Yesterday, a Volt was placed in my driveway for me to check out for a few days.

I have only driven it for about 30 miles so far, but it is very, very interesting.

Some quick observations...

• It rides, drives, handles, etc. like a normal car. In fact, it feels almost like a luxury car to me (I have to base this on what I normally drive, so my perception may be skewed). There is nothing odd, cheap, "stripped" or "eco feeling" about it.
• The two LCD displays are well designed and are easy to use and understand.
• It is just weird not having any engine noise, shift points, vibration, etc. Just road noise and a little bit of a whine, which you hardly notice and can only hear on initial acceleration. When pulling up to a stoplight, it feels like when a car stalls and you silently roll to a stop. Then when you take off, again there is no noise, kinda like when you are riding a roller coaster and it initially starts the ride...that slow but linear silent acceleration.
• Acceleration is surprising. It is on par with my wife's V6 Equinox. Again, very linear.

I'll admit I only knew the basics of how it works, but the nice part is, that is all you need to know. I could definitely drive it every day. Anyone could.

It has about 6,000 miles on it, and according to the computer, it has a lifetime average of 65mpg.

We are taking a trip across the state in it to see my family tomorrow. I'll report more on it later.

Anyone else drive one? What are your thoughts? If anyone has any questions or wants me to check anything out in particular, let me know and I will see what I can do.

 

Jason... you're driving a Volt and using the term "neat" way too many times. You need to turn in the keys to your Camaro SS now. I'll keep it safe for you while you're in therapy.

 

LOL, I never realized. I fixed it. Now stop giving a crap about my slang/adjectives/adverbs and ask me some neat questions about the damn car already!

 

Has the engine kicked on at all in the short time you have been driving it? I wonder what it sounds like.

 

There are only two things stopping me from considering a Volt, though, I havent driven one, so I am basing my comments on that with this in mind.

1) The price vs comparables... I assume this will come down over some time as it becomes more commonplace.

2) Size. While it's not tiny, it's not big enough for me. I understand that in an initial model. I would be interested in a full size car/crossover with this tech at the 'right price' (the same price as a conventional car with all other things being equal, or perhaps a small premium).

 

I'd be curious to know if there's a huge difference when cycling between full electric and gas mode. Other than a display, which I imagine is clearly visible, is there any indication that the engine is turning on/off? (Vibrations, power surge, sound, etc?)

Also, are you going to be driving in a hilly area? I would imagine that a lot of downhill braking would help the battery range and improve fuel economy. Is there a noticeable difference?

 

I have yet to see a Volt around here yet but I really like the car and I could see myself owning one, we are mainly city drivers anyway, stop and go traffic, running errands, this car would probably fit well with us considering we don't drive over 40 miles in a day. How long has the charge held up for you, how many miles?

 

I purposely ran it out of pure battery power (didn't charge it last night) to see what it was like on my drive to work this morning.

I made a video of it this morning and just uploaded it to YouTube.

[autostream]http://autostream.com/camaroz28/?page_type=firebirdplayerthumbnail&framepage=1533& transactionid=1312559496-638515170&posted_by=JasonD_www.camaroz28.com&youtu be_video_id=w1O0BoTgImw[/autostream]
(Skip to 1:20)

It sounds like a quiet hum, that is it. Most people may not even notice it. You don't feel anything change in the vehicle itself, and you cannot even hear it on the video. It stops when you brake or come to a stop.

Yes, there is a pretty cool display that shows when it is on battery power, when the generator is running/charging the battery and when the brakes are charging the battery. I will get a video of that on my way home.

No, not too many hills, but there are three mode of driving...Normal, Sport, and Mountain. I am told it is a matter of more torque delivered.

It was delivered with about 29 miles left in battery power, and over 300 on gasoline recharge power. Gotta use Premium but it is only a 9.3 gallon tank.

I will put over 300 miles on it this weekend.

 

I have seen a few around here. IMO, they are the best looking Eco car I have ever seen.

How much room does it have? I mean, is it big enough for your family? (Side Note: my wife drives a 'Nox as well)

Does the A/C affect the mileage at all?

 

Burnout pics?

 

I think so too. To me, I looks like a normal car overall. All the other eco-friendly cars I see out there look like a Lightcycle from Tron...but not cool at all.

Big enough for a family of 4 normal sized people and a couple of small-medium suitcases and a couple of duffel bags. It doesn't have a ton of rear leg room. Much less than an Equinox, more then a 5th gen Camaro. The seats are VERY comfortable.

Absolutely, but on the center display it tells you a percentage of how much juice is being sucked up. You can tweak your climate control settings to match your desired energy use. I will try to get a video of it as well.

Not possible that I can tell. It has fun acceleration, but I don't think it will mechanically allow a burnout.

 

Tried to find "Chevy Volt Burnout" but this is what I was given instead: http://www.motorator.com/videos/391

 

Life will be good when a Volt can do the same thing. Maybe I am overstating it, but I have often thought that the Volt is the basis for the future of vehicles, IMO...and all the electrical engineer nerds are the future "gearheads".

 

Wait... what? You have to use premium fuel in the Volt!?! WTF!?!

That has failure written all over it.

 

I was surprised as well. I thought it was supposed to take E85, etc. I don't think it will be long before premium won't be a requirement.