Hi i'm new here. i'm thinking of getting a volt when they come out in Canada but where I live 4-5 months of the year are -30*c and colder. I'm curious since GM says they are winterized but nobody I have seen states anything colder then single digit *F. We hit -45*F here on a regular basis and wondering how they factored weather to that extreme for interior heating and generator operation.

Example:
I have a Saturn Ion redline right now and it barely gets to 50*C on the coolant and I have cardboard covering my radiator and my heat exchanger. This is even after 30 minutes of continuous driving on the highway at 110kmh. If I idle the temp goes even lower. Nothing is wrong with my vehicle its just that cold. My interior barely warms up to comfortable.

Any comments and ideas on this?

Idea; spend your money on a heated garage.

If you hit -45F on a regular basis the Volt probably isn't the best choice for a car. A diesel wouldn't be a very wise choice either. Though the Volt would probably "function" in those temps, the electric only range would be very low and the gasoline engine would run just about all the time while driving.

BTW - There are plenty of areas in the US that see low temps. Supposed to be -20C tonight in the Detroit area for example...and I've experienced -40C at Michigan Tech (Houghton, MI) while going to school there.

Rent a Uhaul, load all your belongings in it, drive to Miami, buy house there. Now buy that Volt. Live happily ever after.

My guess is that 4 months out of the year you will get a very low AER, the other 8 months out of the year your Al Electric Range will be closer to what one would expect. My Prius gets 33 MPG at 0 Degrees F. It get 55 MPG at 75 Degrees F. 33 at 0 is still better than most cars out there and probably better than all cars at 0. Likewise 10 Miles AER is still better than most cars out there. Keep in mind the engine will come on to heat the battery pack too.

Central Alberta Canada here... I have the 2010 Fusion Hybrid. (45000 KMs so far.. lifetime average milage 48 MPG Canadian... )
This car functions very well in all kinds of weather... Milage in the summer can get up to 58 - 59 MPG and in the last 10 days of -20 C and colder and 50 cms of snow.... still managed 32 MPG.... I am sure the Volt will work well..
I will be buying on when they get up my way (2013 ??) and will be able to compare the driveability and milage of both cars...

Hmmm I see. Well i'm central manitoba and the last 2 weeks have been a good -45 straight through. Funny thing about the diesel thing a poster said was my fiancee has a jetta diesel its an 09 and it starts up better then my gas engine when not plugged in , in these conditions and gets to operating temp without hesitation.

I wish moving to Miami was an option but its not. I might be able to go to Alberta. depends how jobs are out there otherwise thats about it for my options. Heated garage is a good idea but what happens when I need to park outside for work too. Hmm. I wish I had some more Intel on these things.

Not to pick, but Celsius and Fahrenheit are equal at -40C / -40F:

Tf = (9/5) * Tc + 32
Tf = (9/5) * (-40) + 32
Tf = (-360 / 5) + 32
Tf = (-72) + 32
Tf = -40

You are correct. My mistake. I had thought it was -45/-45 but you are correct. So its about -49*F here. I wonder if gm factored those cold days into they're car building and designing process. haha.

Are you factoring wind chill in those numbers? I know that Central Manitoba gets pretty darn cold, but sustained -45C for long periods doesn't seem to correspond to the historical weather data. Wind chill has no real effect on inanimate objects, so it's just the regular temp of concern.

Here are a few articles about the Volt Cold Weather Testing.

http://gm-volt.com/2010/02/23/chevy-volt-cold-weather-testing-update/

http://gm-volt.com/2010/02/17/live-chat-cold-weather-testing-the-chevy-volt/

http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/23/volt-mule-winter-testing-has-been-successful/

Are you factoring wind chill in those numbers? I know that Central Manitoba gets pretty darn cold, but sustained -45C for long periods doesn't seem to correspond to the historical weather data. Wind chill has no real effect on inanimate objects, so it's just the regular temp of concern.

Wind chill has an impact on those things that are trying to maintain optimal operating temperatures, whether it is an animal, or some type of chemical / combustion process. The wind chill number is devised for human comparisons, so those numbers don't translate to your vehicle's engine or heating your home; still, rapidly flowing cold air will impact your cars efficiency, or how much energy is needed to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home.