GM-Volt: Chevy Volt Forum - Chevy Volt News and Events

No dice on 2014 V1.5/2.0

Vettes980 — Sat, 25 May 2013 01:44:38 GMT

Gone are some colors, standard is the leather wheel and now you don't have to find the fob or open the door when you forget to pop the charge door.... sigh.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2013/05/...s-rpo-central/

Free EV Charging Station never pay for electric - is there an EV term for these folks

Solar EV — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:32:51 GMT

Here is the situation. We installed a Charging Station at my Daughter's store - free use - to promote business and support the whole EV following. Recently there is a vehicle that shows up late in the day, connects to the charging station, and disappears for hours. With the physical location, there is no question that the charging station is being provided by the store. Sometimes there is another car they use to drive away and come back hours later. This is happening more and more with this one vehicle - in the last 5 days about $8 of electric was consumed - now becoming a burden for a small business. So maybe the next step is to charge for usage. The person never shops at the store. I guess free is free but this person goes out of their way to get a free charge, never visits the business, and uses a gas car to shuttle back and forth!

The newspaper they can't give away

JamesMcQuaid — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:35:28 GMT

Takeaway: the Wall Street Journal has been consistently critical of electric vehicle tax credits, despite the fact that the subscribers of WSJ receive a higher percentage tax credit:

The newspaper they can't give away:

To spark buyers for financial newspapers, drop the price to nearly $0

Despite being 100% free after tax credits, the total circulation of the Wall Street Journal is 2,378,827, which is less 1% of households in the U.S.:

Quote:

http://www.calcpa.org/Content/consum...ductibles.aspx

Also deductible is the cost of financial newspapers, such as The Wall Street Journal or the Financial Times, as well as financial magazines, journals and newsletters. To qualify for the deduction, the IRS says that there must be a credible relation between the information, the advice gained and the taxpayer's investment activity.

The front page of the May 22nd edition of The Wall Street Journal includes a byline labeled "The Car They Can't Give Away", which is the following article (on the print edition page D1) by Joseph B. White:

Quote:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...010639156.html
To Spark Buyers for Electric Cars, Drop the Price to Nearly $0

By JOSEPH B. WHITE

Quote:

Plug-in cars accounted for less than 1% of total vehicle sales in the U.S. during the first four months of this year

This car deal sounds too good to be true: Drive a car, almost free.

To entice drivers to try electric-powered cars, auto makers are lowering the price of entry to the zero-emission lifestyle.

A new round of discount leases on mainstream-brand plug-in cars such as the Nissan Leaf or Fiat 500e, combined with federal, state and local electric-vehicle incentives, could make a battery-electric car an extraordinarily economical way to get around for drivers. There are two big caveats: Drivers need to live in states offering tax incentives and can't drive very far in a single day.

Spark EV $199 Lease Pricing Announced - $19,995 purchase (after Federal incentives)

WopOnTour — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:33:14 GMT

http://media.gm.com/content/media/us...v-pricing.html

DETROIT (5/23/2013) � Chevrolet announced today a low mileage lease on the new 2014 Spark EV 1LT for as low as $199 per month* for 36 months, with $999 due at lease signing including security deposit (tax, title, license dealer fees extra), making the vehicle one of the most affordable EVs on the market.

Spark EV�s Manufacturer�s Suggested Retail Price starts at $27,495 � as low as $19,995 net of the full federal tax credit which ranges from $0 to $7,500 � and includes $810 destination freight charge.

Depending on their tax situation, California Spark EV owners may also qualify for other state and local tax credits and incentives ranging from $0 to $2,500, potentially reducing the price to $17,495. Spark EV owners in California are also eligible for High-Occupancy Vehicle, or carpool lane, access.

Compared to the average new gas-powered vehicle, the Spark EV can save drivers, on average, about $150 per month in fuel costs based on EPA assessments.**

The Spark EV will be available at select Chevrolet dealers throughout California and Oregon beginning mid-June 2013.

�The Chevrolet Spark EV is the most efficient � and now one of the most affordable - EVs you can buy� said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet Marketing. �Combined with outstanding infotainment and great design, the fun-to-drive Spark EV is engineered to impress.�

The Spark EV features a combined city/highway EPA estimated range of 82 miles when fully charged and an EPA-estimated combined city/highway 119 MPGe fuel economy equivalent. The vehicle�s 21 kWh lithium-ion battery pack will continue Chevrolet�s tradition of offering outstanding limited warranty protection � eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Spark EV will be the first vehicle on the market to offer as an available option compatibility with the recently approved SAE combo charger for DC Fast Charging. The capability, available shortly after launch, will enable the Spark EV to recharge up to 80 percent of its capacity in approximately 20 minutes at select DC Fast Charging stations when they become available. Unlike most competitors, the Spark EV�s battery system is capable of handling multiple compatible DC Fast Charges daily. Charging can also be completed in less than seven hours using a dedicated 240V charge. A 120V charge cord set comes standard. Charging can be managed and monitored remotely using the Spark EV�s smart phone application, provided by OnStar, which is standard for three years.

Connectivity to Enhance Efficiency

The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV will offer several forms of in-vehicle connectivity, including the MyLink infotainment system that includes a seven-inch touch screen and integration with third-party apps and features such as Siri Eyes Free, Pandora and BringGo navigation. These features require the user to purchase third party apps separately on a compatible smart phone. See Chevrolet.com/MyLink for more details. The Spark EV RemoteLink application is designed to enhance the overall ownership experience with fingertip interaction and control. The application, which requires compatible smart phone and active OnStar subscription:

displays charge status � plugged in or not, and voltage
provides flexibility to �Charge Now� or schedule charge timing
displays percentage of battery charge level and total range
allows manual setting of grid-friendly charge mode for off-peak times when electricity rates are lowest
sends text or email for charge reminders, charge interruptions and full-charge notification
displays miles and odometer readings
remotely starts the vehicle to pre-condition interior temperature
Because the Spark EV operates only on electricity, drivers will need to know if they can reach their destination on a single charge. The Spark EV Waypoint tab, which is integrated into the RemoteLink app, can quickly plot a waypoint route with recommended charging stations if the route is beyond the vehicle�s remaining range.

The Spark EV comes with three years of OnStar Directions and Connections service, which includes Automatic Crash Response, stolen vehicle assistance and connected navigation.

Chevrolet will also provide customer assistance via a Spark EV advisor. Dealers will provide on-site dedicated Spark EV service and sales experts. To be among the first to purchase a Spark EV, customers can visit their nearest participating Chevrolet Spark EV dealer. A Spark EV dealer locator is available on www.chevy.com/sparkev.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.5 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

************************************************** ****************************************

*Lease example based on survey. Each dealer sets its own price. Your payments may vary. Payments are for a 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV with an MSRP of $ $27,495. 36 monthly payments total $7159.68. Option to purchase at lease end for an amount to be determined at lease signing. Ally must approve lease. Take delivery by 07/01/2013. Mileage charge of $.25/mile over 12,000 miles. Lessee pays for excess wear. Payments may be higher in some states. Not available with some other offers. Residency restrictions apply.

**Savings of $150 per month based on 23 MPG Hwy for an average vehicle and $0.12 per kW-hrs electricity cost. Visit fueleconomy.gov for details.

Electric Avenue 2013 - Is On! Join us May 26th! Come Early for Formula North!

EVFest — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:39:59 GMT

EV Fest Collaborates with Formula North to Create:
Electric Avenue 2013

Sunday, May 26, 2013
from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM (EDT),
in Barrie Molson Arena
555 Bayview Drive, (at Mapleview Dr.)
Barrie, Ontario, Canada

Would have like to have had a Volt - at least an Owner - as an Exhibitor - but did not get any Responses for the request - maybe next time!

Formula North begins on Thursday - May 23rd - and goes to Sunday - May 26th: Electric Avenue is on Sunday - May 26th!

Follow the Blog - Electric Avenue
Check out the EV Fest Site with the link and other information.

Cali Assembly OKs clean vehicle carpool-lane access to EV 2020m PHEV to ; Senate next

tboult — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:47:44 GMT

Assembly OKs clean vehicle carpool-lane access to 2020; Senate next
By Jerry Hirsch

http://www.latimes.com/business/auto...,2422361.story

Cali Assembly passed a bill, 49-22, and it now moves on to the Senate.
Under the proposed bill cars with white clean-air vehicle stickers � such as electric, hydrogen fuel cell or compressed natural-gas vehicles � would get carpool-lane access to 2020. If the bill doesn�t pass, the program phases out in 2015.
Cars with green stickers � plug-in hybrids � would get carpool lane use until 2018.
While there is no limit on the amount of white stickers, green stickers are capped at 40,000.
�We won�t make a dent in our clean air and climate goals without getting more of these cars on the road,� said Blumenfield. �With more clean cars than ever coming off the production line, this is an exciting time in the clean-car industry. We must support it and the consumers making greener choices by keeping this program up and running.�
He said that 34,051 stickers have been issued under the Clean Air Vehicle Sticker program as of March: 10,831 green and 23,220 white. That represents just a fraction of the roughly 28 million vehicles on California roads.

Radio operation-question

shrink13 — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:16:55 GMT

My normal routine is to park the car and turn off the engine. The radio stays on until I open the door and then shuts off. Today I was cleaning the GPS screen and the center console buttons. The car was off and the key was in the house. I must have hit the radio button, because the radio turned on. It stayed on even when I opened the driver's door. Is this the normal mode of operation when the car is off and there is no key near the car? It seems like a good way to run down the battery, or does the radio turn off after a certain time? Thank you.

Another New Volt TV Commercial

LScott — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:16:23 GMT

Last night I saw a new Volt commercial on the Discovery Channel here in Southern California. To paraphrase it showed a family of 3 driving around an imaginary semi-circle in their volt. The son sitting in the back seat's smartphone battery died and the VoiceOver said, "wouldn't it be nice if all of your devices could keep going when the battery ran out" (or something to that effect) and then showed the dash display when battery shifts over to the generator and the extended range and talked about how the Volt does that. It ended with him saying, " the number one selling plug-in hybrid in America (again or words to that effect). I thought it was right on point for explaining how the Voltec system operates and what sets the Volt apart from the competition.

Has anyone else seen this in other parts of the country? Perhaps it is a re-launch but I hadn't seen it before.

Silent Anthem. New Chevy Volt Commercial

Steverino — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:07:51 GMT

I have not seen this on TV. Has anyone?

The message about using electricity with gas for extending range is pretty clear: "An everyday electric car, with gas for longer trips." I like the ipad shot showing that oil rigs used to stand where wind turbines now turn.

its a bird...its a plane....its Chevy Volt

jimtesla — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:56:12 GMT

Nice promotion in Simi Valley

Attached Images

volt image.jpg (42.4 KB)

Volt listed in Total Quality Awards

kindofblue — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:27:52 GMT

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/15/d...uality-awards/

The Ford Fusion & Chevy Volt are listed as the best mid-sized cars.

Strategic Vision has released its annual Total Quality awards, and some of the winners may come as a surprise. To quote Alexander Edwards, President of Strategic Vision, "For the first time in over a decade our comprehensive and complete study of Quality resulted in more domestic winners than imports."

How to make money not building EV's

Geoff — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:29:24 GMT

http://jalopnik.com/meet-the-inflata...-for-504488747

Inventor sues US government because he did not get a loan.
(Comments are worth a read.)

Alternative unit of Power for a Volt

Geoff — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:52:18 GMT

The following video discusses some of the lesser used units of measurement.
A Volt car gets a special mention starting around 2:56

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=Q8qQolqkTU0

There you have it, 2,000 mp! Who Knew?

Volt Price Cut, Tesla Rising & Related news... MrEnergyCzar Video.

MrEnergyCzar — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:56:35 GMT

Tablets and Smartphones click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2U7NEaaHfE

MrEnergyCzar

Totaled my Volt

alanlpa — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:52:37 GMT

Another driver smashed into my passanger side door , sending me, into another car and a pole.
Airbags deployed, I came out with out a scratch. No injuries all around, but Volt was totaled (2012 Lease) 14 months.
This happened yesterday, my insurance said it was totaled ( I have gap insurance), so I went to my dealer and bought a new 2013 Volt, with more options and dropped my lease payment by $50.00 a month.
My wife and I like the Volt so much we had to have a new one right away.We get it tonight
So now all is well.