I couldn't get an app going to monitor the Volt's charge (someone has since told me you can do it on the Volt's OnStar site), so after an hour and 20 minutes, I packed up and headed back to the car. Back in 2011, when we took delivery of our first long-term Chevrolet Volt test car, the Chevy seemed so glamorous and high-tech. "Sure," they said. Carlos Lagos, senior writer, "I ran out of charge after 55 miles of driving the Volt. I showed up at 11 a.m. and the place was humming, but he assured me that they could fit the Volt in before the end of the day. Take away the conversation, the sound track, the background noise, and suddenly you're exposed to things you would've otherwise overlooked or ignored. Take the brake pedal, for instance, which feels normal and free from the weird, numb, two-stage pedal feel indicative of most other hybrids' regenerative braking. It's also topped by a portion of the center console with cupholders and seat heat controls, making it impossible to lay any kind of long objects on the floor. Why unwind the Volt's Level 1 cord when my daughter's Fiat cord is already plugged in and ready to go? Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor, Interior "Jump into the Volt on a hot day and you'll have to hit the Max A/C button to cool the cabin. Here's the question I'm left with: Why aren't more car companies building cars like this? In fairness, this hiccup might be an Apple issue and not a Volt issue." (DB). --, "If you've never driven a Volt, you'll be immediately surprised by just how quiet the hatchback is. Here are five reasons why I think you'll like it. --, "You would expect that a car as advanced as the Volt would have the latest suite of in-car tech, and Chevy delivers. And then Dan got 70 miles and I had to beat it. Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing, Performance "I live 46 miles from work, and the 2016 Volt has plenty of electric range to get home on a full charge. Chevrolet updated the Volts infotainment system for 2019. When we decibel-tested our former first-generation long-term 2011 Volt, it generated 64.5 dB at a 70 mph cruise and 47.9 at idle. Such freeway-heavy driving was consequently less reflective of the city-dwelling habits of typical Volt owners. There's no way to turn this off. Though it hasn't had a hybrid with the success of the Prius, or an EV with the range, style and coolness of the Tesla Model S, GM now has the world's best Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) in the new Chevy Volt. Carlos Lago, senior writer, Technology-Audio "Android Auto integration rocks. Access to our long-term fleet is usually awesome, but once in a while it just gets tiring. At the time of its release, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt was the champion of plug-in hybrids. My commute is dreadful. A large part of the second-generation's Chevrolet Volt's appeal is its normalcy. Available features include a wireless device charger, a Bose eight-speaker audio system, navigation, and automatic parking assist. 6: Ride's not great over bumps. I rolled back into L.A. the following afternoon. Josh Sadlier, "This week marked my first non-EV experience in the Volt. Other buttons, like the ones on the steering wheel, allow you to scroll through different metrics screens to learn more about your Volts performance and efficiency. Where Did We Drive It? A failure to record the switchover from electric to gas modes means a loss of useful data. Chevy added a thick sunshade-style tint to the upper part of the glass where your head will be, but even so, I'll guess that you're not going to love sitting back here with a hot sun directly overhead. There's not enough room for the two grocery bags shown in the photo to fit lengthwise. Mostly "One-Pedal" Driving Figured Out. Fill up with gas before the electric power is fully depleted, and there is another data gap. Having a clean car every night is great. "My driving instincts flipped back to my decades as a New Englander: making measured, smooth inputs; exploiting momentum; and knowing when to turn back. 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid. As with CarPlay, pressing and holding the voice control button bypasses the GM voicemail and jumps to Android voice commands, which understand natural language amazingly well. The Premier trim also unlocked additional options. 3: When you shift into drive, the Volt locks itself. It's probably not noticeable to anyone else in the car (at least no one who's ridden with me), but it's apparent from the driver seat. I'm hoping Volt owners are utilizing the car's plug-in recharge ability to its full potential." It seemed disappointing, but a reminder of how to reframe expectations in the electric car era." Load height is 33 inches from the ground, which is lower than similarly sized vehicles with traditional trunks. Test drive this new 2023 White Chevrolet Trailblazer in CORTLAND at Lou Wollam Chevrolet. We simply don't need the speed (or the expense) of a 240V Level 2 home setup to top off the Fiat every night. If interior quality is a priority for you, the Volt is likely going to disappoint. The regenerative braking can only apply so much stopping power, however, so combining it with the friction brakes in a way that's transparent and linear to the driver has been the struggle for automakers. We're all used to pushbutton start, plugging-in and watching for the "switchover" indication that you've just moved from electric power to gasoline. This switches to a more aggressive level of regenerative braking/coasting than in the normal "Drive" mode. --, "Owing to the car's aerodynamic styling, visibility isn't especially good, especially out the rear, which has thick pillars. Short answer: nothing out of the ordinary. But what if every commuter car were like our long-term 2016 Chevrolet Volt? Third, the run between my garage outlet and the house's electrical panel has an effect on charge time and losses. After 42 or so miles the batteries had depleted and switched over to the gasoline engine. The Volt seats, though, are quite comfortable for me. But if I was going to own one of these I'd want to install a 240-volt Level 2 charge station at home. Our 2016 Chevrolet Volt started November strong, with most of the drivers only tapping into the gasoline engine for 20 to 30 miles at a time before plugging into a charging station. It's not a perfect system because it means diligently (and accurately) recording the battery-gasoline switchover point when applicable, plus other factors. That's right: Google Maps. --, "Chevrolet wisely ditched the too-high-tech capacitive buttons and Star Trek-inspired shiny white plastic for a more conventional interior. Not sure if it's the seat material, plastics, or if something got spilled inside (didn't see anything when I checked), but the smell is disappointing, especially when you're trying to show off how much you like the car to a neighbor." So the call went out to our in-house wranglers to see which of our long-termers needed some miles. The Volt comes with 60/40 split-folding rear seats, which come in handy if you plan to haul long objects like a rolled up area rug. I've also watched the Volt's battery regen meter while using the regular brake pedal. Despite the subjective instability, brake runs were incredibly consistent, all within a half-foot of each other. "That's four, four ways to brake! New 2023 Chevrolet Suburban from Karl Malone Chevrolet Park City in Park City, UT, 84098. Unfortunately, unlike other hatchbacks, the Volt has a significant liftover height. Recall 27660: Update power inverter module software. While the interior design is attractive in theory, it's swallowed up by the mass of black plastic. Nothing happened. It's bad because (Captain Obvious here) your head is right below the hatchback glass." I don't need to be the equivalent to a rolling neon sign blinking "I'm saving the planet!" We hopped into a blue one that was nearly identical to our long-termer and that's where things started to go wrong. No more items from the trunk can fly through the gap between the seats, because that gap isn't there. Chevrolet lists trunk volume at 10.6 cubic feet (which isn't much; a Nissan Leaf has 24 cubic feet of trunk space with the seats still up), but when the rear seats are folded the Volt can . Call (610) 257-7045 for more information. Incidentally, the molded bracket instructions called for a 7/32" drill bit, but I found that the less-common 13/64" bit I had in my drill index was a snugger fit. Average lifetime mpg: 37.6 Best fill mpg: 45.1 EPA combined mpg rating: 42 Average electric range: 51.9 miles Best electric range: 75 miles EPA electric range rating: 53 miles Current odometer: 25,050 miles. There are other ways to reduce speed in the Volt. A routine visit to the dealer led to some surprises, in the form of three recalls and over four hours of our day. The only noteworthy thing about the experience was how uneventful it was. No big deal. Jason Kavanagh. It stayed around Los Angeles, mostly running on electricity only, until I took it over the Thanksgiving break. Yes, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt is a hatchback. (DB). If you look at the data below, however, you'll notice that our Volt has never achieved the EPA fuel economy estimate. Scroll down for detailed information on your particular Chevrolet Volt The 2022 Chevy Suburban SUV is the leader in cargo space with a maximum limit of 144.7 cubic feet. I'm not a fan of the regular 500's engine and transmission, but that stuff gets magically wiped away when they build a 500e, leaving behind a torquey, cute-as-anything pocket rocket with an ultra-low center of gravity. Still, our carpool lane-eligible plug-in continues to impress. Comfort "I'm very picky about seats. Dan Frio, staff writer, "Why, why, oh why, is there so much faux chrome (faume?) Each EV or plug-in hybrid has an efficiency estimate. There's also suitable padding on both the door and center armrests. Pretty remarkable stuff, especially compared to the noisy range-extender engine in the BMW i3." Chevy Volts come with a small air compressor and tire sealant goo. Check the cargo space for other makes and models It turns out this is true. Our monthly gas-only fuel economy averaged out to about 40 mpg, good enough to increase the Volt's overall gas-only economy from 37.7 to 37.8 mpg. Our last full month of use involved 1,390 miles of city and highway driving, with more than 300 miles of those in electric mode. It cost about $1.25 for 80 minutes on the charge and 10-ish miles of range. However, back seats are cramped, especially when compared to the Bolt. Example: My mom has been visiting me from out of town. Even if you don't have a smartphone, you can still use MyLink's integrated voice controls to operate various systems. Source: Green Car Reports - KBB Size, Seating, and Cargo In the end, it didn't take 30 minutes, but it didn't take 2 hours either. 3) Quick responses. That paddle is either on or off, a bit like how early gaming consoles wouldn't allow you to ease in or out of the throttle or brakes. But the system works beautifully." It's perfectly placed for holding a cell phone. 40/60 split-folding rear bench seat, Can fold one or both sides down 40 driver-side split and 60 passenger-side split Combined with the fold flat passenger seat, enables the vehicle to accommodate objects up to 8.5 feet long diagonally Adds cargo and passenger carrying versatility to your vehicle Includes 4-way manual-adjustable headrests for . But first I would have to get through the weekend. At level three, the deceleration is pretty similar to what most other drivers are achieving with their brake pedals. Yet we still managed to set new lifetime marks in average mpg and average electric range. And as more people buy plug-in hybrids or dedicated EVs, it's bound to become more of a topic. Now, it's always easier to get better when you have some obvious flaws to begin with. You hear a little thrum from the engine and maybe a small vibration, but otherwise the Volt behaves almost exactly like it does in EV mode. Not surprisingly, when I started it up, the automatic climate control went into full-power mode to try to cool things down. So that's why I didn't buy a Volt. Chevy Volt - How to lay down rear seats 2,814 views Oct 4, 2018 57 Dislike Share Save DIY Pinto 50.8K subscribers Laying down the rear seats on this particular model of a Chevy volt .. And it's nice and square. Since this isn't just a test of the powertrain, but the whole car, we picked the Premier and added options. Testing a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle like our long-term 2016 Chevrolet Volt requires adjusting our testing procedure. Other enhancements include improved active-safety features and more interior options." So to rest a bag on the lip and slide it down would break the bag. Per U.S . I've been impressed by the touchscreen's response times. Sure, the Volt's driving range has grown, but so have our expectations. 'Did it without breaking a sweat,' you might say." I fully expect that number to fall. Sure enough, there wasn't a shudder or an engine drone when the last EV mile clicked off. The Volt seats five people in two rows, but the middle seat is barely useable. And the third is new to the Volt and borrowed from the Cadillac ELR. Higher math tells me I drove 36.9 miles on 28 miles of "fuel," earning a bonus of 8.9 miles or approximately 25 percent of my one-way commute. It's not a perfect system since it means diligently (and accurately) recording the battery-gasoline switchover point when applicable, plus other factors. 1) Big screen size. There are two sets of LATCH car-seat connectors on the Volts rear outboard seats, along with an upper tether on the middle seat. The Chevrolet Volt has made a significant impression on the American car market since its launch nearly a decade ago, and in the past two years since the second-generation debuted, it has been. In the month of February we fed our 2016 Chevrolet Volt a steady diet of commuter miles. In general, it's a far more refined hybrid system than those of its competitors. I tried it several more times. With the Volt (or similar plug-in hybrid or pure electric vehicle), you'd still likely be generating carbon dioxide or other pollution indirectly through whatever means you used to recharge the battery pack. When the Malibu's engine does come on, I found it to be quieter than in the Volt, and although there's certainly some noise and vibration present, it's really only overt when gunning the throttle or when on a prolonged grade. The upshot is that we're spending even more of our time driving our Chevy Volt like it was an electric vehicle (EV). For me, it's just fun to think differently about efficiency in a way that's not miles-per-gallon. It does a good job of maintaining the set temperature without constantly adjusting the fan speed, something that not every automatic setup does well. Two grocery bags shown in the form of three recalls and over four hours of first. 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