I bought a 2014 Volt for my wife and liked it so much I bought one for myself. Then 4 years later traded the wife's in for a 2018, so I'm pretty familiar with the car. Owners love them, they have the highest Consumer Reports customer satisfaction rate of any vehicle GM has ever built, only the much more expensive Tesla recently knocked them out of the #1 spot for any car ever made. The reason they never sold in high numbers is due to GM's complete lack of interest in selling them. I'm sure with an electric motor, battery pack, and gas engine they are much more expensive to make, and therefore much less profitable than the overpriced pickup and SUV's they are focusing all their effort on. No dealer training, no national or local advertising, nothing. It's the '70s all over again, GM makes huge gas-guzzlers because gas is cheap, when it gets expensive again I guess us taxpayers will have to bail them out again. I'm not an environmentalist trying to save the world, I just crunched the numbers and the Volt makes a lot of sense economically. With all the federal, state, county, and electric company rebates I bought a new $40k car for around $26k, and it is saving me $3k per year in fuel (counting the cost of electricity too) compared to my old 20mpg car. In just over 8 years it will have paid for itself - who wouldn't want a free car to commute in? I live in the mountains, so with the regeneration I get back most of the energy it took to go up the hill - no matter how efficient they make it, a gas car will never give you back more gas going downhill. And of my three Volts, none have ever had to go back to the dealer for any kind of repair, tune up or oil change. My 2014's battery holds just as much electricity as when it was new, so I expect it will be many more years before it starts to lose efficiency.
Just bought a 2017. So far we love it. We also own a 2015 Prius purchased new. Both are great cars but I absolutely love the Volts’s ability to go full electric on my commute. Plenty of power as well. Happy Volt owner.
I bought the first Chevy Volt in my province in 2012. I loved it! I wish I would have bought a 2017, 18, or 19 when I could. I was directly responsible for the sale of 6 more within a year. The dealership's and sales people have no idea how to sell it. I could sell someone on it after talking with someone for 5 mins. I was really upset when I hear it was discontinued.
Just had my almost brand new 2019 Volt delivered yesterday Jan 20/22 (only 29k km on it) really looking forward to not going to the cancer station to fuel up! Maybe my truck is next?
Frost I agree with most of your points, but at the same time I’ve kinda taken those compromises with stride because it swallows up my family and visibility isn’t so terrible that I can’t crane my neck and most see my blind spots. Such are the things us enthusiasts put up with so our wifes will let us buy fast cars 😂
The Dealership Business Plan Model is the problem. Having worked in the industry here is the scoop. The owners of dealerships all have a bottom line that they manage toward. At the end of the year, new car sales contributes approx 22%, service contributes approx 70% and parts about 8%. As you can see, continued diminishing of the service area of the business would have a very serious affect on the owners profits. A typical gas powered car goes thru the service bays approx every three months for 5 to 8 years. A battery powered unit never gets to see a service bay.
@@davidbeaulieu4815 The only time I've (grudgingly) taken my car to a dealer was for warranty or recall work. Other than that I always DIY or find an independent, trustworthy repair shop.
@@Hans-gb4mv If that, but that's beside the point. Any time a car goes to a dealer service department they charge many times what you would pay at a reputable independent shop and frequently do a little sabotage while they're in there. They also do everything they can to avoid fixing things under warranty and make you pay through the nose once it's out of warranty. It's a racket.
Yes, dealer service is a core issue. Looking at the maintenance schedule on my Volt, it is sparse. And yes, it's an incredibly complicated car that technicians have to get certified to service.
Hans here in the US, dealerships SACARE purchasers of new vehicles into possibly voiding their 60,000 mile warranty if they do not service their car properly (only a dealership can perform the service properly). Oil changes every 5,000 miles (generally 3-4 months , etc. it’s a total scam.
I was looking to buy one last month but the low roof line in the back and lack of rear legroom were deal killers. For two people with small kids it's a great buy. I have two worl colleagues who have owned them and been very happy with them. If oil prices had stayed high I think we would have seen more development from GM and more options based on the same platform. I did buy a Bolt for my wife and the basic car is great. Interior is sub-standard but for what I paid, I can let it go. The upcoming Bolt EUV looks great and manages to maintain a 250 mile range despite being a larger vehicle.
It’s the best car I’ve ever had too you get the best of both gas and electric if they ever made an SUV with electric and gas like the volt I’ll be the first one in line
@@chrisg4997 Good point. I think PHEV is better than EV. Most of local driving is on battery and the odd long trip goes on gas. Stations are everywhere and no need to rely on an unreliable charging network.
@@chrisg4997 This is the reason we bought a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Electric for 22 miles then gas if needed... and has awd, which is desirable in winter as we live in the Thumb region of Michigan.
Ditto for me. Leased my Volt Premier on May 2016 and just bought out the lease in April. I will not sell her for many years. GM did it again and mostly because of their business model giving sales control to their 'independent' dealerships. They should have sold the Volt over the internet only and gone to court when their dealerships sued them. (Which they would have done, IMO.) In three years I've been to a gas station five times to fill the 8.5 gallon tank, except for one trip from Southern California to Canada and back where I averaged 45 mpg on gasoline only. I start each day with a full 'tank' of electricity and 54 miles of range. I rarely need to tap into the gasoline in my tank. I've been to the dealership just twice every May for my 'free' annual checkup included with my purchase. The dealership has, as yet, not made any money on me and instead rotated my tires twice, changed my oil, and given me free rides to and from my home while I've enjoyed their free coffee and pastries. I think you can see why dealership didn't like selling the Volt. Sad...
That's another problem with the Volt, or any plug in hybrid. You get the worst of both possible worlds as far as maintenance is concerned. You need to maintain the ICE, and in the Volt's case a transmission, just as in any ICE car, and you have the battery and charging system to maintain and service. This includes your home charging station. That means you need to change oil, coolant, air and oil filters on a regular basis plus extra service for the battery and electrical systems. My experience with my non plug in Prius has been positive with no problems in 100,000 miles. However I take it to the dealer for oil changes and service because it uses a special oil made specifically for the Prius and will continue to take it to the dealer for service. It's coming up on its 100,000 mile service. At which time the transmission fluid also needs to be changed and the engine coolant needs to be changed. In addition the battery coolant needs to be changed. This is critical because most battery failures are caused by over heating. True I love my Prius, especially at the gas pump, but I realize I don't get something for nothing.
@@stuarthirsch The Chevy Volt doesn't use a regular automatic transmission. There are no gears per se, there is no transmission fluid to change. It uses a special clutch pack. It's an electric car with a range extending generator. Every Volt driver I've heard from says they only have to change the oil in the motor once every 20,000 miles (I know that sounds crazy but it's true) because it's not being used all the time.
@@SalivatingSteve there is absolutely 6'ish qts of dex VI to change on the trans of a Volt. No, it's not a normal transmission, but it of course has fluid and that fluid needs changed periodically. 6 qts is nothing compared to the almost 3 gallons of trans fluid my '01 2500HD Duramax truck takes for a change, though, lol.
This is a frustrating situation because this might be one of the best plug in hybrid vehicles available due to its electric only range being higher than any other hybrid. The only downside I have seen is the lack of a 5th seat. It seems to me to be the perfect compromise of electric only range with no range anxiety due to the range extender. I almost bought a new one and I am still considering buying a used one. It definitely seems like a mistake to me.
agreed! it was my dream car for years, i could only gleam in positive jealousy when i saw someone else drive one, finally when i was financially able to afford one, Tesla showed up!
Consumers view points and common sense do not override Golden corporate Parachutes and bonuses for failure; only here in America does that exist, in other counties failures mean the sack or firing if you wish.
That’s exactly right! Dealers never seamed to know the Volt and frequently misinformed consumers. Fact is they don’t like the vehicle because it doesn’t make them money.
ᴅᴇᴀʀ ᴍʀ. ɪꜱᴀɪᴀʜ ᴅᴇʀɪɴɢᴇʀ; - Saab? They proved they couldn’t perceive the idea of selling a vehicle for more than producing it. In the end, they were given a bundle of money to produce a new low cost car and what did they do with the money. They decided to ditch a functioned in-built sat-nav. After two years, they’d failed to complete the sat-nav, not spent any money on the car and the rest of the promised money was promptly halted. Saab was already a byword for, “We can do that at greater cost than your present supplier.” And became a byword for, “Give me money. And I’ll promise to spend it unwisely.”
I owened an Apmera here in the UK. One of the best cars I have ever had. 37 miles a day was enough for my local needs. 9000 miles later and 12 gallons the car was in an accident and the insurance refused to repair it. Now waiting for my Model 3. The car was not understood and I would happily of bought the Gen 2 if it was sold in the UK.
Similar story for me and my 2013 Volt. It was totaled by GEICO when it could have easily been repaired. I'm now driving a LR AWD model 3. My Volt suggestion is, drive it till it drops. One of the best cars I've owned and I've owned a lot of cars !
Well said. I absolutely love my 2018 (V2) Volt, and I can see from the stats recorded online that I have driven more than 80% of its miles in electric mode. So much more could be said about this car, but in addition to the green factor, for me: 1) it's an extremely peppy car to drive 2) nearly two years in and zero maintenance 3) truly a technological marvel 4) an efficient form factor I'm very sorry to see this car leave the market, and find it sad when stellar products like this can't find a way to compete.
Love my volt. Had a 14 for 2 years, wrecked it, brought a 16 the next week. My commute to work is 22 miles so I never use gas when only using it for that purpose.
In addition to the fact that Volts had a lower profit-margin for dealers, I suspect that a lot of the money dealers make is post market servicing of vehicles. Electric cars simply require less servicing than purely ICE vehicles, and therefore less potential money in the dealer's pocket.
Let me make it clear. A BIG part of Volt closure is that GM dealerships did not want to sell Volt. GM dealerships are fully supported by GM and act on behalf of GM. Conclusion: Chevy Volt has been killed by GM (through their dealerships). Am I missing something? If my statement is true, then what is the difference between killing Chevy Volt and GM EV1? If GM REALLY wanted to keep Volt they would find a way to "encourage" their dealerships. Hope, it is more clear why Tesla doesn't want to deal with dealerships.
You would think, but massive companies(particularly those who aren't truly connected, like dealerships and their attached car companies) tend to frequently work against their own interest, purely through accidental incompetence. Just because it's obvious from the outside that something is hurting sales doesn't mean that message is making it up through management. Further, even if management knows what's going on, they have less direct influence over front-line workers and middle management than you might hope. Running a company is like piloting a ship with a tiny rudder while getting input through a 6-inch black and white TV on a three-week delay.
You do not understand the relationship between GM and its dealers. The dealerships are entirely separate companies, under their own ownership and management. There is a contract between the two, for sure, but GM has relatively limited abilities to control the dealership. The dealerships are in it for themselves. If the Volt doesn't make them money, they won't sell it. It didn't, due to the lower service needs, higher dealer costs, and much lower volumes.
The EV1s were taken back and crushed to try and hide their existence. The Volt was killed because BEVs are outselling PHEVs. Completely different situation. I own a Volt, and I also own a BEV. The Volt doesn’t make sense for most areas now, charging infrastructure is rapidly expanding and prices for long range BEVs are dropping. 90% of my driving with the Volt has always been completely electric, looking back I should have just bought a BEV in the first place but I was nervous about the possibility of range anxiety.
@@MylesV Driving my Volt is almost all electric. But I also drive a couple hours to visit my parents, and 6-7 hours for a vacation a few states distant: no range anxiety. I only charge at home. Sure, charging infrastructure is around... Fact is, it's fragmented, it needs multiple apps to access it, and last time I checked it was more expensive than buying gas!
But the Volt isn't more complicated to use. Gas it up when you want to, plug it in if you want to. I guess many consumers are too dumb to realize it can be driven as a hybrid only or with shore power to increase MPG but I hope the majority understood it. There was a showcar of the Chevy Volt. It was a very wide card with a huge hood. The production car isn't that far from the concept. I like the look and the Volt was in the Transformers movie as the Jolt.
danwat1234, the level of cognitive density astounds me. I would tell someone about my Volt and how it worked and person after person would immediately ask, _But what do you do when the battery runs out?_ *It's like I was talking to a wall!*
danwat1234, we got our 2017 Volt used. It was obvious from the mileage that whoever the original owner was had no idea how to use the car. I wonder if they ever bothered to plug it in. After a year and a half of driving it our lifetime gas mileage is now up to over 90 mpg, but had we been the ones driving it when it was new its lifetime gas mileage would be much better than that.
The dealership impact is the main reason electric car brands are eschewing the traditional dealer model of sales. Legacy automakers are going to be have issues with this (pay attention Audi, Porsche, etc.)
It's true. The dealership model will have to change drastically if EVs ever make up a significant portion of new car sales (and I believe they will, but as ever it takes time for markets to change and supply chains to move to suit that change...). That said, for many current new commuter car buyers, EVs are already more cost effective than ICE commuter vehicles (even with the increased up front cost). The next generation of EVs will make the choice a no brainer for 40-50% of the vehicle buying public in urban locations.
I think you are spot on. I tried on several occasions to drop into a dealership and test drive a new Volt. They never had on on the lot. They could order one but I wanted to drive one now. Also you are spot on about advertising the Volt. I never saw nor heard an advertisement for this car. My overwhelming impression was that GM didn't really have an investment in the car because they didn't advertise it for sale. I have personal knowledge of how wonderful this automobile is as I have a family member who has had two already. For driving around the city to and from work and other ventures within the city this is a great vehicle. Taking it on the road you never have to worry about running out of power as the gasoline engine seamlessly kicks in and you continue to drive. GM engineers really thought this car through. It is truly a marvel of engineering. Too bad GM didn't understand what they had.
I agree with your reason - we were looking at a Volt to purchase and the salesman steered us away from it. We finally went Electric with a used Leaf - the next car we purchase will be a newer model with longer range - perhaps a Bolt.
I have a '14 volt. great money saver, but I hate all the extra "fluff". The other problem is the Fed promised tax incentives to make charging stations pop up everywhere....never happened. And now GM production to China??? Sorry, done with that company
Although all of your points are valid, maybe the most valid point is the Volt was manufactured in the same plant as Chevrolet Cruze, the Cadillac CT6 and the Buick LaCrosse, which were being discontinued. Consequently, the Volt, alone would not make enough revenue to keep the factory open.
Don't let facts get in the way of the E agenda. They can't believe that not every one wants an electric car, even Tesla's aren't selling well in most of the US.
Guy Spaulding the Cruze was not assembled at Detroit Hamtramck, it was assembled at Lordstown. It was the Impala that was also assembled at Detroit Hamtramck.
Even if that were true, that's called a smokescreen and an excuse. What they should be doing is converting that plant to 100% EV manufacture. But that's exactly what they don't want to do.
The phrase "GM being GM" reminded me of a stockholders meeting some years back before the fracking boon lowered foreign demand. The Japanese had captured their domestic market with hybrids, and were successfully entering the U. S. market. When the CEO was asked why he had not pursued hybrids, his reply was "I didn't think the price of gas would go up". e.e 😒 I thought someone hasn't been pumping his own gas, and got their job on the golf course. Even if gas didn't go up, you could double your mileage.
I'm a state legislator in Maryland and I am the Chairman of the committee that oversees electric cars and the legislative issues surrounding them. Also, my wife and I own a Tesla Model 3 (and we love it). My observation is that there is a real dislike for EVs among car dealerships. As an accountant (in real life) I understand that they make little money from the sale of new cars. They make most of their money from the repair and maintenance of vehicles. Now, dealers are defended by state legislatures because they are local businesses (employing our constituents) and members of our community. Left to their own devices, the legacy car makers would have nothing to do with EVs. Fortunately, Tesla is forcing their hand. That's a good thing, but we are going to have to figure out how to employ all the car mechanics that are going to lose their jobs.
Hey Kumar, appreciate the perspective from a sitting politician. I wonder what would have happened to the early auto industry if the livery and stable owners had organized and lobbied like today's dealership associations.
Fossil cars are done, they need to start thinking about a new job now. Veterinarians are still around for horses but many probably lost there jobs 110 years ago
For the record, I was behind the legislation to expand Tesla's ability to sell directly to consumers in our state, bypassing the dealership laws. I agree with you I think we have to have more competitive and open market.
@@MajLeader My car was illegal to buy in my state, a huge pain buying sight unseen in another state and having it trucked. Hope the sales tax went to CA or NV and not my home.
Good show. I think the Volt/Ampera was one of the best incarnations of the plug-in hybrid. Big enough to haul people and stuff. And every owner I have talked to loves their Volt. It's especially useful in the western states where EV charging can get dicey while traveling. Eastern NorCal, OR and WA; ID, UT, and Montana/Wyo are all good places for plug-in hybrids. A good used Gen II Volt is on my short list of used vehicles :)
Love my 18 Volt, my commute is 60 miles, I get to work and home on one charge and my electric bill only increased 20$ a month!! It has a great ride, sport mode is a hoot and has awesome features especially with my premier trim. I do not regret my purchase, and the tax credit was icing on the cake.
It's a shame the volt didn't make the cut, it was an amazing transitional car for ICE drivers thinking of going electric, I know I'm still in love with my 2013 volt. You think Chevy is going to come out with a range extended EV crossover with 100ish miles of EV range as a response to the public outcry for killing the volt?
The BOLT EUV might be a good replacement for a VOLT crossover. PHEVs are the best. Less material for batteries, because you make that long trip once in a while. Making a huge pack for the odd long trip makes no sense.
I knew about the Gen 1 Volt because my employer developed the infotainment system. It had been in the back of my mind several years; then between consumer rooftop solar and the Volt, I decided it was time. I bought a 2017 model year in Feb. 2020. The solar is next. As part of my corporate role I studied the correlation of gas prices to EV purchases, and they aren't really correlated. EV purchasers appear to buy one to make a statement or are trend leaders. Case in point of this are Tesla buyers. The Volt is really an undiscovered gem.
i will agree with James Hurley, until i retired from the auto service portion of my life i was a toyota master tech for over 40yrs, the service part of the service portion is dying, oil changes for toyota is 10,000mi outside of recalls that have been many, advances in metal used in engines and the electric car will bring down the auto service a severe blow, got out at the right time, i wish everyone that follows in my footsteps the best of luck.
Such a shame really because the 2nd Gen Volt was actually quite a very attractive car. Had it been available in the UK, I would have bought one in place of the Golf GTE that I ended up buying.
They're going for under 20K here in North America. With gas prices going ape shit, they're getting more attractive to some. In COMMIEFORTISTAN, gas is over 5 bucks a gallon in some cities.
No. It is simple. GM and Ford abandoned the compact car market, regardless if EV or not. They're handing it over to Tesla and others, fell behind Japanese, Korean, European cars. GMs and Fords strength is simply in trucks and SUVs.
And my gut tells me that Atlis, Rivian, Bollinger, & possibly Havilar-Bison, & Workhore (??) will eat into the ICE Pick-Ups & ICE "Jumbo-SUVs" (Suburbans, Expeditions & Exploders, etc.) market somewhat, forcing competitive pricing (pencil-sharpening) (and also Loyalty-destroying, Brand-weakening, dirty-marketing-tactics will surface) which will vastly reduce the REAL MARGINS on new "ICE" Pick-ups & ICE Jumbo-SUVs (the downward-spiral).
@@Hans-gb4mv SUVs are being sold in Europe though. europe.autonews.com/sales-segment/europes-suv-sales-boom-despite-flat-market-2018 However, Euros want cars with reasonable gas mileages, not those American gas guzzlers Ford and GM are making. Some small entrepeneurs in the construction sector are driving Dodge RAMs though, because European alternatives like the VW Amorak just aren't a good alternative to those strong American cars.
All of the dealerships I visited had no idea how to sell the Volt and Bolt. They could have smashed the Prius if they at least tried. And those same dealerships I visited all said that shoppers for the Volt know more about them than the dealership and each time I told them they should probably learn their product....
Sorry Joe GM could never smash the Prius as Toyota looks far ahead and started their Prius (R&D) Research and Development) in 1993 and brought out the first generation in 1997 +/- since then the improvements have been made with each new generation. Within 100 yards diameter of my house there are three Prius years model 2012 and 2013 and I bet most have over 100,000 trouble free miles and our local dealers are glad to service them when they need it. My best mileage so far has been 64.6 MPG and the worst was 44 +/- while having to drive 65-70 MPH my average so far during the warm weather has been over 55 MPG mostly city. I thought I saw a very beautiful GM Sedan with the Volt symbol on the trunk, guess I was mistaken?
The Volt's drive train was extraordinarily expensive to manufacture. People willing to spend that kind of money for an electric car want a pure EV. While our local dealer had a difficult time selling their Volts, their Bolts sell much faster.
Ron Souther how do you fit in it? By being a midget or having the absolute worst slouching tilted posture that will cause you permanent hip and lumbar damage in an accident?
I owned a 2012 volt - excellent car ... no emissions in city driving - cleans air and feel good - gas engine good on hwy, i loved it and achieved an eye popping 174 mpg over 6 years -72,000 miles (CANADIAN gallons - the big ones) but I moved up to a Tesla when GM canceled the volt ... just when i was going to upgrade to the new 2018 volt Donated the volt to my sister in law - she loves it - over the 7 years of driving - very reliable no maintenance issues in hilly Vancouver BC . But GM being GM - after all they also never produced their collision avoidance system which they developed in 1956 - 70 years before Tesla made it happen
No, we don't. Dealerships have advantages. You can look at the cars, you can try them and most importantly, since they compete with one another you can negotiate over the price and options. With the Tesla model its like: this is the price, take it or leave it. You want a discount? Wait a week, the price might have changed. Could be down or up. A test drive? Buy the car and if you don't like it, return it.
@@ConcertShutterbug nope, no idea where you got that idea from. The company I currently work for is in the legal business. And I say again: look at Tesla. They wanted to cut out that inefficient dealership model. You as the customer give up your right to negotiate and have gotten stupendously bad service in return. If that's improvement, I'll pass.
I have a 2018 Volt. It is awesome! It runs great without the squeaks and rattles I have encountered in other GM cars that I have owned. I only have to put gas in when I drive up to Tahoe from LA, and even in that circumstance, it gets about 48-50 mpg going north and about 53-56 south ( it is uphill basically all the way from LA to Lake Tahoe ). I have only had one scheduled engine service since I got it, and that, as well as the next two, are free. The upgraded sound system is amazing too.
I bought a used Volt last weekend. I'd been saving up for one for months, and had to drive 200 miles to get the one I wanted, but I knew it was the car for me. When I went to the dealership, I had to explain everything about the car to the guy I was dealing with, he didn't know anything about how it worked or really what it was. Luckily, my local dealership has a certified Voltech on staff, so I can be comfortable bringing it there for any warranty issues. When I was at the local dealership, the guy talked me into taking a spin in a Bolt for S&Gs... that little car was a BLAST to drive! If it wouldn't have cost me over twice what I was paying for a used Volt to get a used Bolt, I'd probably have done it. But the difference in operating costs just would not make up the $16,000 difference, ever. Maybe in the future... but energy technology is gonna change a lot in the next few years, and I didn't want to be stuck under that kind of loan.
Just as I experienced Chevy dealers refusing to sell or lease a Volt to me I now - three years later - have Honda dealers trying to talk me out of a Clarity or, worse still, trying to sell me a 2017-vintage car at the 2019 price. The dealership model is so GOOD for business!
Some proportion is in order. Prior to Tesla scaling out the Volt was selling really well compared to what little else was out there, namely the Leaf. It was just unable to broaden its market. I forgot about the Jolt fan concept. That thing was super cool, although the EVX looks like a street-sweeper. The Bolt is really a terrible bodystyle and there's not much you can do to polish that turd.
Literally just bought a 2014 Volt last week and I LOVE IT. For the most part, Volt feels like that TV show that was cancelled before it's time..........It's the Firefly of cars.
I believe the main reason the Volt was discontinued, was because the Volt was based on the Cruze. The Lordstown factory that made the Cruze closed, so the Volt variant production also had to end.
I just bough a volt last November and it is a great car! It is the best of both worlds. On an average day it is an electric car but if I ever want to go on a road trip, I don't have to stress out about finding charging stations in the middle of nowhere. Buying at a dealership, however, was a terrible experience. I often felt like I knew more about the car than the dealer did, and I am not a car person.
@@davidbeaulieu4815 God no, I'd never get a Tesla (poor quality) but I do want to check out the new Audi and Jag EV's, those look nice, and they know how to build cars properly... Besides Tesla might be bankrupt by the time I could afford one anyway (had I wanted one...)
I recently went to the local Chevy dealer with a serious intent to buy a Bolt. The deal didn't work because they wanted to give me too little for my trade in. Another reason was because they wanted nearly $40,000 for a car that looked like it should sell for about half that. And one final thing, it was boring, GM boring. All GM really wants to do is make pick-ups and SUVs. That is what sells. The problem with that strategy is that it increases the demand for gasoline which drives up its price which kills the demand for gas guzzling pick-ups and SUVs. So most likely the auto manufacturers will be back for a bail out in a couple of years. Good luck with that.
The Volt is an amazing car and had high customer satisfaction. If only GM and dealers had actually tried to market and sell it. I love my 2011 model and plan to keep it for a long time.
@@Torch4Life The Volt doesn't see much range reduction. Battery wear becomes exhibited mostly by more voltage drop when you press hard on the accelerator, which causes the generator to come on early before the miles runs out and then cycles off again after a while. Some early Volts are starting to see the signs, but most are still good.
@@michachojnowski9004 my dealership is terrified to work on the power train, telling me the 2019 charger isn't compatible with the 2017. GM confirmed it would work when I called them, though explained it would void my warranty.
@@nambians82 I delete my comment :( it's not supose to be like that. You must find someone on gm-volt.com/forum/forum.php to help You do this without visit dealer ship. I live in Poland and have solution to change charging port on VOLT gen 2 to TYPE 2 . It's more popular in Europe and support 3phase AC instalation and then faster charging. Then on trunk I connet paralel to VOLT charger , TESLA gen 2 charger with my own board inside and charge faster with 2 charger's in my VOLT. It's goe's 13,6 kw and it's full in 45 minutes :)
Thank you for letting us know what happened to this car. We love the car. Right now we're averaging 91+ mpg. Like many, we rarely have to use the gasoline. In the 25+ years this is the first American car we've ever bought. Looks like our next car will be another foreign car. Good job, GM! 😖
I just stumbled upon this video in July of 2021. I have a 2018 Volt that we lease. As we approached the lease end (scheduled to end 8/01/21) we decided to purchase it. With just under 30K miles and car prices higher than usual, it makes sense for us. The car is perfect for it's size. Cancelling the Volt was truly business as usual for GM; they suffer from an absolute lack of forethought! That's been their problem for many decades! The Volt, as a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), provided the best of both worlds; plug-in EV efficiency and having a built-in generator that can be refueled (with gas) in 5 minutes or less. So GM cancelled it and is hoping people will buy the Bolt EV. Sadly, the Bolt is only an alternative for people who don't feel the need to worry about EV battery mileage. That's only the case where there's actually some charging infrastructure in place AND where people have a lot of time to wait for the car to charge (in the middle of a road trip?). More likely, it's handy for people who simply don't travel more than 120 miles or so from home. Today, in 2021, what vehicle is one of the best selling vehicles? What's one of the most popular vehicles available in the US? You guessed it; a PHEV!!! The Toyota RAV4 Prime is larger than a Bolt and has a 'better than Voltec' PHEV system. It's also one of the best accelerating vehicles (#2 fastest) sold in the US. Poor GM... maybe they'll learn a lesson and bring back the Voltec system in a small SUV... but I highly doubt it! They never learn!
It's crazy how regional preferences are different in North America. Here in Quebec, the Volt is almost as common as a low-selling compact car (such as a Subaru Impreza). You see one on every residential street and people here are really pissed that GM killed their only reliable and desirable car, especially now that we have a total of 13 000$ rebate since May 1st.
Sad, because from what I've read and heard from people who purchased the Volt...it seemed to be one of GM's best cars. Makes sense that dealerships didn't want to sell the Volt if it cut maintenance costs. Dealers charge a fortune for labor. Esp in big cities like Los Angeles.
being one of Chevy's best cars doesnt mean its a good car. Thats like saying thats the best looking turd in the pasture... still a turd. GM just needs to make better cars.
I only meet very happy Prius owners, even if she is an ugly duck; till the latest body change; there are three used ones in my neighborhood 100 yard radius. Not bad for Garland, Texas.
The Volt is on the complex side. The first gen has 103 microcontrollers and runs more lines of computer code than the Space Shuttle. Fixing it outside of a qualified dealership is going to be difficult. The Volt started life as a concept car at one of the auto shows. Lyle Denis was so impressed and enthusiastic about the Volt he started a website all about the development of the Volt. That and GM's desire to live past "Who Killed the Electric Car" provided the push to actually put the car on the road.
Bad example. The Space Shuttle was designed in 1981 and complex calculations where done on the ground. In 1981 the only Microsoft operating system was MS-DOS, which came on a few floppy discs. A $100 Casio digital watch today has more computer logic than the Space Shuttle did for flight control and navigation. I'd argue that the Volt wasn't complex from a computer standpoint. It copied the large dinosaur model of control and +100 microprocessors to do what one "computer" in your head can do far better when you are sleeping.
I love my Volt, excellent diversity and comfortable interior, I have made half my monthly payment in fuel savings alone and with the carbon tax that came into effect in canada It will actually pay for more than half of my car payment in fuel savings. I wish the bolt was a plug in hybrid or at least a range extended option.
I love the Volt one of if not the most reliable vehicle Chev/GM makes. One solid down fall though is nearly no rear seat room. Also if you are 6 foot plus, you look like a spider getting out of a match box. Every Volt owner I've met goes on and on about how they have literally changed the oil once a year and Tires twice up to 100,000+ miles.
Simple fix to incentivize the dealers to sell the Bolt, for every Bolt they sell, they get to sell 10 trucks. Only sold 2 last month? Well you only get 20 trucks for next month. Gotta get the fleet mpg average up and that would do it quickly.
I just purchased a used 2014 which will be delivered on the Friday before Christmas. I'm excited since my middle son recently bought a 2019 and loves it. Even after 4 years (since this video was made), your points remain true. EVs and PHEVs don't get promoted nearly as much or as well as they should. Keep up the good work, lady.
In short, GM being GM... And when I say GM, I mean the whole GM ecosystem. And in this case, it's more specifically the salespeople who are the issue. However, with GM it is almost always something about them. (and I say this as a GM fan....)
Agree with you on the dealer/sales network... However, the Volt was never intended to be a long term model. It was a tech bridge. I'd argue that, with the strong developments in pure EVs as well as the next gen of hybrids (smallish SUVs and trucks from GM and others) on the way, the Volt's time had come.
The VOLT platform is old now ... and it really isn't dead .. as the refined VOLT powertrain is now GM's full hybrid powerplant for other reasonably priced GM hybrid optioned cars .. these aren't plug in hybrids because the battery is small (to keep cost down) ... but do get great gas mileage, close to 50mpg.
BigCooter.com, I’d like to see some variant of the Voltec drive train in pickups and SUVs. An S10 pickup with voltec drive and an induction motor in the back for extra acceleration and traction. I think big pickup buyers will not accept front wheel drive only, and they probably won’t like independent rear suspension, but they can probably get something set up that truck owners will like. I think the big problem is keeping the towing capacity on long trips where there are hills. It’s going to need to look ahead and charge the battery enough to get over the next hill and leave room for regen going down the hill. Some semi trucks already have this technology so I’m sure they can add it to a pickup.
@@imho7250 A Hybrid Truck could provide many advantages over ICE or EV ... having a powerful onboard electric generator opens many options .. powering tools, a worksite, etc... The pickup truck market however, is mostly a strange one, considering the vast majority of 4x4 big Trucks NEVER tow anything, never go off-road, never haul stuff in the bed, etc... most people are just using them for personal transportation. IMO, this is because the insurance is low, lease prices are low, they are good in snow, ... a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with the utility of a Pickup Truck ... so in designing a Hybrid or EV pickup, some of the inherent pickup utilities could be sacrificed without concern from the majority of buyers.
BigCooter.com, yes, I owned a late 80s F250 4x4, and I only used it to haul gravel once and tow a trailer once. It had a 351 cu inch motor and 2x 19 gallon fuel tanks. It got about 14 mpg highway. I think a beefed up version of Voltec or Synergy hybrid drive would work just fine. But Ford and all the pickups now have crazy engines and transmission options that let you get 20 mpg without a hybrid, and a real hybrid like Voltec would add about $15,000 to the cost, and eat up payload. I think this is why they only use micro hybrids with start-stop technology and a 1 kWh 48v hybrid battery, with a motor-generator as the starter, alternator, and motor. But pickups today are so expensive that they can probably get a real hybrid system in one next time gas hits $4/gallon.
Electric cars/plug in hybrids should really be sold via specialist dealers, who solely deal in this specific type of vehicle, and who also have trained technicians to service and repair these vehicles.
I'm probably in the minority but I love how the Volt looks. I have a 2014 MY (Gen 1) and I love that car. It's smooth as heck, without being cushy. The road feel is excellent. Not sporty though, but solid, like planted and well guided.
Great article. What killed the Volt in my mind was GM themselves, they called it a range extended EV, it wasn’t, the drivertrain is very similar to the Prius just with a bigger battery (and plug in capability) and motor, it was a plug in Hybrid.
Highly informative, as ever. I was very disappointed when I heard the news of the Volt's cancellation. Clearly GM has not got the knack of marketing electric cars, much to their detriment. Worse, it's still too profitable to sell gas guzzling trucks and SUVs and therefore easy to ignore this market. Such short term thinking will come back to bite them, as it has many times before.
Dealer's REVENUE is mostly on repairs and maintenance. These type of hybrid vehicles does not need much maintenance since owners mostly using the EV mode, well that's why they bought 'em. Pushing these cars to car buyers is just just like saying "goodbye" after the purchase. A lot of the NEWER HYBRID VEHICLES now runs on electric components such as the power steering, brakes lasts over 100Kmiles due to it's regen, EVEN OIL CHANGE is much less, and etc. Tesla sells thousands of cars. Maintenance is very minimal, so no need to have dealers every ten miles. The high cost of repairs and maintenance is the DEALER's BREAD & BUTTER.
GM have to be bold enough to tell their dealers if they don't want to sell EV then don't bother selling their ICE too. Gotta make a stand. Toyota did slowly change from selling all ICE to more hybrid so why can't GM do it?
Electric cars might be the future but currently there's not the infrastructure so we need cars like the Volt. Discontinuing the technology when it is most desirable just shows how out of touch GM are. And we don't all want SUVs.
Customer: Hi I'm interested in buying the a Chevy Volt Salesperson: Hi step on over and I'll show you the 2019 Chevy Tahoe by the way it's great on gas.
Fully right. This car is a very good one and has a nice system and drive train. I owned the Ampera and did absolutely not regret it. Better than my Audi (Motorproblems🙀 and many high bills)
The point of the Volt was so that you could have a car that operates as an Electric vehicle for moderate ranges but you still have an internal combustion engine that get you 35 to 45 miles per gallon when you have to operate the vehicle as a hybrid so that way home charging was more of a viable option and the public charging that work did not need to be built out I feel that General Motors only ever released the Volt as A compliance car and never really want you to release it in the 1st place had they taken electric vehicles more seriously beginning in the nineties we would go to GM and for the $300:00 price range be looking at a 3:00 mile electric car with about 3:00 miles of actual usable range on a charge out of the Chevrolet bolt versus the 2:00 miles we're looking at now and it would be the same price it would also probably support 150 kW charging as well The truth is General Motors doesn't take electric vehicles seriously at all why do you think they killed off all of their cars except for the Camaro the bolt and I think they're still going to produce the Corvette is well they could have hybridized a lot of their vehicle lineup as far as cars go and that would have increased sales people would have definitely been willing to pay the mark up for a hybrid of one of the popular cars Like the cruise or the Malibu As well as they would not have lost out on meat that's money because they would still be a gasoline engine in it that runs a lot and still needs slightly less frequent maintenance than a non hybrid vehicle I honestly hope that when gasoline powered vehicles really start to die off GM is the 1st legacy auto manufacturer to die then Chrysler after that Because if General Motors would have stuck with electric vehicles from when they created the EV1 They would be the king of electric vehicle manufactures When it comes to future technologies like fuel cells General Motors invested 500 billion dollars into developing fuel cell technology only to scrap the project at the last minute in favor of something like the Volt and then they do not want to educate the dealerships on the service side or spend the extra money on the sales side to educate sales representatives about their electric vehicles they produce how they work and how the charging works for them even Nissan is guilty of this and they clearly want to produce and sell electric vehicles and are serious about it but yet and you go to a Nissan dealership and they really can't tell you too much about the Nissan Leaf unless the sales representative is somebody who is a fan of electric vehicles and would like to own one themselves and has spent the time educating themselves of electric vehicles for them being able to purchase 1 in the future.
Trevor Kemp most big corporations are short sighted. GM will never switch to all EVs. They'll keep pushing gashogs till they die a horrible death. The problem is, they'll take their suppliers with them.
I appreciate the commentary and am disappointed in GM for ceasing production. I bought a 2011 Premium Volt last year and understood the basics only, but after driving it became infatuated with the car. The design,engineering and logic are all supreme. With sports car handling I like driving again. My wife was so impressed she bought a 2013 and is very impressed.
That's kind of incorrect. Tesla wouldn't have this problem since they only make/sell electric vehicles. There would be no confusion, misdirection, or lack of interest because there would be no alternate (ICE) vehicle to contribute to it.
Tesla "doesn't use dealerships" because Musk couldn't capitalize a brand new dealer network at the same time as creating a ground up new car line by himself. Philosophical reasons are just spin to adoring fanboys. Ford and Chevrolet originally didn't have dealers either. Originally freighting the car to customers on rail, to be picked up at the station or Wells Fargo office. Cars requested by simple letter or telegram. Same formula. As early manufacturers often changed their engineering drastically, not really supporting it, and leaving customers in the lurch...the dealerships started to evolve. They were originally carriage shops that sold anything to customers, like a general store. Laws emerged requiring service parts to exist for a decade or more for any model, and the 20th cen dealership emerged...with service departments tied to factories but not allowed to be owned by factories. However Tesla does have factory owned dealerships. They just call them something else. These centers are sometimes very good, and sometimes staffed by absolute goofs. He tried to dump them, thus leaving the quirky S and older models that need lots of tweek visits ..those early adopters a bit in the lurch and move on. Like any computer guy. Out with the old in with the new. However he forgot he couldn't get out of all those property leases. Now there are models that you can only buy "in store", so basically dealerships. They are pretty much following the pattern of a century before.
great fanboy response... well not really great, but typical. You can take Musk off your pedestal of idolatry... you are way off on understanding his moronic decision.
Made some sense because why sell something that you can't get more profit. Plus lazy dealership that doesn't want to change or adapt with the change of time. It's just typical human being don't want to change but still want to get more compensation.
@@D_2_M. Dealers are businesses and franchises. The dealer will sell anything on their lot. They aren't picky. If you come in to look at a 29,000 Bolt or a 15,000 Sonic... Can't decide... They want you to buy the Bolt. If YOU don't like that Bolt, then please buy the Sonic... Or this fine truck over here. Dealers are not hardware biased. They are businesses with very tight profits. The cheaper the car the tighter the profit. Trucks have the largest markup, and ate the most desirable vehicles at their pricepoint. Don't listen to rumor by people afraid of dealers. Like anyone selling anything, they want you to buy the stock on hand. If they have to order it, then they are still stuck with another car they should have sold you today.
Couldn't agree more. If I hadn't already done my research on this car, theres no way anyone at that dealership would have been able to educate and sell me on that car. I basically told them I knew exactly what I wanted and was out the door with a new car after just under 2 hours. I love me car. Best decision I've ever made. '18 Volt. Only had it for about 6 months, so we'll see how maintenance goes, but I'm fairly confident so far. Drive almost purely electric due to a daily commute of less than 40 miles. Only filled it up 2.5 times since purchase. Beautiful.
It runs on electricity for 50 miles, then the gas engine comes on. There's nothing hard to understand about that. I understand what CVTs do but not how they work. You don't have to understand how it works to drive the car.
Just bought one this year. Other than a few common component failures, it’s an amazing vehicle. The BECM failure is a huge issue which has not been dealt with adequately, and frightens me. That being said, it is about perfect. We are all battery around town and only use gas on trips, where the charging infrastructure is inadequate. The good news is the new Prius Prime is basically the new Volt. If I were buying new I’d probably get that.
I bought the Volt for major reason: Sandy! That's right. When Sandy hit the New York area we lost both the vas pumps and the delivery of the gas. The storm wrecked the port of New York so the tankers could not unload. To add more misery we lost power due to many poles and trees knocked down by the storm. So no power the gas pumps would not work. So after sitting and freezing on gas lines waiting for gas that never come I discided to get a Volt. Now you have backup system if one is not available then you have the other. In fact the power came back first then after several weeks the gas came back. Noe if we get a storm or other thing that knocks out power I have gas to get around or if there is an interruption to the gas supply I have electric to get me around. That's why I got a Volt.
I completely agree. I just bought a 2016 volt and absolutely love it, but I only considered it after talking to a family member who worked for GM 3 months ago. I had NO IDEA how the car worked until I spoke to him, and I'm glad I did!
I think word of mouth sold me on the Volt....a coworker had one and loved it. Also I had a chance to drive one at the "team Chevy driving experience" at the Indy 500. I was a little cynical about them..but that first drive really intrigued me. Some years later, test drove and bought a lease return...and it worked...fully EV on my commutes and errands around town...45 mpg on highway runs on extended drives. I understood it and really liked it but it was hard to explain the concept to friends and neighbors.
Another US citizen who has not rented a car in Europe...amazing roads there, fuel as high as €1.85 per litre. Translate that, $4 per US gallon is cheap. Nobody drives pick-up trucks to get groceries there!
If $4 expensive for U? that's cheap compared with $7 to $9 of gas in Europe. And if you go to Denmark, Scandinavia, Sweden and all those northern countries gas is $ 10 to 12 a gallon. Sure it is true no gas guzzling SVU's or coal rolling dirty pick-up trucks.
I have a 16 model and I LOVE IT! It's my favorite car. What makes me made is GM didn't educate the people. I've sold 5 to friends from recommendations...One friend said it's like a secret GM doesn't want you to know about. This lack of GM education makes me MAD!
All true. I called my local Chevy dealership, just after the Volt came out, wanting to buy one and they had no idea what I was talking about and quickly tried to sell me one of their ICE cars. I called back several months later, they'd now heard of the Volt but didn't have plans to carry any and again, tried to sell me an ICE. I drove nearly 3 hours, to a small dealership in Phoenix and bought a Volt and love it!! By far, it's the best car we've ever owned. Still have it and everything works perfect. I 100% support GM bringing new EV's to market and hope they hire a marketing team that knows EV's and train their bone-headed dealerships that this is the way it's gonna' be.
you missed the most important factor!!!! The Volt is a sedan NOT a crossover or SUV. Sedans are not selling. What is saleable is a Volt-like SUV.!!!!!!!!!!!
An AWD with third gen hybrid techology... yes. The Volt was a great transitional or bridge car. It's time had come. The problem with the dealerships is more than just the "car" angle though... they really do not want to sell EVs.
I traded in my 2017 Volt to buy a 2019 Volt because it is the perfect car for this gas/electric transition period. Having owned a LEAF (3 of them, actually) I discovered that the EV infrastructure is not up to snuff yet. After a trip to the beach, we were driving back home and would need to charge the car before arriving back in Portland. When we pulled into the Fred Meyer parking lot, which was supposed to have two level 2 chargers and one level 3, all of them were out of service. We ended up having to get towed to a charger elsewhere. I bought a Volt within a week. Even if you're driving a tesla, you need to hunt down chargers and allow for the extended time it takes to charge the car up (the bigger the battery, the longer it takes). With the Volt giving me around 60 miles of electric only, I drive 95% of the time on EV alone, only dipping into the gas gauge if we go on a longer trip. I've owned the car since January and have yet to fill the tank with gas. But if we're on a road trip, I can just keep driving to our destination and recharge there once I arrive. It borders on criminal to switch to EV only production when the infrastructure is not there yet and there are no plans to do so in the near future.
@@toddbenfield6546 Not cheaper, just easier for long trips. And that story is 2 years old. The charging infrastructure has vastly improved with chargers at most department store chains, outlet malls, on interstates, etc. I now own a Tesla with free supercharging, so paying for gas/electric is not a thing I worry about anymore. We drove the Tesla from Oregon to Tucson this spring and used superchargers the whole way. Extremely fast charging (when it first starts charging, it is pumping 500 miles of range per hour into the car- it does slow down as it gets more full). And it's actually nice to take a break every few hours.
@@kevincourcey813 Congrats on the Tesla👍I’m completely satisfied with my gen 1, and gen 2 Volts! It’s what works for the individual. Would love to have a Model S, just don’t want to spend that much on a vehicle at this time! Enjoy your Model S✌️and I might break down 1 day😀
@@toddbenfield6546 Actually, it's an X. We bought it to pull a travel trailer (which the Volt obviously couldn't do). Took it on several camping trips, then decided to sell the trailer. Still like the X tho!
I bought a 2014 Volt for my wife and liked it so much I bought one for myself. Then 4 years later traded the wife's in for a 2018, so I'm pretty familiar with the car. Owners love them, they have the highest Consumer Reports customer satisfaction rate of any vehicle GM has ever built, only the much more expensive Tesla recently knocked them out of the #1 spot for any car ever made. The reason they never sold in high numbers is due to GM's complete lack of interest in selling them. I'm sure with an electric motor, battery pack, and gas engine they are much more expensive to make, and therefore much less profitable than the overpriced pickup and SUV's they are focusing all their effort on. No dealer training, no national or local advertising, nothing. It's the '70s all over again, GM makes huge gas-guzzlers because gas is cheap, when it gets expensive again I guess us taxpayers will have to bail them out again. I'm not an environmentalist trying to save the world, I just crunched the numbers and the Volt makes a lot of sense economically. With all the federal, state, county, and electric company rebates I bought a new $40k car for around $26k, and it is saving me $3k per year in fuel (counting the cost of electricity too) compared to my old 20mpg car. In just over 8 years it will have paid for itself - who wouldn't want a free car to commute in? I live in the mountains, so with the regeneration I get back most of the energy it took to go up the hill - no matter how efficient they make it, a gas car will never give you back more gas going downhill. And of my three Volts, none have ever had to go back to the dealer for any kind of repair, tune up or oil change. My 2014's battery holds just as much electricity as when it was new, so I expect it will be many more years before it starts to lose efficiency.
I have an used volt 2014 and could be any happier with it. And the price was low. Great car low price.
that's awesome, thanks for sharing.
@@pablotrobo - probably sold at a steep discount in which GM didn't make any money
I bought mine used, which i highly recommend.
Just bought a 2017. So far we love it. We also own a 2015 Prius purchased new. Both are great cars but I absolutely love the Volts’s ability to go full electric on my commute. Plenty of power as well. Happy Volt owner.
I bought the first Chevy Volt in my province in 2012. I loved it! I wish I would have bought a 2017, 18, or 19 when I could. I was directly responsible for the sale of 6 more within a year. The dealership's and sales people have no idea how to sell it. I could sell someone on it after talking with someone for 5 mins. I was really upset when I hear it was discontinued.
Just had my almost brand new 2019 Volt delivered yesterday Jan 20/22 (only 29k km on it) really looking forward to not going to the cancer station to fuel up! Maybe my truck is next?
The second generation Volt was a pretty good looking car.
and really fun to drive, feels solid on the road (low battery pack advantage) and fast.
gbw28 ya id drive that.
Good looking, awful interior. Enormous pillars, poor seat and seating position, extremely raked and reflective windshield, extremely low roof, extremely tight rear seating...
@@Frost517 I can't tell. Do you like the gen 2 or not? 🤔
Frost I agree with most of your points, but at the same time I’ve kinda taken those compromises with stride because it swallows up my family and visibility isn’t so terrible that I can’t crane my neck and most see my blind spots. Such are the things us enthusiasts put up with so our wifes will let us buy fast cars 😂
The Dealership Business Plan Model is the problem. Having worked in the industry here is the scoop. The owners of dealerships all have a bottom line that they manage toward. At the end of the year, new car sales contributes approx 22%, service contributes approx 70% and parts about 8%. As you can see, continued diminishing of the service area of the business would have a very serious affect on the owners profits. A typical gas powered car goes thru the service bays approx every three months for 5 to 8 years. A battery powered unit never gets to see a service bay.
@@davidbeaulieu4815 The only time I've (grudgingly) taken my car to a dealer was for warranty or recall work. Other than that I always DIY or find an independent, trustworthy repair shop.
Every 3 months? I really don't get why that would be. Over here in Europe most cars only go in once a year.
@@Hans-gb4mv If that, but that's beside the point. Any time a car goes to a dealer service department they charge many times what you would pay at a reputable independent shop and frequently do a little sabotage while they're in there. They also do everything they can to avoid fixing things under warranty and make you pay through the nose once it's out of warranty. It's a racket.
Yes, dealer service is a core issue. Looking at the maintenance schedule on my Volt, it is sparse. And yes, it's an incredibly complicated car that technicians have to get certified to service.
Hans here in the US, dealerships SACARE purchasers of new vehicles into possibly voiding their 60,000 mile warranty if they do not service their car properly (only a dealership can perform the service properly). Oil changes every 5,000 miles (generally 3-4 months , etc. it’s a total scam.
Love our 2017 Volt. Quickest car we've had. Its great being able to toggle between gas and electric. Awesome plug in hybrid. Sad to see it go.
I’m 100% with you. It’s the best car I’ve ever had
I was looking to buy one last month but the low roof line in the back and lack of rear legroom were deal killers. For two people with small kids it's a great buy. I have two worl colleagues who have owned them and been very happy with them. If oil prices had stayed high I think we would have seen more development from GM and more options based on the same platform. I did buy a Bolt for my wife and the basic car is great. Interior is sub-standard but for what I paid, I can let it go. The upcoming Bolt EUV looks great and manages to maintain a 250 mile range despite being a larger vehicle.
It’s the best car I’ve ever had too you get the best of both gas and electric if they ever made an SUV with electric and gas like the volt I’ll be the first one in line
@@chrisg4997 Good point. I think PHEV is better than EV. Most of local driving is on battery and the odd long trip goes on gas. Stations are everywhere and no need to rely on an unreliable charging network.
@@chrisg4997 This is the reason we bought a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Electric for 22 miles then gas if needed... and has awd, which is desirable in winter as we live in the Thumb region of Michigan.
Ditto for me. Leased my Volt Premier on May 2016 and just bought out the lease in April. I will not sell her for many years. GM did it again and mostly because of their business model giving sales control to their 'independent' dealerships. They should have sold the Volt over the internet only and gone to court when their dealerships sued them. (Which they would have done, IMO.)
In three years I've been to a gas station five times to fill the 8.5 gallon tank, except for one trip from Southern California to Canada and back where I averaged 45 mpg on gasoline only.
I start each day with a full 'tank' of electricity and 54 miles of range. I rarely need to tap into the gasoline in my tank. I've been to the dealership just twice every May for my 'free' annual checkup included with my purchase. The dealership has, as yet, not made any money on me and instead rotated my tires twice, changed my oil, and given me free rides to and from my home while I've enjoyed their free coffee and pastries. I think you can see why dealership didn't like selling the Volt. Sad...
That's another problem with the Volt, or any plug in hybrid. You get the worst of both possible worlds as far as maintenance is concerned. You need to maintain the ICE, and in the Volt's case a transmission, just as in any ICE car, and you have the battery and charging system to maintain and service. This includes your home charging station. That means you need to change oil, coolant, air and oil filters on a regular basis plus extra service for the battery and electrical systems. My experience with my non plug in Prius has been positive with no problems in 100,000 miles. However I take it to the dealer for oil changes and service because it uses a special oil made specifically for the Prius and will continue to take it to the dealer for service. It's coming up on its 100,000 mile service. At which time the transmission fluid also needs to be changed and the engine coolant needs to be changed. In addition the battery coolant needs to be changed. This is critical because most battery failures are caused by over heating. True I love my Prius, especially at the gas pump, but I realize I don't get something for nothing.
ALL US auto dealerships except Tesla's are independent franchises.
@@stuarthirsch The Chevy Volt doesn't use a regular automatic transmission. There are no gears per se, there is no transmission fluid to change. It uses a special clutch pack. It's an electric car with a range extending generator. Every Volt driver I've heard from says they only have to change the oil in the motor once every 20,000 miles (I know that sounds crazy but it's true) because it's not being used all the time.
@@SalivatingSteve there is absolutely 6'ish qts of dex VI to change on the trans of a Volt. No, it's not a normal transmission, but it of course has fluid and that fluid needs changed periodically. 6 qts is nothing compared to the almost 3 gallons of trans fluid my '01 2500HD Duramax truck takes for a change, though, lol.
This is a frustrating situation because this might be one of the best plug in hybrid vehicles available due to its electric only range being higher than any other hybrid. The only downside I have seen is the lack of a 5th seat. It seems to me to be the perfect compromise of electric only range with no range anxiety due to the range extender. I almost bought a new one and I am still considering buying a used one. It definitely seems like a mistake to me.
You forgot about the Honda Clarity. As big as a Accord, can seat 5 adults, has a similar EV range as the Volt.
Itss bad marketing
The Gen 2 Volt is a 5 seater. And it out drags a clarity and accord so yeah its fast.
agreed! it was my dream car for years, i could only gleam in positive jealousy when i saw someone else drive one, finally when i was financially able to afford one, Tesla showed up!
Consumers view points and common sense do not override Golden corporate Parachutes and bonuses for failure; only here in America does that exist, in other counties failures mean the sack or firing if you wish.
That’s exactly right! Dealers never seamed to know the Volt and frequently misinformed consumers. Fact is they don’t like the vehicle because it doesn’t make them money.
I was one of the original members of GM-Volt.com
There's a lot of us in the Volt, we gave valuable advice & suggestions in its production.
The 2nd generation Volt is awesome.
Opel begged GM for more Volts for years, and to switch their production to electric or hybrid.
I sometimes feel GM would have been a more successful company if Opel/Saab would have managed GM 😅
ᴅᴇᴀʀ ᴍʀ. ɪꜱᴀɪᴀʜ ᴅᴇʀɪɴɢᴇʀ; - Saab? They proved they couldn’t perceive the idea of selling a vehicle for more than producing it. In the end, they were given a bundle of money to produce a new low cost car and what did they do with the money. They decided to ditch a functioned in-built sat-nav. After two years, they’d failed to complete the sat-nav, not spent any money on the car and the rest of the promised money was promptly halted. Saab was already a byword for, “We can do that at greater cost than your present supplier.” And became a byword for, “Give me money. And I’ll promise to spend it unwisely.”
I owened an Apmera here in the UK. One of the best cars I have ever had. 37 miles a day was enough for my local needs. 9000 miles later and 12 gallons the car was in an accident and the insurance refused to repair it. Now waiting for my Model 3. The car was not understood and I would happily of bought the Gen 2 if it was sold in the UK.
Very smart looking car
Similar story for me and my 2013 Volt. It was totaled by GEICO when it could have easily been repaired. I'm now driving a LR AWD model 3. My Volt suggestion is, drive it till it drops. One of the best cars I've owned and I've owned a lot of cars !
12 gallons!
Can you import one from the U.S. or Canada?
Well said. I absolutely love my 2018 (V2) Volt, and I can see from the stats recorded online that I have driven more than 80% of its miles in electric mode. So much more could be said about this car, but in addition to the green factor, for me:
1) it's an extremely peppy car to drive
2) nearly two years in and zero maintenance
3) truly a technological marvel
4) an efficient form factor
I'm very sorry to see this car leave the market, and find it sad when stellar products like this can't find a way to compete.
The 2018 Volt was like the show, Firefly. Fans loved it, the network didn't care enough about it, and they cancelled it.
Love my volt. Had a 14 for 2 years, wrecked it, brought a 16 the next week. My commute to work is 22 miles so I never use gas when only using it for that purpose.
My 2011 Volt is still servicing all my needs. It's been an awesome car and a shame that more people didn't get to experience it.
Insert Bolt for Volt and you have the same dealership problem.
It's not strictly a Chevy problem either. I experienced the same frustration trying to look at an EV at my local Kia dealer.
In addition to the fact that Volts had a lower profit-margin for dealers, I suspect that a lot of the money dealers make is post market servicing of vehicles. Electric cars simply require less servicing than purely ICE vehicles, and therefore less potential money in the dealer's pocket.
Let me make it clear. A BIG part of Volt closure is that GM dealerships did not want to sell Volt. GM dealerships are fully supported by GM and act on behalf of GM. Conclusion: Chevy Volt has been killed by GM (through their dealerships). Am I missing something? If my statement is true, then what is the difference between killing Chevy Volt and GM EV1? If GM REALLY wanted to keep Volt they would find a way to "encourage" their dealerships. Hope, it is more clear why Tesla doesn't want to deal with dealerships.
You would think, but massive companies(particularly those who aren't truly connected, like dealerships and their attached car companies) tend to frequently work against their own interest, purely through accidental incompetence. Just because it's obvious from the outside that something is hurting sales doesn't mean that message is making it up through management. Further, even if management knows what's going on, they have less direct influence over front-line workers and middle management than you might hope. Running a company is like piloting a ship with a tiny rudder while getting input through a 6-inch black and white TV on a three-week delay.
You do not understand the relationship between GM and its dealers. The dealerships are entirely separate companies, under their own ownership and management. There is a contract between the two, for sure, but GM has relatively limited abilities to control the dealership. The dealerships are in it for themselves. If the Volt doesn't make them money, they won't sell it. It didn't, due to the lower service needs, higher dealer costs, and much lower volumes.
The EV1s were taken back and crushed to try and hide their existence. The Volt was killed because BEVs are outselling PHEVs. Completely different situation. I own a Volt, and I also own a BEV. The Volt doesn’t make sense for most areas now, charging infrastructure is rapidly expanding and prices for long range BEVs are dropping. 90% of my driving with the Volt has always been completely electric, looking back I should have just bought a BEV in the first place but I was nervous about the possibility of range anxiety.
@@MylesV Driving my Volt is almost all electric. But I also drive a couple hours to visit my parents, and 6-7 hours for a vacation a few states distant: no range anxiety. I only charge at home. Sure, charging infrastructure is around... Fact is, it's fragmented, it needs multiple apps to access it, and last time I checked it was more expensive than buying gas!
@@kayl456jenna yes! Cheaper to drive on gas in a Volt on a road trip, than charging a Tesla at a Supercharger, or any other BEV charger
But the Volt isn't more complicated to use. Gas it up when you want to, plug it in if you want to. I guess many consumers are too dumb to realize it can be driven as a hybrid only or with shore power to increase MPG but I hope the majority understood it.
There was a showcar of the Chevy Volt. It was a very wide card with a huge hood. The production car isn't that far from the concept. I like the look and the Volt was in the Transformers movie as the Jolt.
danwat1234, the level of cognitive density astounds me. I would tell someone about my Volt and how it worked and person after person would immediately ask, _But what do you do when the battery runs out?_
*It's like I was talking to a wall!*
danwat1234, we got our 2017 Volt used. It was obvious from the mileage that whoever the original owner was had no idea how to use the car. I wonder if they ever bothered to plug it in. After a year and a half of driving it our lifetime gas mileage is now up to over 90 mpg, but had we been the ones driving it when it was new its lifetime gas mileage would be much better than that.
@@inkyguy The engine comes on! Haven't had a conversation like that yet
The dealership impact is the main reason electric car brands are eschewing the traditional dealer model of sales. Legacy automakers are going to be have issues with this (pay attention Audi, Porsche, etc.)
It's true. The dealership model will have to change drastically if EVs ever make up a significant portion of new car sales (and I believe they will, but as ever it takes time for markets to change and supply chains to move to suit that change...).
That said, for many current new commuter car buyers, EVs are already more cost effective than ICE commuter vehicles (even with the increased up front cost). The next generation of EVs will make the choice a no brainer for 40-50% of the vehicle buying public in urban locations.
I agree with what you said. Also people around here have no clue how my Volt works. They always ask what I do after the battery is depleted
I agree with you Bryan M, people don't get it.
I think you are spot on. I tried on several occasions to drop into a dealership and test drive a new Volt. They never had on on the lot. They could order one but I wanted to drive one now. Also you are spot on about advertising the Volt. I never saw nor heard an advertisement for this car. My overwhelming impression was that GM didn't really have an investment in the car because they didn't advertise it for sale. I have personal knowledge of how wonderful this automobile is as I have a family member who has had two already. For driving around the city to and from work and other ventures within the city this is a great vehicle. Taking it on the road you never have to worry about running out of power as the gasoline engine seamlessly kicks in and you continue to drive. GM engineers really thought this car through. It is truly a marvel of engineering. Too bad GM didn't understand what they had.
This is very accurate. I worked for two different Chevrolet dealerships and that is exactly what happened.
Kyle Hines, could you elaborate? What exactly happened?
I agree with your reason - we were looking at a Volt to purchase and the salesman steered us away from it. We finally went Electric with a used Leaf - the next car we purchase will be a newer model with longer range - perhaps a Bolt.
Shame about the Volt because it was a ground-breaker for GM. Thanks for sharing!
I have a '14 volt. great money saver, but I hate all the extra "fluff". The other problem is the Fed promised tax incentives to make charging stations pop up everywhere....never happened. And now GM production to China??? Sorry, done with that company
Although all of your points are valid, maybe the most valid point is the Volt was manufactured in the same plant as Chevrolet Cruze, the Cadillac CT6 and the Buick LaCrosse, which were being discontinued. Consequently, the Volt, alone would not make enough revenue to keep the factory open.
Don't let facts get in the way of the E agenda. They can't believe that not every one wants an electric car, even Tesla's aren't selling well in most of the US.
Guy Spaulding the Cruze was not assembled at Detroit Hamtramck, it was assembled at Lordstown. It was the Impala that was also assembled at Detroit Hamtramck.
Even if that were true, that's called a smokescreen and an excuse. What they should be doing is converting that plant to 100% EV manufacture. But that's exactly what they don't want to do.
Should we give thanks to FUD
The phrase "GM being GM" reminded me of a stockholders meeting some years back before the fracking boon lowered foreign demand. The Japanese had captured their domestic market with hybrids, and were successfully entering the U. S. market. When the CEO was asked why he had not pursued hybrids, his reply was "I didn't think the price of gas would go up". e.e 😒 I thought someone hasn't been pumping his own gas, and got their job on the golf course. Even if gas didn't go up, you could double your mileage.
I'm a state legislator in Maryland and I am the Chairman of the committee that oversees electric cars and the legislative issues surrounding them. Also, my wife and I own a Tesla Model 3 (and we love it). My observation is that there is a real dislike for EVs among car dealerships. As an accountant (in real life) I understand that they make little money from the sale of new cars. They make most of their money from the repair and maintenance of vehicles. Now, dealers are defended by state legislatures because they are local businesses (employing our constituents) and members of our community. Left to their own devices, the legacy car makers would have nothing to do with EVs. Fortunately, Tesla is forcing their hand. That's a good thing, but we are going to have to figure out how to employ all the car mechanics that are going to lose their jobs.
Hey Kumar, appreciate the perspective from a sitting politician. I wonder what would have happened to the early auto industry if the livery and stable owners had organized and lobbied like today's dealership associations.
Fossil cars are done, they need to start thinking about a new job now. Veterinarians are still around for horses but many probably lost there jobs 110 years ago
For the record, I was behind the legislation to expand Tesla's ability to sell directly to consumers in our state, bypassing the dealership laws. I agree with you I think we have to have more competitive and open market.
@@MajLeader Thank you!
@@MajLeader My car was illegal to buy in my state, a huge pain buying sight unseen in another state and having it trucked. Hope the sales tax went to CA or NV and not my home.
Good show. I think the Volt/Ampera was one of the best incarnations of the plug-in hybrid. Big enough to haul people and stuff. And every owner I have talked to loves their Volt.
It's especially useful in the western states where EV charging can get dicey while traveling. Eastern NorCal, OR and WA; ID, UT, and Montana/Wyo are all good places for plug-in hybrids. A good used Gen II Volt is on my short list of used vehicles :)
Love my 18 Volt, my commute is 60 miles, I get to work and home on one charge and my electric bill only increased 20$ a month!! It has a great ride, sport mode is a hoot and has awesome features especially with my premier trim. I do not regret my purchase, and the tax credit was icing on the cake.
It's a shame the volt didn't make the cut, it was an amazing transitional car for ICE drivers thinking of going electric, I know I'm still in love with my 2013 volt. You think Chevy is going to come out with a range extended EV crossover with 100ish miles of EV range as a response to the public outcry for killing the volt?
The BOLT EUV might be a good replacement for a VOLT crossover. PHEVs are the best. Less material for batteries, because you make that long trip once in a while. Making a huge pack for the odd long trip makes no sense.
I knew about the Gen 1 Volt because my employer developed the infotainment system. It had been in the back of my mind several years; then between consumer rooftop solar and the Volt, I decided it was time. I bought a 2017 model year in Feb. 2020. The solar is next. As part of my corporate role I studied the correlation of gas prices to EV purchases, and they aren't really correlated. EV purchasers appear to buy one to make a statement or are trend leaders. Case in point of this are Tesla buyers. The Volt is really an undiscovered gem.
i will agree with James Hurley, until i retired from the auto service portion of my life i was a toyota master tech for over 40yrs, the service part of the service portion is dying, oil changes for toyota is 10,000mi outside of recalls that have been many, advances in metal used in engines and the electric car will bring down the auto service a severe blow, got out at the right time, i wish everyone that follows in my footsteps the best of luck.
Such a shame really because the 2nd Gen Volt was actually quite a very attractive car. Had it been available in the UK, I would have bought one in place of the Golf GTE that I ended up buying.
They're going for under 20K here in North America. With gas prices going ape shit, they're getting more attractive to some. In COMMIEFORTISTAN, gas is over 5 bucks a gallon in some cities.
No. It is simple. GM and Ford abandoned the compact car market, regardless if EV or not. They're handing it over to Tesla and others, fell behind Japanese, Korean, European cars. GMs and Fords strength is simply in trucks and SUVs.
And that will kill those brands outside of the US since the US is the only market where you can sell those types of cars.
And my gut tells me that
Atlis, Rivian, Bollinger, & possibly Havilar-Bison, & Workhore (??)
will eat into the ICE Pick-Ups
& ICE "Jumbo-SUVs"
(Suburbans, Expeditions & Exploders, etc.) market somewhat,
forcing competitive pricing (pencil-sharpening)
(and also Loyalty-destroying, Brand-weakening, dirty-marketing-tactics will surface)
which will vastly reduce the REAL MARGINS on new
"ICE" Pick-ups & ICE Jumbo-SUVs
(the downward-spiral).
Snow Andrews except that Ford bought a portion/invested in Rivian
@@Hans-gb4mv SUVs are being sold in Europe though. europe.autonews.com/sales-segment/europes-suv-sales-boom-despite-flat-market-2018 However, Euros want cars with reasonable gas mileages, not those American gas guzzlers Ford and GM are making. Some small entrepeneurs in the construction sector are driving Dodge RAMs though, because European alternatives like the VW Amorak just aren't a good alternative to those strong American cars.
@@CovesPhotographyBrampton Methinks that is their "One Dollar each way" betting strategy, & nothing more.
All of the dealerships I visited had no idea how to sell the Volt and Bolt. They could have smashed the Prius if they at least tried.
And those same dealerships I visited all said that shoppers for the Volt know more about them than the dealership and each time I told them they should probably learn their product....
Sorry Joe GM could never smash the Prius as Toyota looks far ahead and started their Prius (R&D) Research and Development) in 1993 and brought out the first generation in 1997 +/- since then the improvements have been made with each new generation. Within 100 yards diameter of my house there are three Prius years model 2012 and 2013 and I bet most have over 100,000 trouble free miles and our local dealers are glad to service them when they need it. My best mileage so far has been 64.6 MPG and the worst was 44 +/- while having to drive 65-70 MPH my average so far during the warm weather has been over 55 MPG mostly city.
I thought I saw a very beautiful GM Sedan with the Volt symbol on the trunk, guess I was mistaken?
That Jolt looks pretty sweet.
There are no coupe electric cars. Only the not a roadster targa and it's not real yet. I would by a Jolt if it has good safety rating and a good car.
GM, shot themselves in the foot when they chopped the Volt line.
...Good job GM 👍
The Volt's drive train was extraordinarily expensive to manufacture. People willing to spend that kind of money for an electric car want a pure EV. While our local dealer had a difficult time selling their Volts, their Bolts sell much faster.
My 2016 Volt is an amazing car! I love looking at it, driving it and owning it!
Ron Souther how do you fit in it? By being a midget or having the absolute worst slouching tilted posture that will cause you permanent hip and lumbar damage in an accident?
Frost I’m 6’3”. I use Chevy Volt Yoga to get into the car but once in, I’m very comfortable.
I owned a 2012 volt - excellent car ... no emissions in city driving - cleans air and feel good - gas engine good on hwy, i loved it and achieved an eye popping 174 mpg over 6 years -72,000 miles (CANADIAN gallons - the big ones) but I moved up to a Tesla when GM canceled the volt ... just when i was going to upgrade to the new 2018 volt
Donated the volt to my sister in law - she loves it - over the 7 years of driving - very reliable no maintenance issues in hilly Vancouver BC . But GM being GM - after all they also never produced their collision avoidance system which they developed in 1956 - 70 years before Tesla made it happen
You are spot on. One of my local dealers - that I preferred - wouldn't TOUCH my Volt (2017 +2018). Go away customer.
what do you mean they wouldn't touch your Volt? You speaking of service department or?
We need to get rid of the middlemen, looking at you Dealerships!
We need to get rid of politicians who ban the ban of middlemen
Really, selling new cars this way is so outdated.
No, we don't. Dealerships have advantages. You can look at the cars, you can try them and most importantly, since they compete with one another you can negotiate over the price and options. With the Tesla model its like: this is the price, take it or leave it. You want a discount? Wait a week, the price might have changed. Could be down or up. A test drive? Buy the car and if you don't like it, return it.
@@Hans-gb4mv you obviously own or derive your income from a dealership. New car dealerships are a scourge on consumers.
@@ConcertShutterbug nope, no idea where you got that idea from. The company I currently work for is in the legal business.
And I say again: look at Tesla. They wanted to cut out that inefficient dealership model. You as the customer give up your right to negotiate and have gotten stupendously bad service in return. If that's improvement, I'll pass.
I have a 2018 Volt. It is awesome! It runs great without the squeaks and rattles I have encountered in other GM cars that I have owned. I only have to put gas in when I drive up to Tahoe from LA, and even in that circumstance, it gets about 48-50 mpg going north and about 53-56 south ( it is uphill basically all the way from LA to Lake Tahoe ). I have only had one scheduled engine service since I got it, and that, as well as the next two, are free. The upgraded sound system is amazing too.
I bought a used Volt last weekend. I'd been saving up for one for months, and had to drive 200 miles to get the one I wanted, but I knew it was the car for me. When I went to the dealership, I had to explain everything about the car to the guy I was dealing with, he didn't know anything about how it worked or really what it was.
Luckily, my local dealership has a certified Voltech on staff, so I can be comfortable bringing it there for any warranty issues. When I was at the local dealership, the guy talked me into taking a spin in a Bolt for S&Gs... that little car was a BLAST to drive! If it wouldn't have cost me over twice what I was paying for a used Volt to get a used Bolt, I'd probably have done it. But the difference in operating costs just would not make up the $16,000 difference, ever. Maybe in the future... but energy technology is gonna change a lot in the next few years, and I didn't want to be stuck under that kind of loan.
Very inspiring story Richard. Enjoy the Volt.
Just as I experienced Chevy dealers refusing to sell or lease a Volt to me I now - three years later - have Honda dealers trying to talk me out of a Clarity or, worse still, trying to sell me a 2017-vintage car at the 2019 price. The dealership model is so GOOD for business!
Some proportion is in order. Prior to Tesla scaling out the Volt was selling really well compared to what little else was out there, namely the Leaf. It was just unable to broaden its market. I forgot about the Jolt fan concept. That thing was super cool, although the EVX looks like a street-sweeper. The Bolt is really a terrible bodystyle and there's not much you can do to polish that turd.
Agreed. So ugly. I would be embarrassed to own one.
C'mon guys the little thing looks cute! I would buy one if I had the money.
I have never seen one ad or commercial in NJ USA... Loved my 2015 volt and now my 2018 volt.... Not sure where I'll go next...
Literally just bought a 2014 Volt last week and I LOVE IT. For the most part, Volt feels like that TV show that was cancelled before it's time..........It's the Firefly of cars.
As usual, an excellent analysis of the market, the consumers and the way EV’s are sold and marketed. Thanks for the comprehensive perspective!
I believe the main reason the Volt was discontinued, was because the Volt was based on the Cruze. The Lordstown factory that made the Cruze closed, so the Volt variant production also had to end.
I just bough a volt last November and it is a great car! It is the best of both worlds. On an average day it is an electric car but if I ever want to go on a road trip, I don't have to stress out about finding charging stations in the middle of nowhere. Buying at a dealership, however, was a terrible experience. I often felt like I knew more about the car than the dealer did, and I am not a car person.
Awww, I miss my Volt! One of my favorite cars of all time! (it was leased, had to give her back)
@@davidbeaulieu4815 God no, I'd never get a Tesla (poor quality) but I do want to check out the new Audi and Jag EV's, those look nice, and they know how to build cars properly... Besides Tesla might be bankrupt by the time I could afford one anyway (had I wanted one...)
I recently went to the local Chevy dealer with a serious intent to buy a Bolt. The deal didn't work because they wanted to give me too little for my trade in. Another reason was because they wanted nearly $40,000 for a car that looked like it should sell for about half that. And one final thing, it was boring, GM boring. All GM really wants to do is make pick-ups and SUVs. That is what sells. The problem with that strategy is that it increases the demand for gasoline which drives up its price which kills the demand for gas guzzling pick-ups and SUVs. So most likely the auto manufacturers will be back for a bail out in a couple of years. Good luck with that.
The Volt is an amazing car and had high customer satisfaction. If only GM and dealers had actually tried to market and sell it. I love my 2011 model and plan to keep it for a long time.
May I ask, have you lost any range?
@@Torch4Life The Volt doesn't see much range reduction. Battery wear becomes exhibited mostly by more voltage drop when you press hard on the accelerator, which causes the generator to come on early before the miles runs out and then cycles off again after a while. Some early Volts are starting to see the signs, but most are still good.
I love that she quotes Doug Demuro. I watch his reviews.
Same.
I wish Doug covered more hybrids and electric vehicles
I really love my gen 2 volt! Just wish she had the faster level 2 on board charger.
@@michachojnowski9004 my dealership is terrified to work on the power train, telling me the 2019 charger isn't compatible with the 2017. GM confirmed it would work when I called them, though explained it would void my warranty.
@@nambians82 I delete my comment :( it's not supose to be like that.
You must find someone on gm-volt.com/forum/forum.php to help You do this without visit dealer ship. I live in Poland and have solution to change charging port on VOLT gen 2 to TYPE 2 . It's more popular in Europe and support 3phase AC instalation and then faster charging. Then on trunk I connet paralel to VOLT charger , TESLA gen 2 charger with my own board inside and charge faster with 2 charger's in my VOLT. It's goe's 13,6 kw and it's full in 45 minutes :)
I'm on my third Volt. The limited advertising never explained what it is and how it works. It's a great car.
Thank you for letting us know what happened to this car. We love the car. Right now we're averaging 91+ mpg. Like many, we rarely have to use the gasoline.
In the 25+ years this is the first American car we've ever bought. Looks like our next car will be another foreign car. Good job, GM! 😖
I just stumbled upon this video in July of 2021. I have a 2018 Volt that we lease. As we approached the lease end (scheduled to end 8/01/21) we decided to purchase it. With just under 30K miles and car prices higher than usual, it makes sense for us. The car is perfect for it's size.
Cancelling the Volt was truly business as usual for GM; they suffer from an absolute lack of forethought! That's been their problem for many decades! The Volt, as a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), provided the best of both worlds; plug-in EV efficiency and having a built-in generator that can be refueled (with gas) in 5 minutes or less. So GM cancelled it and is hoping people will buy the Bolt EV. Sadly, the Bolt is only an alternative for people who don't feel the need to worry about EV battery mileage. That's only the case where there's actually some charging infrastructure in place AND where people have a lot of time to wait for the car to charge (in the middle of a road trip?). More likely, it's handy for people who simply don't travel more than 120 miles or so from home.
Today, in 2021, what vehicle is one of the best selling vehicles? What's one of the most popular vehicles available in the US? You guessed it; a PHEV!!! The Toyota RAV4 Prime is larger than a Bolt and has a 'better than Voltec' PHEV system. It's also one of the best accelerating vehicles (#2 fastest) sold in the US. Poor GM... maybe they'll learn a lesson and bring back the Voltec system in a small SUV... but I highly doubt it! They never learn!
It's crazy how regional preferences are different in North America. Here in Quebec, the Volt is almost as common as a low-selling compact car (such as a Subaru Impreza). You see one on every residential street and people here are really pissed that GM killed their only reliable and desirable car, especially now that we have a total of 13 000$ rebate since May 1st.
Incredible, & good for the Canadians who bought one. Here in the USA it's the invisible car.
Sad, because from what I've read and heard from people who purchased the Volt...it seemed to be one of GM's best cars. Makes sense that dealerships didn't want to sell the Volt if it cut maintenance costs. Dealers charge a fortune for labor. Esp in big cities like Los Angeles.
being one of Chevy's best cars doesnt mean its a good car. Thats like saying thats the best looking turd in the pasture... still a turd. GM just needs to make better cars.
I think GM made a big mistake canceling the Volt. The dealers should have pushed it harder. I'd own one if I wasn't so happy with my Prius.
I only meet very happy Prius owners, even if she is an ugly duck; till the latest body change; there are three used ones in my neighborhood 100 yard radius. Not bad for Garland, Texas.
Yup, yup, yup. One more smaller fly in the ointment was production costs.
The Volt is on the complex side. The first gen has 103 microcontrollers and runs more lines of computer code than the Space Shuttle. Fixing it outside of a qualified dealership is going to be difficult. The Volt started life as a concept car at one of the auto shows. Lyle Denis was so impressed and enthusiastic about the Volt he started a website all about the development of the Volt. That and GM's desire to live past "Who Killed the Electric Car" provided the push to actually put the car on the road.
Bad example.
The Space Shuttle was designed in 1981 and complex calculations where done on the ground. In 1981 the only Microsoft operating system was MS-DOS, which came on a few floppy discs. A $100 Casio digital watch today has more computer logic than the Space Shuttle did for flight control and navigation.
I'd argue that the Volt wasn't complex from a computer standpoint. It copied the large dinosaur model of control and +100 microprocessors to do what one "computer" in your head can do far better when you are sleeping.
Then as usual GM quit!
I love my Volt, excellent diversity and comfortable interior, I have made half my monthly payment in fuel savings alone and with the carbon tax that came into effect in canada It will actually pay for more than half of my car payment in fuel savings. I wish the bolt was a plug in hybrid or at least a range extended option.
I love the Volt one of if not the most reliable vehicle Chev/GM makes. One solid down fall though is nearly no rear seat room.
Also if you are 6 foot plus, you look like a spider getting out of a match box. Every Volt owner I've met goes on and on about how they have literally changed the oil once a year and Tires twice up to 100,000+ miles.
Simple fix to incentivize the dealers to sell the Bolt, for every Bolt they sell, they get to sell 10 trucks. Only sold 2 last month? Well you only get 20 trucks for next month. Gotta get the fleet mpg average up and that would do it quickly.
5:45
God damnit GM DO IT, MAKE THE JOLT, I WANT MY EV COUPE
They made the Cadillac ELR. That's basically a 2 door volt.
I just purchased a used 2014 which will be delivered on the Friday before Christmas. I'm excited since my middle son recently bought a 2019 and loves it. Even after 4 years (since this video was made), your points remain true. EVs and PHEVs don't get promoted nearly as much or as well as they should. Keep up the good work, lady.
In short, GM being GM...
And when I say GM, I mean the whole GM ecosystem. And in this case, it's more specifically the salespeople who are the issue.
However, with GM it is almost always something about them.
(and I say this as a GM fan....)
Agree with you on the dealer/sales network... However, the Volt was never intended to be a long term model. It was a tech bridge. I'd argue that, with the strong developments in pure EVs as well as the next gen of hybrids (smallish SUVs and trucks from GM and others) on the way, the Volt's time had come.
If GM would make this into a SUV, this would be a huge success!
The VOLT platform is old now ... and it really isn't dead .. as the refined VOLT powertrain is now GM's full hybrid powerplant for other reasonably priced GM hybrid optioned cars .. these aren't plug in hybrids because the battery is small (to keep cost down) ... but do get great gas mileage, close to 50mpg.
BigCooter.com, I’d like to see some variant of the Voltec drive train in pickups and SUVs. An S10 pickup with voltec drive and an induction motor in the back for extra acceleration and traction.
I think big pickup buyers will not accept front wheel drive only, and they probably won’t like independent rear suspension, but they can probably get something set up that truck owners will like.
I think the big problem is keeping the towing capacity on long trips where there are hills. It’s going to need to look ahead and charge the battery enough to get over the next hill and leave room for regen going down the hill. Some semi trucks already have this technology so I’m sure they can add it to a pickup.
@@imho7250 A Hybrid Truck could provide many advantages over ICE or EV ... having a powerful onboard electric generator opens many options .. powering tools, a worksite, etc...
The pickup truck market however, is mostly a strange one, considering the vast majority of 4x4 big Trucks NEVER tow anything, never go off-road, never haul stuff in the bed, etc... most people are just using them for personal transportation. IMO, this is because the insurance is low, lease prices are low, they are good in snow, ... a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with the utility of a Pickup Truck ... so in designing a Hybrid or EV pickup, some of the inherent pickup utilities could be sacrificed without concern from the majority of buyers.
BigCooter.com, yes, I owned a late 80s F250 4x4, and I only used it to haul gravel once and tow a trailer once. It had a 351 cu inch motor and 2x 19 gallon fuel tanks. It got about 14 mpg highway. I think a beefed up version of Voltec or Synergy hybrid drive would work just fine.
But Ford and all the pickups now have crazy engines and transmission options that let you get 20 mpg without a hybrid, and a real hybrid like Voltec would add about $15,000 to the cost, and eat up payload. I think this is why they only use micro hybrids with start-stop technology and a 1 kWh 48v hybrid battery, with a motor-generator as the starter, alternator, and motor.
But pickups today are so expensive that they can probably get a real hybrid system in one next time gas hits $4/gallon.
Electric cars/plug in hybrids should really be sold via specialist dealers, who solely deal in this specific type of vehicle, and who also have trained technicians to service and repair these vehicles.
I'm probably in the minority but I love how the Volt looks. I have a 2014 MY (Gen 1) and I love that car. It's smooth as heck, without being cushy. The road feel is excellent. Not sporty though, but solid, like planted and well guided.
Great article. What killed the Volt in my mind was GM themselves, they called it a range extended EV, it wasn’t, the drivertrain is very similar to the Prius just with a bigger battery (and plug in capability) and motor, it was a plug in Hybrid.
Highly informative, as ever. I was very disappointed when I heard the news of the Volt's cancellation. Clearly GM has not got the knack of marketing electric cars, much to their detriment. Worse, it's still too profitable to sell gas guzzling trucks and SUVs and therefore easy to ignore this market. Such short term thinking will come back to bite them, as it has many times before.
Dealer's REVENUE is mostly on repairs and maintenance. These type of hybrid vehicles does not need much maintenance since owners mostly using the EV mode, well that's why they bought 'em. Pushing these cars to car buyers is just just like saying "goodbye" after the purchase. A lot of the NEWER HYBRID VEHICLES now runs on electric components such as the power steering, brakes lasts over 100Kmiles due to it's regen, EVEN OIL CHANGE is much less, and etc. Tesla sells thousands of cars. Maintenance is very minimal, so no need to have dealers every ten miles. The high cost of repairs and maintenance is the DEALER's BREAD & BUTTER.
GM have to be bold enough to tell their dealers if they don't want to sell EV then don't bother selling their ICE too. Gotta make a stand. Toyota did slowly change from selling all ICE to more hybrid so why can't GM do it?
@@D_2_M More expensive gas will make a big difference.
Electric cars might be the future but currently there's not the infrastructure so we need cars like the Volt. Discontinuing the technology when it is most desirable just shows how out of touch GM are. And we don't all want SUVs.
Customer: Hi I'm interested in buying the a Chevy Volt
Salesperson: Hi step on over and I'll show you the 2019 Chevy Tahoe by the way it's great on gas.
Yep. The 70% nitrogen that comes in the original factory air in the tires makes for a soft ride.
That's when a person should walk away and wait until the salesman begs them not to walk thru that door.
Fully right. This car is a very good one and has a nice system and drive train.
I owned the Ampera and did absolutely not regret it. Better than my Audi (Motorproblems🙀 and many high bills)
The point of the Volt was so that you could have a car that operates as an Electric vehicle for moderate ranges but you still have an internal combustion engine that get you 35 to 45 miles per gallon when you have to operate the vehicle as a hybrid so that way home charging was more of a viable option and the public charging that work did not need to be built out I feel that General Motors only ever released the Volt as A compliance car and never really want you to release it in the 1st place had they taken electric vehicles more seriously beginning in the nineties we would go to GM and for the $300:00 price range be looking at a 3:00 mile electric car with about 3:00 miles of actual usable range on a charge out of the Chevrolet bolt versus the 2:00 miles we're looking at now and it would be the same price it would also probably support 150 kW charging as well The truth is General Motors doesn't take electric vehicles seriously at all why do you think they killed off all of their cars except for the Camaro the bolt and I think they're still going to produce the Corvette is well they could have hybridized a lot of their vehicle lineup as far as cars go and that would have increased sales people would have definitely been willing to pay the mark up for a hybrid of one of the popular cars Like the cruise or the Malibu As well as they would not have lost out on meat that's money because they would still be a gasoline engine in it that runs a lot and still needs slightly less frequent maintenance than a non hybrid vehicle I honestly hope that when gasoline powered vehicles really start to die off GM is the 1st legacy auto manufacturer to die then Chrysler after that Because if General Motors would have stuck with electric vehicles from when they created the EV1 They would be the king of electric vehicle manufactures When it comes to future technologies like fuel cells General Motors invested 500 billion dollars into developing fuel cell technology only to scrap the project at the last minute in favor of something like the Volt and then they do not want to educate the dealerships on the service side or spend the extra money on the sales side to educate sales representatives about their electric vehicles they produce how they work and how the charging works for them even Nissan is guilty of this and they clearly want to produce and sell electric vehicles and are serious about it but yet and you go to a Nissan dealership and they really can't tell you too much about the Nissan Leaf unless the sales representative is somebody who is a fan of electric vehicles and would like to own one themselves and has spent the time educating themselves of electric vehicles for them being able to purchase 1 in the future.
Trevor Kemp most big corporations are short sighted. GM will never switch to all EVs. They'll keep pushing gashogs till they die a horrible death. The problem is, they'll take their suppliers with them.
I appreciate the commentary and am disappointed in GM for ceasing production. I bought a 2011 Premium Volt last year and understood the basics only, but after driving it became infatuated with the car. The design,engineering and logic are all supreme. With sports car handling I like driving again. My wife was so impressed she bought a 2013 and is very impressed.
To Transport Evolved... Even when I'm busy I stop to take a moment to listen. - That really says something about this Channel. Well done.
Another good reason why Tesla doesn't use dealerships.
That's kind of incorrect. Tesla wouldn't have this problem since they only make/sell electric vehicles. There would be no confusion, misdirection, or lack of interest because there would be no alternate (ICE) vehicle to contribute to it.
Tesla "doesn't use dealerships" because Musk couldn't capitalize a brand new dealer network at the same time as creating a ground up new car line by himself. Philosophical reasons are just spin to adoring fanboys. Ford and Chevrolet originally didn't have dealers either. Originally freighting the car to customers on rail, to be picked up at the station or Wells Fargo office. Cars requested by simple letter or telegram. Same formula.
As early manufacturers often changed their engineering drastically, not really supporting it, and leaving customers in the lurch...the dealerships started to evolve. They were originally carriage shops that sold anything to customers, like a general store. Laws emerged requiring service parts to exist for a decade or more for any model, and the 20th cen dealership emerged...with service departments tied to factories but not allowed to be owned by factories.
However Tesla does have factory owned dealerships. They just call them something else. These centers are sometimes very good, and sometimes staffed by absolute goofs. He tried to dump them, thus leaving the quirky S and older models that need lots of tweek visits ..those early adopters a bit in the lurch and move on. Like any computer guy. Out with the old in with the new. However he forgot he couldn't get out of all those property leases.
Now there are models that you can only buy "in store", so basically dealerships. They are pretty much following the pattern of a century before.
great fanboy response... well not really great, but typical.
You can take Musk off your pedestal of idolatry... you are way off on understanding his moronic decision.
Made some sense because why sell something that you can't get more profit. Plus lazy dealership that doesn't want to change or adapt with the change of time. It's just typical human being don't want to change but still want to get more compensation.
@@D_2_M. Dealers are businesses and franchises. The dealer will sell anything on their lot. They aren't picky. If you come in to look at a 29,000 Bolt or a 15,000 Sonic... Can't decide... They want you to buy the Bolt. If YOU don't like that Bolt, then please buy the Sonic... Or this fine truck over here.
Dealers are not hardware biased. They are businesses with very tight profits. The cheaper the car the tighter the profit. Trucks have the largest markup, and ate the most desirable vehicles at their pricepoint.
Don't listen to rumor by people afraid of dealers. Like anyone selling anything, they want you to buy the stock on hand. If they have to order it, then they are still stuck with another car they should have sold you today.
Couldn't agree more. If I hadn't already done my research on this car, theres no way anyone at that dealership would have been able to educate and sell me on that car. I basically told them I knew exactly what I wanted and was out the door with a new car after just under 2 hours.
I love me car. Best decision I've ever made. '18 Volt. Only had it for about 6 months, so we'll see how maintenance goes, but I'm fairly confident so far. Drive almost purely electric due to a daily commute of less than 40 miles. Only filled it up 2.5 times since purchase. Beautiful.
It runs on electricity for 50 miles, then the gas engine comes on. There's nothing hard to understand about that.
I understand what CVTs do but not how they work. You don't have to understand how it works to drive the car.
I don't think it has a CVT?
@@carlosandleon I don't know, but it doesn't matter. What I mean is, I don't need to know how X works to use X.
Just bought one this year. Other than a few common component failures, it’s an amazing vehicle. The BECM failure is a huge issue which has not been dealt with adequately, and frightens me. That being said, it is about perfect. We are all battery around town and only use gas on trips, where the charging infrastructure is inadequate. The good news is the new Prius Prime is basically the new Volt. If I were buying new I’d probably get that.
I bought the Volt for major reason: Sandy! That's right. When Sandy hit the New York area we lost both the vas pumps and the delivery of the gas. The storm wrecked the port of New York so the tankers could not unload. To add more misery we lost power due to many poles and trees knocked down by the storm. So no power the gas pumps would not work. So after sitting and freezing on gas lines waiting for gas that never come I discided to get a Volt. Now you have backup system if one is not available then you have the other. In fact the power came back first then after several weeks the gas came back. Noe if we get a storm or other thing that knocks out power I have gas to get around or if there is an interruption to the gas supply I have electric to get me around. That's why I got a Volt.
GM should hire you as a consultant.
I completely agree. I just bought a 2016 volt and absolutely love it, but I only considered it after talking to a family member who worked for GM 3 months ago. I had NO IDEA how the car worked until I spoke to him, and I'm glad I did!
I think word of mouth sold me on the Volt....a coworker had one and loved it. Also I had a chance to drive one at the "team Chevy driving experience" at the Indy 500. I was a little cynical about them..but that first drive really intrigued me. Some years later, test drove and bought a lease return...and it worked...fully EV on my commutes and errands around town...45 mpg on highway runs on extended drives. I understood it and really liked it but it was hard to explain the concept to friends and neighbors.
Typical GM and greedy dealers.
You want to talk about dealer apathy? Look at Mitsubishi and their Outlander PHEVs
Wtf do you mean gas is so cheap?!?! $4 a gallon is NOT cheap!
Another US citizen who has not rented a car in Europe...amazing roads there, fuel as high as €1.85 per litre. Translate that, $4 per US gallon is cheap. Nobody drives pick-up trucks to get groceries there!
If $4 expensive for U? that's cheap compared with $7 to $9 of gas in Europe. And if you go to Denmark, Scandinavia, Sweden and all those northern countries gas is $ 10 to 12 a gallon. Sure it is true no gas guzzling SVU's or coal rolling dirty pick-up trucks.
I have a 16 model and I LOVE IT! It's my favorite car. What makes me made is GM didn't educate the people. I've sold 5 to friends from recommendations...One friend said it's like a secret GM doesn't want you to know about. This lack of GM education makes me MAD!
Man, 7 years in and I still love my Volt!!!!
the volt was the most practical ev out there.. Since road trips were possible and local all electric travel was possible also
All true. I called my local Chevy dealership, just after the Volt came out, wanting to buy one and they had no idea what I was talking about and quickly tried to sell me one of their ICE cars. I called back several months later, they'd now heard of the Volt but didn't have plans to carry any and again, tried to sell me an ICE. I drove nearly 3 hours, to a small dealership in Phoenix and bought a Volt and love it!! By far, it's the best car we've ever owned. Still have it and everything works perfect. I 100% support GM bringing new EV's to market and hope they hire a marketing team that knows EV's and train their bone-headed dealerships that this is the way it's gonna' be.
Traded-in my 2014 Impala for a 2017 Volt just under two weeks ago. Best decision I've made in ages.
whispers from my arse say Your comment makes zero sense. Zero. Are you drunk?
you missed the most important factor!!!! The Volt is a sedan NOT a crossover or SUV. Sedans are not selling. What is saleable is a Volt-like SUV.!!!!!!!!!!!
An AWD with third gen hybrid techology... yes. The Volt was a great transitional or bridge car. It's time had come.
The problem with the dealerships is more than just the "car" angle though... they really do not want to sell EVs.
I traded in my 2017 Volt to buy a 2019 Volt because it is the perfect car for this gas/electric transition period. Having owned a LEAF (3 of them, actually) I discovered that the EV infrastructure is not up to snuff yet. After a trip to the beach, we were driving back home and would need to charge the car before arriving back in Portland. When we pulled into the Fred Meyer parking lot, which was supposed to have two level 2 chargers and one level 3, all of them were out of service. We ended up having to get towed to a charger elsewhere. I bought a Volt within a week. Even if you're driving a tesla, you need to hunt down chargers and allow for the extended time it takes to charge the car up (the bigger the battery, the longer it takes). With the Volt giving me around 60 miles of electric only, I drive 95% of the time on EV alone, only dipping into the gas gauge if we go on a longer trip. I've owned the car since January and have yet to fill the tank with gas. But if we're on a road trip, I can just keep driving to our destination and recharge there once I arrive. It borders on criminal to switch to EV only production when the infrastructure is not there yet and there are no plans to do so in the near future.
Yes! Cheaper to drive on gas in a Volt, than charging a BEV on a road trip👍
@@toddbenfield6546 Not cheaper, just easier for long trips. And that story is 2 years old. The charging infrastructure has vastly improved with chargers at most department store chains, outlet malls, on interstates, etc. I now own a Tesla with free supercharging, so paying for gas/electric is not a thing I worry about anymore. We drove the Tesla from Oregon to Tucson this spring and used superchargers the whole way. Extremely fast charging (when it first starts charging, it is pumping 500 miles of range per hour into the car- it does slow down as it gets more full). And it's actually nice to take a break every few hours.
@@kevincourcey813 Congrats on the Tesla👍I’m completely satisfied with my gen 1, and gen 2 Volts! It’s what works for the individual. Would love to have a Model S, just don’t want to spend that much on a vehicle at this time! Enjoy your Model S✌️and I might break down 1 day😀
@@toddbenfield6546 Actually, it's an X. We bought it to pull a travel trailer (which the Volt obviously couldn't do). Took it on several camping trips, then decided to sell the trailer. Still like the X tho!