+2
Jan 4th, 2011 (2:01 pm)Henry, thank you for sharing your Volt adventure with us. Your goal of not using any fuel will only be more difficult over time as you fall in love with the Volt luxury feel and power, then deciding to enjoy the Volt for all the long distance driving too! Enjoy Your Volt!
The comments on lifetime mileage from several Volt owners are interesting, if the dealer resets it (as they should at delivery), the display will show 250+ until the gas engine runs. Those who don’t get it reset have to avoid the gas engine to gradually climb back to the maximum 250+.
In regard to the comments on the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I saw the Volt for the first time at CES in 2010. The plan is to drive up for the weekend. The lifetime mileage will drop, but the daily MPG will be higher than any of my other cars. Since the electric drive feel and performance is there 100% of the time, you will recognize the Volt owners at the show as the happiest attendees. Why? We own the best Consumer Electronics Show product in the world!
CES Volt accessories? You bet!
http://www.geindustrial.com/pressroom/press_releases/electrical/new_products/press_releases_ws.html
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (2:18 pm)Henry you carry a lot of credibility in my book. Solar panels on your roof a GM volt in your garage if every so-called environmentalist followed your lead the world would be a much better place. Thank you for your post and thank you for putting your money where your mouth is. I cannot wait for the day I can follow your excellent example. I hope your story will inspire many more people to make the leap into this new technology. GM Volt changing the world one customer at a time.
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (2:26 pm)For mechanical parts, yes.
For sub-systems with an embedded processor and firmware, only if the manufacturer decides to open up the source code, which is extremely rare.
I suppose someone could reverse engineer most of the embedded software in the battery pack, but that would require a lot of effort, and selling that would probably be illegal as well.
.
Jan 4th, 2011 (2:53 pm)Warranteed for 8yrs/100k miles, but GM expects it to last 150k miles, per an article I read last month. I don’t have time to find the link, sorry. Of course, warranty and expectations are not the same amt. of risk.
+4
Jan 4th, 2011 (2:54 pm)A standard 4-door body turned into a 2 door coupe. Same roofline, rear end, etc.; simply a longer front door, no rear side door.
Jan 4th, 2011 (2:56 pm)Hi #9 JOHN: Right you are. Canada and Mexico account for roughly 3 mil/bbl/day of the 9-12 mil/bbl/day U.S. imports. Or very roughly 30%. Then there are #3 Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nigeria, and Colombia respectively. (Notably Russia (#11) sells us roughly just under 200,000 bbl/day.) In all, the top 15 oil producing countries provide 85% of our total imports.
Putting this into prospective, Canada owns the world’s second largest oil reserves compared to the U.S. being way down something like 20th or so. Of Canada’s oil reserves, 97% is in Alberta’s tar sands. Its easy to understand then the Alberta economy (and Western Canada) is 50% (or more) about oil. Source: The Outlook for [2011] Canada’s Oil and Gas Sector (November 1, 2010)
About two tons of tar sands are required to produce one barrel of oil.
+5
Jan 4th, 2011 (3:01 pm)Why would it cost $10k to replace? Other car parts from junk yards are not that expensive.
Hardly anyone (except maybe a restore nut) would put a $10k new part in a 10-year-old car. Have you ever replaced or even rebuilt an engine in a 10-year-old car, for example? Take that same $10k and buy a 5-year-old entire car.
As I understand the battery, it is made up of 288 discrete (and replaceable?) cells.
-Maybe you could get by for another 10 years with cells from a newer junk battery.
-Maybe you can just replace bad cells and keep the others that are still good.
-Maybe you just lose a little range after 10 years and it’s still good for another 10.
Not everyone is going to fully discharge the battery every day and fully recharge it. People that use less of the battery will have one that keeps on working for much longer than 10 years.
Besides, when I have a 10-year-old car I’m seriously thinking that other parts will be going out soon. I tend to buy another car before I get into the expensive parts replacement business.
+5
Jan 4th, 2011 (3:05 pm)As a humorous side note, five days after I took possession of the Volt, the GM tracking site still says “We’ve received your order from the dealer, however it is not yet available for tracking”, while the privately-operated GMconnects site correctly says “12/31/2010 – (6000) Delivered To Customer or dealer has completed customer paperwork”. LOL
I fiddled around more with the Android app and was able to lock my Volt remotely and configure it to email and text me if someone unplugs it while it is locked (charging away from home). Very cool.
+3
Jan 4th, 2011 (3:22 pm)dg,
Nope I didn’t choke, I thought it was a pretty cool idea considering GM actually recommends you only keep the tank 1/3 full.
-1
Jan 4th, 2011 (3:41 pm)Hi Loboc, how’s your day going so far?
Hey, I hope you’re just not in a mood today looking to be contrarian, ’cause you are agreeing with my point. My point being a Volt lease sounds very attractive being there are so many questions regarding the car. Nobody knows what replacement batteries if any will be available five to ten years from today. Nobody knows if the Volt will become an instant classic , and it’s resale value will be through the roof – or if it will be a 1.4 litre Ecotec lump with a 400 lb. paperweight of a battery along for the ride that nobody can afford to replace.
It will all play out – and my hope is the Volt will soar – it’s replacement and aftermarket parts including battery packs will be affordable and lighter and more superior – at a cost not equalling a compact car… If this indeed is Volt’s future – I’d say buying one is pretty smart. Right now it’s all a bit of a gamble. So my point was and is – this makes a lease very attractive.
OIL IS HELL! ,
James
+2
Jan 4th, 2011 (3:56 pm)One thing that I haven’t seen discussed in car insurance on the Volt. Might be nice to see and compare what agents are quoting for this novel car lacking crash test results. My Country Companies agent sent this “The approximate ins. cost for the 2011 Chevy Volt is $483.00 per 6 months.” Obviously lacking a few details, but it’s a start.
Jan 4th, 2011 (3:59 pm)In my experience, after ten years, used parts are usually available. You can install a used pack in good condition for a fraction of the price and keep going. I’m pretty sure there will be a market for that in ten years. And it’s recycling an old pack as well. It’s all good.
+4
Jan 4th, 2011 (4:10 pm)I’m not so negative on OIL. It did usher in the technological growth we all benefit from.
I’m just negative on IMPORTED OIL.
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (4:18 pm)There is a thread on the forum under “Volt Ownership Forum,” called, “insurance of your Volt.”
Jan 4th, 2011 (4:25 pm)I know this does not relate to this post but:
“What I don’t see mentioned here is what happens if you need servicing and your Volt is in a state that is not “ready” to receive Volts for sale? In Florida, for instance. Just what do you do?”
That is a question that should be answered by someone trying to purchase a Volt in one of the “unlucky” states.
Jan 4th, 2011 (6:26 pm)Lower weight offers faster acceleration too…and if the lower weight is from a lighter, less expensive battery then it’s a win, win.
Jan 4th, 2011 (6:39 pm)10 mile commute … that’s what I would have… will be interesting to see how you do with the gas.
I predict you will be getting close to the 230mpg originally posted for the VOLT.
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:02 pm)Supposedly there are dealers all around the country that have become certified to service the Volts already. I believe one of the Florida purchasers mentioned that his local dealer was trained and agreed to service his car.
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:04 pm)lol, that’s what they said when Lithium batteries came out.
That didn’t happen. Less weight more power/capacity meant more $$$$$$$!!!
And I can pretty much bet the same thing will happen with the next latest and greatest batt tech.
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:06 pm)#10 Dave G,
EXCELLENT POST and a great link to video on how algae-based biodiesel could be a huge part of the solution to our nations energy issues. I have not heard of this new growing technique.
The short video is so good in fact that I am posting the link again.
I urge everybody to watch. Its fascinating!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxNeBQCRv1c
(Thanks a lot Dave. You got me off track for two hours this morning studying algae!)
Go Volt!
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:08 pm)Off Topic:
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/news/article.aspx?Feed=PR&Date=20110104&ID=12561277&Symbol=GM
GM’s December and full year sales numbers are in. The most interesting number by far is at the very bottom of the Chevy sales figures by model. Very nice to see Volt’s in this context. The number is low but just starting. It’s also interesting that, even in it’s first year the Volt’s sales will overtake several venerable other GM models.
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:12 pm)I wasn’t referring to some leap to a new chemistry or the like. LI AA today are much cheaper and much more energy dense than those from 8 years ago. The iteratively improve LI batteries that will go into Volt 2.0 or any lower end Voltec will be much cheaper and energy/power dense than those first gen automotive cells being used in today’s Volts.
-1
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:29 pm)Oh, OK, I gotcha now.
I just hope you’re right though bro!
-1
Jan 4th, 2011 (7:31 pm)lol, hey, you guys notice the “Edit” features countdown is up to 6 minutes now.
/but after editing you still have to click back to get back to the site.
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:08 pm)From article:
My target is to achieve multi-hundred mpg. As a GM-Volt.com post said, I do plan to drive in Sport mode as my “guilty pleasure” (and because I can).
Enjoy the cheap grid or solar power while it lasts.
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:32 pm)Amen to that.
=D-Volt
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:37 pm)You’re THAT OLD?!
The latest in station wagons in production has 6 forward gears decided by the driver with a stick and gasoline and air pushed with a supercharger corralling 556 horses under the hood.
A Volt wagon with a few thousand miles between fill-ups works for me no problem.
+5
Jan 4th, 2011 (8:44 pm)Well, the trend continues…..!
I took another Volt order today. A recently retired businessman and his wife came in and REALLY had fun on the test drive! Just before the freeway onramp, I had him press the Driving Mode button 2 times to switch to Sport Mode, then I told him to floor it! His grin was permanently attached to his face after that. They have been driving a Prius for the past 8 years and it was recently destroyed in a car accident. They both said there was no comparison: “The Volt feels and drives like a larger luxury car than the Prius… with GREAT handling!”
Not much I can add to that!
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:00 pm)None taken. Even I have to admit that not all salespeople have as strong an interest in the Volt as I do. Half the sales guys here don’t give a rats. It is not a high-profit car in the first place. Most of them just turn their customers to me and give up half the deal, (if they do place an order). I have no problem with that. Some Chevy Guys are Pros, and the rest are just order takers. That’s the car business I guess.
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:04 pm)That is so freaking cool!!
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:05 pm)http://www.keyt.com/news/local/Volt-Arrives-Leaf-On-The-Way-112907709.html
NPNS
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (9:38 pm)Sounds like making a layout. I assume affluent Prius owners will be converting in droves but so are luxury sedan owners based on responses in the forum.
+1
Jan 4th, 2011 (10:38 pm)Thank you. This article very comprehensive. In my opinion interesting volt journey
+4
Jan 4th, 2011 (11:47 pm)Today I was driving along with my outside air set on the climate control in my Prius. I got behind this smokey old puke car and just about felt like the gulps of gasoline-fueled crud I inhaled before I switched to recirc took a year or two off my lifespan. It’s so strange how we’re so acclimated to breathing puke from internally combustible machines. It’s also strange how quick we forget the Exxon Valdez oil spill, after all, it’s way up thar in Alaska – Palinville, where nobody but Eskimos live, right? It only killed a few million salmon and about a quadrillion untold sea organisms key to making a natural ecosystem….Oh, and there’s our Gulf of Mexico. Isn’t that all taken care of? Didn’t BP fix everything and leave it as it was? You know that all was “domestic ” OYLLLLL…. Let’s face it –
OIL IS HELL !.
It’s bad enough our plastics depend upon it, and our addiction to it is such that we justify the use and abuse of it. I’m not even touching on national security and the importation of tons upon tons of it every day.
I went to the gas station today – my supermarket had a little sticker on the pump today stating ” all 6 cent discounts are null and void as of January 1st – after which you pay regular price”…Wow, and I missed out on a whole 60 cents savings! It only cost maybe half of one of my children’s college tuitions to fill the tank – $3.09 today for regular unleaded!
OIL IS HELL!
I don’t want to soft-pedal our heinous addiction to oil. I do want to give some food for thought re: the outdated, unnecessary, innefficient and dangerous usage of it, and our predilections to justify our usage of great big dosages of it every year per household. There is really no getting around just how awful Petroleum dependence is, foreign or domestic, and to me, that’s what going Volt or EV is all about.
Remember in the documentary WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR when the scientist said, “In the history of our earth, any species that has not evolved has died out” ? We have become a species of oil-dependent creatures. Oil is generally the remains of extinct dinosaurs, sea creatures and organic material that existed millions upon millions of years ago. Soon we’ll join the dinosaurs if we all don’t pull our collective heads out – and realize……
OIL IS HELL!
I don’t think I’ve gotten one +1 since I adopted my new tag line for 2011. It seems folks think it’s too strong, or offensive in some way. Sorry but I just don’t understand this. It’s a strong statement for folks who just kind of underestimate the urgency of getting off the stuff.
There’s a ton of political correctness flowing on this site, I noticed. I’m not a very politically correct kind of guy. I just say it like it is and let the chips fall where they may.
Why on earth would anyone be afraid of offending an oil person? For the fact that thousands make a living working in the oil business? Come on! Lots of people work in the illegal drug business too – should we not say it like it is because it might hurt their feelings? I know people have to work, and I know working for Big Oil is a sure way for a few to make a buck…But I’m a BIG PICTURE guy and those folks need to work towards working in a clean field, such as green sustainable energy – and for now, at least be real about their industry.
James
+1
Jan 5th, 2011 (12:03 am)There, I’ll give you a +1, but you have to give +1 back for …
“COAL IS HELL, TOO”
Just watched part of ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’ and I noted it was made just 1 year after I lived in WV (Anybody keeping track of me, yes, I’ve lived in FL, NY, PA, SC… and now you can add WV to the list). I now (given the Volt…and my solar panels) look at that WV experience in whole new way. What a waste. All that scenery putrefied by strip mines. All those lives lost, or shortened, by a rock you can burn. It’s disgusting.
Fossil fuels, in this country or any other, should remain where they are- buried underground. Go renewable!!
Jan 5th, 2011 (12:31 am)I fully agree with (& +1′d) you both! Let’s go after above-ground renewable/sustainable energy!
.
+4
Jan 5th, 2011 (1:17 am)Great story Henry! Thanks for sharing it with GM-Volt! In case you guys doubt the professional response to this project, check out Dan Neil’s article in the Journal. Dan has been a harsh critic of GM and its antics in the past; but here’s a quote from his current take:
“But for the moment, we should suspend our rancor and savor a little American pride. A bunch of Midwestern engineers in bad haircuts and cheap wristwatches just out-engineered every other car company on the planet. And they did it in 29 months while the company they worked for was falling apart around them. That was downright heroic. Somebody ought to make a movie.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304510704575562363168727230.html
2011 – build MORE VOLTS!
Jan 5th, 2011 (4:32 am)From WSJ article: (very worth reading BTW)
Rebecca Costa: “There was a moment last week when I borrowed a Volt to drive to a local mall.”
Now that’s cool, to have a friend that can, will, let you borrow a Volt!
Jan 5th, 2011 (3:05 pm)Hellloo, great new movie idea, are you listening, Hollywood? If done right, a movie like that would be right up there with ‘Apollo 13′.
Come to think of it, Ron Howard should helm the project.
Jan 5th, 2011 (3:41 pm)I welcome the Volt as the first genuine Transport solution that substitutes for Petroleum in some form.
Do we need such a solution? Yes. It is the only remaining petroleum use that an adequate substitute had not previously been found But why do we need it?
For religious reasons No. But if it rocks your boat, you can believe what you wish.
To be prepared for “when it runs out”? Partially. To have a solution that averts a crisis when or if the Petroleum runs out? But Oil supplies are rapidly increasing and demand has stabilized. Someday that may be true but not for several hundred years at the earliest and probably a Millenia or more despite Peakist nonsense about refining capacity.
Now we have discovered that there is a massive biological force at work creating new petroleum at a prodigious rate, that we were wholly unaware of as recently as a decade ago. Do you even know what it is?
In any case, We are only a few decades from unlimited clean Fusion energy that can be turned into electricity and power our Transport needs indefinitely.
For trade balance reasons? Certainly, but a raw commodity like petroleum is really not as much as a economic drag as it once was.
Fore Economic warfare reasons? Yes. But no matter the influence of Middle Eastern Oil Sheiks and totalitarian Oil Commissars has peaked and is declining. Monopolies are not forever; they contain the seeds of their own destruction. OPEC is an old cartel, more than 40 years old, whose influence is in rapid decline. Of the five major oil markets, all are now in decline with the Transport market the last to find an adequate substitute. Proof is that the last several large moves in Oil Prices were temporary “Price Spikes” that did not endure. Oil supplies are going into surplus conditions and the multi-decade direction is for a Price collapse just like what occurred in the early 1980s.
For Pollution reasons? No. America has been forced to find ways to clean its ICE automotive engines. America has done so and showed the rest of the World how to do so. Our modern ICEs produce Zero pollution from the tailpipe, other than CO2. I expect to have a VE Day celebrating America’s Victory for the Environment and conquest of Air Pollution, in the next few years. We have already largely completed cleaned up our waters. We await the cleanup of Houston’s and Los Angeles’ air to be able to claim victory.
Quantitative science of the 21st century is calibrating and answering the question of just how much warming a doubling of CO2 will create. The quantitative answer is not much, from 0.01 to 0.03 degrees Fahrenheit,per doubling. That is much less than the several degrees that was originally feared but unknown. So CO2 is proving harmless and even quite beneficial as it “Greens the Planet feeding the starved and stunted Flora, worldwide.
CARB wants to issue new LEV III emissions regulations, requiring ICE automobiles to be as clean as the categories created for EVs. Lamely, they had to admit 25% of the ICE cars on the road already met their ultimate new standards. America uses little automotive diesels except in very large vehicles, trucks and locomotives, so Diesel research is not as advanced. Europeans who do use lots of auto Diesels, were sitting on their asses and not creating equivalent pollution cleanup technology, for their Diesels. But they are starting ot doo so, even as it is very primitive compared to America’s current technology.
America will not pay for, and greviously harm its auto makers once again, doing and apying for the enormous investments for Diesel cleanup technology. It will likely bypass Diesels altogether and adopt semi-diesels, so called HCCI technology, that can use the cleanup technology already existing and developed for ICEs. Plus the HCCI engines are just as fuel efficient; and offer much lighter engines, to improve fuel economy and efficiency even more.