The most miles I drove on battery mode was 53.8 miles. It was 53 degrees outside during the trip. I made an effort to drive as efficiently as I could during this trip. I tried to keep the car between 40 and 50 mph and used as little braking as possible during the trip.

That's excellent!
Thanks for sharing your data with everyone.
So in "D" or "L" ?
WOT

You are doing better than me Robert. I haven't really done any babying of the EV range. I seem to be getting just shy of an effective 40 on most of my vigorous highway romps. My trip to work is 30 miles and when I get there there are usually less than 10 remaining. I then recharge during the day so I dont completely deplete the battery.

Sometimes I only charge for about 4 hours so I wind up driving back home with about 22 or 24 remaining and go into engine mode close to home.

Sometimes I only charge for about 4 hours

(and sometimes he forgets to check if his charger is plugged in, but don't tell anyone, it's a secret :-)

(and sometimes he forgets to check if his charger is plugged in, but don't tell anyone, it's a secret :-)

No really I dont...Ok maybe once

That's excellent!
Thanks for sharing your data with everyone.
So in "D" or "L" ?
WOT

I drive mostly in "D" (probably 95% of the time). I try to anticipate when I need to slow down and downshift to "L" temporarily instead of using the brakes as much as possible. I try to use the brakes as little as possible.

And the advantage of using the breaks as little as possible is you will most likely never have to have your pads replaced. I have almost 130,000 miles on my 2003 Prius and I've never had the break pads replaced.

When I know I'll need to use the brakes on my Accord hybrid, I try to ride them just to where the green regeration bar is max'd. It's amazing how many people are in a big rush to get to the red light and stop.

The best I have done so far is 48.8 miles on electric. Seems I am always catching up with Robert!

Mike

Any of the other NY or DC drivers have any experience on EV range in cold weather? I have only one data point in weather below 40 degrees, but it seems like the EV range may drop by 20% in weather just above freezing. My data is very unscientific since I only have one data point, but I will continue to monitor this as the cold weather settles in.

Was the car plugged in just prior to that "short" drive cycle? I take it pre-conditioning was NOT requested via your remote or smart phone prior to driving?
Thanks
WOT

I drive mostly in "D" (probably 95% of the time). I try to anticipate when I need to slow down and downshift to "L" temporarily instead of using the brakes as much as possible. I try to use the brakes as little as possible.

That's clever. Not an unrealistic practice for people that have or use to drive vehicles with a manual transmission and downshifted to slow down some (I owned a manual '91 Ford Explorer and did that).

Was the car plugged in just prior to that "short" drive cycle? I take it pre-conditioning was NOT requested via your remote or smart phone prior to driving?
Thanks
WOT

The car was plugged in and no pre-conditioning was requested (the car was parked in my garage where the temperature is in the mid 50's.

I drive mostly in "D" (probably 95% of the time). I try to anticipate when I need to slow down and downshift to "L" temporarily instead of using the brakes as much as possible. I try to use the brakes as little as possible.

I test drove a Brat and found it unsettling to shift from 2WD to 4WD on the fly when rolling over 10mph. Felt like something would break over time. Can it be good for the Volt to be shifted to L at 60mph? Seems best to start in normal mode using L regen for maximum range. Am I wrong with this thinking? Is there a gain in using D regen at highway speed?

I test drove a Brat and found it unsettling to shift from 2WD to 4WD on the fly when rolling over 10mph. Felt like something would break over time. Can it be good for the Volt to be shifted to L at 60mph? Seems best to start in normal mode using L regen for maximum range. Am I wrong with this thinking? Is there a gain in using D regen at highway speed?

I don't believe there is a mechanical change associated with this shift but rather a control algorithm change so there shouldn't be an wear issues from it.

I don't believe there is a mechanical change associated with this shift but rather a control algorithm change so there shouldn't be an wear issues from it.

Thanks for the reply. Is there a gain in using D regen at highway speed? Better to shift to L on start up?

Thanks for the reply. Is there a gain in using D regen at highway speed? Better to shift to L on start up?

Twist: I should get my Volt next week but will respond from my understanding of my study of the Volt. I would say the most effective use of the L position is to use it anytime you would normally have to use the brakes to slow the car down. If travelling in D the car will use regen any time it is decellerating. But if that is enough that you don't have to push the brake pedal then there would be not any advantage of shifting to L. If travelling in L position you may find yourself feathering the accelerator to keep from getting too much slowing from excessisve regen. I used to do that on my old motorhome because in Cruise control it would slow the vehicle down on short downhill dips where I would rather it would just coast and pick up a little speed.

That brings up a question of Does the Volt accelerator pedal override the cruise control on passing or other acceleration.

Thanks for the reply. Is there a gain in using D regen at highway speed? Better to shift to L on start up?

My understanding is that the max regen is ~60kw, regardless of "D" or "L" position. "L" provides more "lift off" regen, IOW the regen is stronger when you release the accelerator pedal. There is additional regen with the brake pedal to a max of ~60kw. The "L" setting is more of a convenience mode to allow for one pedal driving rather than an energy saving feature.

That brings up a question of Does the Volt accelerator pedal override the cruise control on passing or other acceleration.

I would be extremely surprised if it did not. Brake pedal should disengage cruise until manually resumed. Accelerator should increase speed above programmed, then coast back to set speed without disengaging cruise. If not and you need to accelerate for a quick avoidance maneuver you're out of luck without disengaging cruise first. This would be a huge safety flaw.

One thing I had to get accustomed to in the Prius, and the same is likely the case with the Volt is the lack of interaction between cruise control and accelerator pedal position. With conventional ICE cars, the cruise control actually "steps on" the accelerator and physically moves the pedal to operate the mechanical throttle linkage. In the Prius it's just an electrical signal and the pedal doesn't move. This was puzzling at first as the cruise control didn't seem to be working based on pedal feedback.

One thing I had to get accustomed to in the Prius, and the same is likely the case with the Volt is the lack of interaction between cruise control and accelerator pedal position. With conventional ICE cars, the cruise control actually "steps on" the accelerator and physically moves the pedal to operate the mechanical throttle linkage. In the Prius it's just an electrical signal and the pedal doesn't move. This was puzzling at first as the cruise control didn't seem to be working based on pedal feedback.Marty, this mechanism isnt limited to hybrids or EVs, electronic throttle controls have been used even for "conventional ICE cars" for well over 10 years (one of the first GMs was actually the 1997 C5 Corvette)
The same is true for most OEMs so most people should be comfortable with this physical "disconnect" IMHO (unless they havnt had a new car in a long time)
WopOnTour

Ok, 54 miles would break the record et? Sounds like a challenge that must be taken........now if I can only contain my passion for blowing the doors off the unsuspecting and EV envious Prius driver, it may be possible..... :o)

The best I have done so far is 48.8 miles on electric. Seems I am always catching up with Robert!

Mike

Hi Mike
on Friday I was able to get my max so far on battery of
47.8 mpc. Good luck with your Volt!
Paul S. Red Volt #2169, Hudson, Albany NY

Got 58.6 miles on one charge today. Can't figure out how to post photo from my iphone...

Got 58.6 miles on one charge today. Can't figure out how to post photo from my iphone...

Wow! Congrats! Are there any driving tips you can offer? D? Normal? Speeds?

Volt 63

did you end at about the same elivation that you started at?

did you end at about the same elivation that you started at?

Good point, Marlow, I was able to get 95 EV miles on a single 'charge', but that included a 7000' decent on the return trip :o) LOVE THIS CAR....told my wife we could now buy her cabin in the mountains since round trip in a Volt would only be $8 vs. the $40 it'd have cost with the minivan.

One other question, has anyone seen over 50 MILES on the battery or is that max it will ever display - probably states such in the manual? GO VOLT

Ok, 54 miles would break the record et? Sounds like a challenge that must be taken........now if I can only contain my passion for blowing the doors off the unsuspecting and EV envious Prius driver, it may be possible..... :o)

Hey I resent that comment! I am a Prius driver too, lol. I don't know how you guys are managing 50+ miles on a charge though.. Granted I have only had my Volt 3 days, and I have to much fun blasting the throttle without worry about gas like the Prius. I guess if I slowed down some I might get better miles. The best I have done was 37 on a single charge. Curious about any tips anyone has for getting more. Would be nice to go at least 2 days between charges. I do live in Florida though, and the terrain is mostly flat so that may have a lot to do with it. Not to mention all the stop lights on my drive.

Hey I resent that comment! I am a Prius driver too, lol. I don't know how you guys are managing 50+ miles on a charge though.. Granted I have only had my Volt 3 days, and I have to much fun blasting the throttle without worry about gas like the Prius. I guess if I slowed down some I might get better miles. The best I have done was 37 on a single charge. Curious about any tips anyone has for getting more. Would be nice to go at least 2 days between charges. I do live in Florida though, and the terrain is mostly flat so that may have a lot to do with it. Not to mention all the stop lights on my drive.

1. turn off the AC
2. use the cruise control
3. run in L (low) for max regen
4. try not to Jack Rabbit every start from a light with a Prius next to you! :D:D:D:D

We are in the mid 40s running the AC in ECO mode.

I am going to guess this L mode is the same as B mode on the Prius? I am still reading the owners manual for the Volt.. I see where I am messing up though. I have been blasting the AC, nailing the throttle, and doing the opposite of all the above. :D The car still does extremely well (in my mind) for the way I use it. Especially since I am used to doing all the above ideas on our Prius (no AC, windows down, etc..).. So for me driving the Volt is almost like a kind of release where I do not have to care because it is not burning any gas.

About the max regen though... That is the one thing different I have noticed about our Volt compared to the Prius. I tried using the Prius regen tricks on the Volt, and it appears to me that it has 0 benefit/effect on the battery? The distance counter never goes up. Not even by 1 mile. Granted I have been driving in D, and not L so that may have some bearing on it. I will try that on my commute tomorrow. Kind of gave up on the whole regen thing since I did not see any benefit from it.

Good point, Marlow, I was able to get 95 EV miles on a single 'charge', but that included a 7000' decent on the return trip :o) ...

Old thread so I had not seen this. Curious Was this a charge at the top of the 7000' hill and 95miles on that charge, or a trip using CD+CS (and MM) then shut it off and get it to think its CD on the downhill?

I've done 75 on on a charge before using any gas (climbed 9000-11900 ft. then down to 5000, so not a much elevation as you were able to use.

. The best I have done was 37 on a single charge. Curious about any tips anyone has for getting more. Would be nice to go at least 2 days between charges. I do live in Florida though, and the terrain is mostly flat so that may have a lot to do with it. Not to mention all the stop lights on my drive.

Keep your speed at 60mph or less, and AC in Econ, minimize your accelerations and stops , and you should get about 43 miles per charge in flat terrain. I get as high as 45 mile range, or more sometimes, driving on Hwy 95 at temps indicating almost 100 degrees just by keeping the speed below 60mph .

About the max regen though... That is the one thing different I have noticed about our Volt compared to the Prius. I tried using the Prius regen tricks on the Volt, and it appears to me that it has 0 benefit/effect on the battery? The distance counter never goes up. Not even by 1 mile. Granted I have been driving in D, and not L so that may have some bearing on it. I will try that on my commute tomorrow. Kind of gave up on the whole regen thing since I did not see any benefit from it.

I don't think you need to use L mode to achieve maximum regen. The Volt should be achieving max regen when using the brake pedal for braking also, providing you aren't braking too hard. You just want to be starting to use the brake early enough so that you can brake gradually enough such that the friction brakes aren't brought in until the very end. The green ball is your friend, keep it mostly on the target in the middle section; diving off to the bottom means you didn't start slowing down soon enough, or braked a little too lightly in the beginning requiring heavy friction braking later. Of course there are always going to be situations where the traffic light turns on you, or traffic slows etc. where you have to stop quickly and this will be unavoidable, don't sacrifice paying attention to safety. I'm only talking about situations where you see the light ahead of you is red & cars are stopping in front of you with plenty of time to start braking early, but gently.

Other than long downhills, or mountain mode usage, I don't see why you would expect battery miles to ever go up. The Volt is designed to drain the battery to a certain point, then just fluctuate around that point, using a bit from the battery for times where extra power is needed, recovering some from regen. If it manages to build up a bit of excess charge it'll just slow/turn off the gas engine and draw from the battery instead to burn off the excess, and you'll get better MPG. The battery is only supposed to be fully charged from the wall, grid energy is cheapest & cleanest. You get the best mileage per energy consumed by having an empty battery when you get home, not by having it fill back up by burning more gas then you really need to. It's not like a Prius where it's a small battery being charged from regen effects, and there's no plug to fill it back up. You are getting the regen benefits, it's probably just that it's not showing them to you the way you expect like you were used to on your Prius.

About the max regen though... That is the one thing different I have noticed about our Volt compared to the Prius. I tried using the Prius regen tricks on the Volt, and it appears to me that it has 0 benefit/effect on the battery? The distance counter never goes up. Not even by 1 mile. Granted I have been driving in D, and not L so that may have some bearing on it. I will try that on my commute tomorrow. Kind of gave up on the whole regen thing since I did not see any benefit from it.

On my 2012, there is a kWh used counter in the Energy Info page. I have seen it go down with regen. So the computer system acknowledges that there is some energy going back into the battery, but it's not enough to trigger an adjustment in range.

Maybe because I drive a lot of very hilly terrain here in CO, I do see my range go up, but when it does it s slow.
In my best run every (down I70 from loveland pass, see http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?8925-75Miles-on-a-single-charge ), I was down to 10miles/2bars of range and by the time I came down the 5 miles of the pass I had 17 miles/4 bars
showing.


I presume they are using some type of Kalman filter to do the range estimation and it probably mixes multiple time constants so that it does not fluctuate wildly like say the leaf. I've also seen regen show up as miles after a delay (increasing after I'm on the flats). So if I regen for a mile or two on the highway my range will go up, as it recalculates range with a lot of regen. But short regens things like a stop sign probably should not impact range as it should expect you will eat up most of that power on the other side of the stop. I can see the marketing advantage to showing lots of gain (instant gratification), but the longer time constants probably make for better estimates. The folks on the Leaf site have their own process because their range estimation, which they call the "guess-o-meter" is useless (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=5543)
I find it ironic that Volt, which does not lead to range anxiety, had a better range estimation algorithm.

I actually saw my range go up by 1 mile today through regen braking.. So there is something going on. The more I drive the car the more I realize using the regen braking while the distance counter does not go up it also does not go down either. So it is acknowledging something. I bumped up the tire pressures to 45psi yesterday. So drove to work and came home. That was a 24 mile drive, and I have 61% of the battery left with 29 miles of range supposidly. So I will see where the car takes me. Just taking me a minute to get used to how the car drives is all.

I drove 62.8 miles on battery power the other day. Part of the trip included a long downhill run.

Hi,

Have my Volt since November 7th, 2011. Living in Quebec Metropolitan Area. In November, when I left home, with battery fully charged, the range was said to be 54 km. However, I've never been able to complete a full trip to-from work, which is 27 km away. Indeed, when I arrive @ work, on flat and downhill roads, the remaining capacity was around 60% (more than 30 km or so). But going back uphill does naturally comsume more power.

Since then, outside temperature did gradually decrease (eg: -27° C / -17 F this morning) as did the max. range. I never have an expected range above 43 km and the gas engine does regularly take over due to outside temp (so says the message on the dashboard's display). I try to always stay in the "efficency range" and to avoid braking. However, since I also avoid highways to reduce consumption and avoid traffic jam, I have to stop every now and there at crossings ;-). Maybe should I try using more the L position.

Hopefully, when temp. will increase and with normal summer tires, the range will reverse to a better one.

I just did 49.5 miles. This is my personal best. The temperature was 63 and there were two of us in the Volt. Starting out the display said I had an estimated 34 miles. I drove in L model.
I love this car

I just did 49.5 miles. This is my personal best. The temperature was 63 and there were two of us in the Volt. Starting out the display said I had an estimated 34 miles. I drove in L model.
I love this car

Congrats.. nearly 50mile club.. when the weather gets warmer you'll be breaking 50..
It is funning how much joy the Volt can give on for being efficient..

Not too shabby!
44mpg on gas ain't bad either!
Were you going downhill for 75 miles?

I just got the best range ever yesterday. We are having warm weather for a few days, mid 70s. On a drive at 50 to 55 mph, on a flat highway with a speed limit of 55, with a very light foot, I got 46 miles on one charge. I was used to seeing 43 to 44 last summer nearly everyday. The only way I know of beating 46 in my car would be to pump up the tires (they are currently at 36 psi when warmed up), or drive slower than 50 mph.

2011 #1228 with the software upgrade.....

picked up my volt last week and only have 2 long range points . the range was only 28-29 mile help me get better . i have a 50 mile drive one way to work and then i can charge it .

picked up my volt last week and only have 2 long range points . the range was only 28-29 mile help me get better . i have a 50 mile drive one way to work and then i can charge it .

nogasnv- I'm in Ohio too, and, as an owner for about a month, I think we're pretty dependent on temperature right now. I see 28-30 miles with a full charge all the time this past month. I'm not sacrificing heat for mileage at this point. When it warms up, we'll see better, but I've gathered the temperatures are fighting us right now. You can turn off / turn down the heat and maybe gain a bit, but.... then you'll be cold.

Just be glad its not under 24* right now- then the engine would run, and you'd get low battery run time too. I think we're fighting the laws of physics right now. What do I recommend- just remember how awful your gas mileage was in the winter time, in a pure gas car.

We're going to see a heat wave the next few days- watch your battery gauge- you may gain a few miles!

full charge today was 32 miles . trying to keep leaf ball in line to see if i get better . going to work for the first time tomarrow i'll see what it does

67 degrees today, started with a full charge of 31 miles, made it 40.8 on battery power only, used .79 gallons for the remaining 34.5 miles. DC to Baltimore and back via 495 Beltway and I-95. Might have to change my last name to "Lightfoot," though others might say "Pokey" would be more accurate.

I think we're fighting the laws of physics right now. What do I recommend- just remember how awful your gas mileage was in the winter time, in a pure gas car.

Any body have any hard data on the temperature effect in a regular car for comparison? And yes, despite what politicians try to legislate, the laws of physics win every time.

Any body have any hard data on the temperature effect in a regular car for comparison? And yes, despite what politicians try to legislate, the laws of physics win every time.

Might look at data on Fuely.com..

I am also a Prius owner, and by anticipating stops, my brake pads have not been replaced after 80K miles. Now own a 2012 Volt also, and I am wondering if there is any danger of causing damage to the transmission by frequently downshifting into L to slow the vehicle when anticipating a stop. I have been doing this, and seems to work very well to avoid use of brakes, and regenerate electricity. Just wanted to make sure I am not going to create a problem by doing so. Wonder if any 2011 Volt owners have logged a lot of miles doing this as well.

I am also a Prius owner, and by anticipating stops, my brake pads have not been replaced after 80K miles. Now own a 2012 Volt also, and I am wondering if there is any danger of causing damage to the transmission by frequently downshifting into L to slow the vehicle when anticipating a stop. I have been doing this, and seems to work very well to avoid use of brakes, and regenerate electricity. Just wanted to make sure I am not going to create a problem by doing so. Wonder if any 2011 Volt owners have logged a lot of miles doing this as well.

Shifting into L does nothing to the transmission whatsoever. The only thing it does is tell the control computer to recalibrate the throttle map to include more regen on the bottom end - you could achieve the same result by careful application of a little bit of brake pedal in D. There should be no impact to durability or longevity due to driving in L - actually, from what I've read I think most of us generally do most of our driving in L. (I'm also a sucker for Sport, which I try not to abuse too often. It makes the car so charmingly eager and fleet-footed.)

picked up my volt last week and only have 2 long range points . the range was only 28-29 mile help me get better . i have a 50 mile drive one way to work and then i can charge it .

Climate control settings make a *huge* difference in battery mileage. (The electric heater draws 6.5 kW continuously from the battery when it is really cold, it can drain the whole battery by itself in 90 minutes.)

Do you have heated seats? If so, try putting the seat on high (it draws about 40W - less than 1% of what the cabin heater can draw,) and the car in fan only for a commute, and see how big the change is. You might also try preheating/remote starting the car - using wall power to condition the cabin before you leave (on 120 it will draw some battery power doing this.)

Beyond that, the usual hypermiling advice applies... slow down, anticipate stops and try to maintain momentum. Slow acceleration and deceleration is more efficient (but less fun.) Higher tire pressures reduce rolling resistance, making the car go further on the same power.

I almost NEVER use anything but my heated seat to keep me warm when I am in the car. I do know that my charge range increases when the outside ambient temps are not harsh. GM also put out some info about how to drive your Volt in cold weather..