owned a 2013 volt for 18 months. driven about 45k miles on it. plug in at home with a 240v charger i put in for about 60 bucks, and also charge for free at all the rural hospitals i commute to. from my old 02 civic, ive saved about 6500$ on gas, which is the same amount i paid for the car. amazing car. we bought a 2nd one since my girlfriend was always borrowing it to drive to work for free. added solar panels and made some other mods, it gets about 45-55 miles of range per charge now, and weighs 100lb less than curb wt (deleted 55lb agm battery, 200w solar roof which adds 5-10 miles of range per day and backfeeds our house). despite all those miles ive only put about 6k miles on the engine. 140k on the odom, got it just before it went out of warranty. the first gen's are bulletproof compared to the 2nd gens imo. iron block engine, single solid gear transmission, port injected, and more protective state of charge buffer. the 2nd gen basically had the same battery, belt cvt-style "transmission", direct injected, aluminum block. somewhat envious of the extended range of the 2nd gens, but i figure my modded 1st gen does about the same as the 2nd gen when you factor in degredation, with less juice. gets over 5mi/kwh now.
That's awesome! I have to say the Volt is an impressive car and way better than I thought it would be prior to owning one. I would have never paid 40,000 plus when they first came out, at used prices they are hard to beat for commuting and road tripping.
@@AZdroptop ya its basically a prius prime or rav4 prime in terms of range but the used prices can get really reasonable. I dont think its possible to ever truly break even on gas savings with any other car right now, especially when you factor in depreciation. the volt is one of the only used cars right now who's prices have actually gone up over the last 2 years
Thanks for this fun review. I had a 2016 LT (first year of 2nd gen) and traded it in at 35K for a new 2019 LT the same month Chevy announced the end of Volt production (five years ago this month, coincidently). I now have 55K on my Volt and fully agree with your assessment of just how perfectly this vehicle blends pure EV with hybrid extended range capabilities. I've owned a lot of cars and hands down, the Volt is the most thoroughly engineered vehicle of its type. 80% of my miles are purely EV but when driving longer distances in hybrid mode, the ICE is so smooth and quiet as to be barely noticeable above the sound of the tires and wind. Which is pretty much all you hear in a Volt. My Volt had zero sample defects (but my 2019 did have the Shift-to-Park issue fixed by TSB) and is still free of squeaks or rattles. I've been able to pick apart all my past vehicles' oddities, bad design decisions, etc. (including Prius and Honda hybrids) but I have none of those comments for the Volt. Everything just works.
Thank you! Well said all the way. This car seriously surprised me on how good it is. Personally I think Chevy made a big mistake moving away from the Volt and this type of EV. Take care and enjoy.
I agree 100% with u. All electric is too much inconvenience… In a winter environment the range anxiety doubles as your battery performance degrades by 40-50% as the temperature drops and extra heating load. I have the Premiere model which has the adaptive cruise control, auto park and lane assist. I didn’t think I’d use them but I’m using these features all the time!
Nice. I have the park assist and have not tried it yet. :). I have a slight decrease in range in the winter around here in Tucson, maybe 7 to 10 miles of range. We have a slight reduction with the Tesla as well, but again, not much there either. I would not want to only own a full electric although it is fun to drive.
Great car! I had an Opel Ampera, the european version of first model of Chevy Volt. Great car! I drived it about 4 years with minimal costs. I have now an BMW 225 ei Performance. Doesn't compare! I am looking for 2017-2019 Chevy Volt. All that you said is true. You have my respect. Best regards! Radu (from Romania)
Nice job covering your trip! 40 MPG driving with western speed limits of up to 80 MPH is commendable - thanks for taking time to do this and for your knowledgeable comments on the state of public charge stations (last year) - I just sold my 50 MPG @ 60 MPH 2012 Cruze Eco manual and got a 39k 2018 Volt Premier and am, like you, very impressed with it, not only as an outstanding PHEV but also as a very capable all round automobile that is quiet, handles and stops well and easily out accelerates city traffic without trying - I noticed your tire pressures at 39 PSI and am wondering what tires you run and what cold pressure you set them at - thanks
Thank you for your comment. The Volt was a great car and we enjoyed owning it for a few years. I had a 2023 Prius base model as a rental for 2 weeks earlier this year and it was a great car. I drove just under 500 miles and averaged 57 mpg and never filled up the whole time. Plenty of power and I think the new body style is good looking. As for the tire pressures I honestly don't remember, but I tend to just put them at manufacturers recommendation. I sold the Volt and replaced it with a model 3 performance. Absolutely amazing car as a daily driver and road tripper. And, crazy fast. :). Thank you again for commenting.
@AZdroptop only thing I don't like is the seat belt sensor on the passenger seat is so sensitive. Thinks the weight of my phone is a person sometimes and dings to put on the passenger seat belt
I average 5-6l/100km (40-47MPG). I question the 60MPG… be careful not to use the average the car calculates. It includes mileage done using both battery and gas. You need to measure using either Trip 1 or 2 while in HOLD mode to isolate using gas engine only.
Thank you James and congrats. The Volt is seriously underrated and is a fantastic vehicle. I have done 2 1,000 mile plus road tips in mine and had great experiences both times. Enjoy!
@@AZdroptop Oh and I saw you encountered shift-to-park issue. Doesn't sound like a big deal. I plan to keep necessary replacement parts and tools in car just in case. :-)
Yep, turned out to be a quick fix and covered by the Voltec warranty. Might be worth it to take it in and see if the fix has been performed on your car.
most of my orange country neighbors have prius prime - but after checking my volt premiere - everyone is in awe - literally beats prius effortlessly - not to mention much better car from inside out than prius prime which is the topliner for prius -
I would agree. Even the newest Prius plug in only does 40 miles of total electric range. I had a base Prius as a rental for 2 weeks earlier this year and I have to say it was pretty good. 57 mpg over 490 miles, quick enough and the handling was very good.
Shouldn’t make fun of those windmills, you probably paid for them. 😂😂😂 I don’t think there’s an energy scheme in existence that isn’t subsidized with tax dollars. And the “greener” the scheme, the more subsidizing it requires. But you’re right, they quite a feat of engineering and it was cool to see them running down the rails like that. Awesome trip.
39-40 mpg at near 70 mph is really good mileage in my opinion. I think you want to completely drain the battery by the time you reach a destination that you can charge at. I'm sure on a trip like that it would be a hassle to charge over meals given convenience of fuel ups. I am looking for a 2019 volt premier after my 05 Prius lost AC condenser, not worth fixing it in my opinion at 162kmi, I redid the battery myself 4 years ago and everything else is solid. I just want to get into EV and just about all other used market phevs are inferior, I don't want to charge at work. In my Prius I just get out and lock it or hop in and drive while coworkers who charge spend time logging in at chargers or disconnecting. I think phevs should have enough range to cover a 30mi plus commute in one charge at home even after 10 years of degradation to stay relevant. Charging at home is convenient, charging elsewhere is not ideal especially daily. I'm also weighing updating my solar, my system is 18 years old and tree shading has been a factor and after roof destroyed in storm I think I want to put up a new larger system even though my old system was functional at 3.6kW and paid for itself. Sizing a PV system to accommodate commute by EV is pretty nice payback. Wind turbines really are wasteful but in the future they could be used as a crushed carbon source to refine old crushed solar panels in MG Silicon arc furnaces.
I agree that 40mpg is good and it makes me like the car even more. At 80mph and wind I would see 36 to 38, but still nice. It really is a great car. I will say that I was working in Sonoma for 2 weeks earlier in the year and had a 2024 Prius LE as a rental for 2 weeks and it was very good. I have never liked the look of the Prius or how they drive, but this car was excellent. On par with the Volt for acceleration, handling was better, comfortable etc. Only negative was the stereo was terrible. Over 2 weeks and 450 miles it averaged 57.7 mpg! Impressive. If I needed another car like the Volt to commute it I would by the Prius. They look good now and are great at what they do.
It will charge it a little bit, but not enough to store any appreciable amount for use. In mountain mode it will store a bit of charge to help you when you go up long grades. It actually shows it on the screen. Coming down a mountain the car will show more energy in the battery, but I have never seen it when on the highway and out of juice. I have a video of going up and then coming down Mount Lemmon and the change in predicted battery range at the top and then on the bottom.
owned a 2013 volt for 18 months. driven about 45k miles on it. plug in at home with a 240v charger i put in for about 60 bucks, and also charge for free at all the rural hospitals i commute to. from my old 02 civic, ive saved about 6500$ on gas, which is the same amount i paid for the car. amazing car. we bought a 2nd one since my girlfriend was always borrowing it to drive to work for free. added solar panels and made some other mods, it gets about 45-55 miles of range per charge now, and weighs 100lb less than curb wt (deleted 55lb agm battery, 200w solar roof which adds 5-10 miles of range per day and backfeeds our house). despite all those miles ive only put about 6k miles on the engine. 140k on the odom, got it just before it went out of warranty. the first gen's are bulletproof compared to the 2nd gens imo. iron block engine, single solid gear transmission, port injected, and more protective state of charge buffer. the 2nd gen basically had the same battery, belt cvt-style "transmission", direct injected, aluminum block. somewhat envious of the extended range of the 2nd gens, but i figure my modded 1st gen does about the same as the 2nd gen when you factor in degredation, with less juice. gets over 5mi/kwh now.
That's awesome! I have to say the Volt is an impressive car and way better than I thought it would be prior to owning one. I would have never paid 40,000 plus when they first came out, at used prices they are hard to beat for commuting and road tripping.
@@AZdroptop ya its basically a prius prime or rav4 prime in terms of range but the used prices can get really reasonable. I dont think its possible to ever truly break even on gas savings with any other car right now, especially when you factor in depreciation. the volt is one of the only used cars right now who's prices have actually gone up over the last 2 years
Agreed. They were ahead of their time.
Thanks for this fun review. I had a 2016 LT (first year of 2nd gen) and traded it in at 35K for a new 2019 LT the same month Chevy announced the end of Volt production (five years ago this month, coincidently). I now have 55K on my Volt and fully agree with your assessment of just how perfectly this vehicle blends pure EV with hybrid extended range capabilities. I've owned a lot of cars and hands down, the Volt is the most thoroughly engineered vehicle of its type. 80% of my miles are purely EV but when driving longer distances in hybrid mode, the ICE is so smooth and quiet as to be barely noticeable above the sound of the tires and wind. Which is pretty much all you hear in a Volt. My Volt had zero sample defects (but my 2019 did have the Shift-to-Park issue fixed by TSB) and is still free of squeaks or rattles. I've been able to pick apart all my past vehicles' oddities, bad design decisions, etc. (including Prius and Honda hybrids) but I have none of those comments for the Volt. Everything just works.
Thank you! Well said all the way. This car seriously surprised me on how good it is. Personally I think Chevy made a big mistake moving away from the Volt and this type of EV. Take care and enjoy.
I agree 100% with u. All electric is too much inconvenience… In a winter environment the range anxiety doubles as your battery performance degrades by 40-50% as the temperature drops and extra heating load. I have the Premiere model which has the adaptive cruise control, auto park and lane assist. I didn’t think I’d use them but I’m using these features all the time!
Nice. I have the park assist and have not tried it yet. :). I have a slight decrease in range in the winter around here in Tucson, maybe 7 to 10 miles of range. We have a slight reduction with the Tesla as well, but again, not much there either. I would not want to only own a full electric although it is fun to drive.
Great car!
I had an Opel Ampera, the european version of first model of Chevy Volt. Great car! I drived it about 4 years with minimal costs. I have now an BMW 225 ei Performance. Doesn't compare! I am looking for 2017-2019 Chevy Volt. All that you said is true.
You have my respect.
Best regards!
Radu (from Romania)
Very cool and thank you! Best of luck on your search for a used Volt. Really love the car all around.
Nice job covering your trip! 40 MPG driving with western speed limits of up to 80 MPH is commendable - thanks for taking time to do this and for your knowledgeable comments on the state of public charge stations (last year) - I just sold my 50 MPG @ 60 MPH 2012 Cruze Eco manual and got a 39k 2018 Volt Premier and am, like you, very impressed with it, not only as an outstanding PHEV but also as a very capable all round automobile that is quiet, handles and stops well and easily out accelerates city traffic without trying - I noticed your tire pressures at 39 PSI and am wondering what tires you run and what cold pressure you set them at - thanks
Thank you for your comment. The Volt was a great car and we enjoyed owning it for a few years. I had a 2023 Prius base model as a rental for 2 weeks earlier this year and it was a great car. I drove just under 500 miles and averaged 57 mpg and never filled up the whole time. Plenty of power and I think the new body style is good looking.
As for the tire pressures I honestly don't remember, but I tend to just put them at manufacturers recommendation. I sold the Volt and replaced it with a model 3 performance. Absolutely amazing car as a daily driver and road tripper. And, crazy fast. :). Thank you again for commenting.
I have a 2017 volt as well. On gas only I can get up to 60mpg going about 60mph. Really a great car.
Wow! That is amazing. I have never driven 60mph long enough to know that. It really is exceptional all around.
@AZdroptop only thing I don't like is the seat belt sensor on the passenger seat is so sensitive. Thinks the weight of my phone is a person sometimes and dings to put on the passenger seat belt
Interesting. Mine has not had that issue. :).
I,too, have that issue with my 2019 Premier.
I average 5-6l/100km (40-47MPG). I question the 60MPG… be careful not to use the average the car calculates. It includes mileage done using both battery and gas. You need to measure using either Trip 1 or 2 while in HOLD mode to isolate using gas engine only.
Great video! I just got a 2017. Excited for some road trips.
Thank you James and congrats. The Volt is seriously underrated and is a fantastic vehicle. I have done 2 1,000 mile plus road tips in mine and had great experiences both times. Enjoy!
@@AZdroptop Oh and I saw you encountered shift-to-park issue. Doesn't sound like a big deal. I plan to keep necessary replacement parts and tools in car just in case. :-)
Yep, turned out to be a quick fix and covered by the Voltec warranty. Might be worth it to take it in and see if the fix has been performed on your car.
most of my orange country neighbors have prius prime - but after checking my volt premiere - everyone is in awe - literally beats prius effortlessly - not to mention much better car from inside out than prius prime which is the topliner for prius -
I would agree. Even the newest Prius plug in only does 40 miles of total electric range. I had a base Prius as a rental for 2 weeks earlier this year and I have to say it was pretty good. 57 mpg over 490 miles, quick enough and the handling was very good.
Shouldn’t make fun of those windmills, you probably paid for them. 😂😂😂 I don’t think there’s an energy scheme in existence that isn’t subsidized with tax dollars. And the “greener” the scheme, the more subsidizing it requires. But you’re right, they quite a feat of engineering and it was cool to see them running down the rails like that. Awesome trip.
LOL. I know I did. :). It gives quite the perspective of size when they are on the rail! Crazy.
39-40 mpg at near 70 mph is really good mileage in my opinion. I think you want to completely drain the battery by the time you reach a destination that you can charge at. I'm sure on a trip like that it would be a hassle to charge over meals given convenience of fuel ups. I am looking for a 2019 volt premier after my 05 Prius lost AC condenser, not worth fixing it in my opinion at 162kmi, I redid the battery myself 4 years ago and everything else is solid. I just want to get into EV and just about all other used market phevs are inferior, I don't want to charge at work. In my Prius I just get out and lock it or hop in and drive while coworkers who charge spend time logging in at chargers or disconnecting. I think phevs should have enough range to cover a 30mi plus commute in one charge at home even after 10 years of degradation to stay relevant. Charging at home is convenient, charging elsewhere is not ideal especially daily.
I'm also weighing updating my solar, my system is 18 years old and tree shading has been a factor and after roof destroyed in storm I think I want to put up a new larger system even though my old system was functional at 3.6kW and paid for itself. Sizing a PV system to accommodate commute by EV is pretty nice payback.
Wind turbines really are wasteful but in the future they could be used as a crushed carbon source to refine old crushed solar panels in MG Silicon arc furnaces.
I agree that 40mpg is good and it makes me like the car even more. At 80mph and wind I would see 36 to 38, but still nice. It really is a great car. I will say that I was working in Sonoma for 2 weeks earlier in the year and had a 2024 Prius LE as a rental for 2 weeks and it was very good. I have never liked the look of the Prius or how they drive, but this car was excellent. On par with the Volt for acceleration, handling was better, comfortable etc. Only negative was the stereo was terrible. Over 2 weeks and 450 miles it averaged 57.7 mpg! Impressive. If I needed another car like the Volt to commute it I would by the Prius. They look good now and are great at what they do.
How's the paint job on these 2nd gen puppies?
We have had it about 2 years now and it seem pretty solid and has no obvious issues at this point.
Why aren't you using regen to charge that battery?
It will charge it a little bit, but not enough to store any appreciable amount for use. In mountain mode it will store a bit of charge to help you when you go up long grades. It actually shows it on the screen. Coming down a mountain the car will show more energy in the battery, but I have never seen it when on the highway and out of juice. I have a video of going up and then coming down Mount Lemmon and the change in predicted battery range at the top and then on the bottom.
No Tesla or EV for me. The Volt is good.
I agree, it is very good and I think Chevy made a mistake when they stopped producing them.
Walled gardens are nor as desirable entitlement
I have no idea what you are trying to say. :)