Todays USA Today business section included a short piece on how Volt owners are seeing ranges of 1000 miles before the gas engine needs gas. I do not know how much more this is in addition to what was expected but 1000 miles before fuel is required is not at all to shabby. Let’s see how the story changes when other detail emerge
Maybe the regenerative braking is hyper-efficient?
Ah, when you read the article:
The explanation for this is simple: Volt owners who don’t regularly drive long distances usually plug in the car every night, traveling more in electric-only mode than in gasoline-mode. This is why they can cover such distances without filling up with gasoline.
The Chevy Volt runs on batteries at all times. When they discharge, the gasoline generator supplies the battery-pack with electricity to extend driving range. Volt sales reached 1,210 in the U.S. in the first three months of this year, according to Autodata Corp.
You must mean 100. Even 100 miles is still surprising. The volt is just a basically over expensive car that won’t save GM.
As binky pointed out the details were in the story you mentioned. You could drive a Volt any arbitrary distance without ever putting any gasoline in it. Purely electric vehicles do it all the time.
I interpreted the statement to mean 1000 miles to a TANK. For someone using the vehicle for mostly local drives and plugging it in every night, that would not surprise me at all. With a 14 gallon tank and a 27 mpg average, I myself could get 278 miles to a tank.
The thing about this is that your average driver does drive fairly small distances. For a lot of people the range issue is really mostly about stuff like “what about when I want to drive to Chicago to visit my mom.” As such, a lot of people will get by with only occasional use of the on board generator.
It is very likely the initial Volt owners are; early adopters of new technology, higher than average income, very “green” oriented. Once average “Joe’s” are buying Volts the numbers will come down. Now owners are plugging them in nightly and using other cars for long highway trips.
The Volt should be a perfect second car, commuter car, go for grocery and errands car. When folks start taking them on cross country trips with a lot of expressway driving the mpg number isn’t as good.
I had been hoping for a second source to post some information a good bit more in-depth than the short paragraph that appeared today, it has not happened. I will keeps my eyes open for some details on just how this figure came to be. I did check twice and the story does read 1000 not 100
Quote: General Motors said drivers of Volt electric cars have been traveling 1,000 miles before they need gas, making it more pratical for daily use.
Yes, definitely 1,000 miles on a tank not 100. While it could be infinite the Volt’s computer keep track of gas use and elapsed time, and actually will run the motor to make sure the fuel doesn’t go stale.
Odschool: If you believe these reports, please go buy, or lease, a Volt, and let us know your mileage.
We’ll wait.
It’s not going to be 1,000 mpg. Never, no way, no matter what you do.
You’re fooling yourself if you believe this.
Even 100 mpg is hard to believe in real life.
Reports of extravagant mileage for the Volt are not to be believed, regardless of the source.
1,000 miles on a tank of gas is not the same as 1,000 miles per gallon.
WAY different.
You’re right. Original post and the article was about 1,000 miles on a tank, right?
Yes, like the quote I wrote,1000 miles before fuel is needed. As I said in the inital post I would like some details on just what is meant. Now about 1000mpg,how did this story get started? mcparadise,where are you reading I said anything about 1000 mpg???
Depending on where you live, your first electric bill could be an eye-opener…If not gasoline, the energy has to come from somewhere…
GM claims that they use a special paint on the car that can convert sunlight to electricity, that must be how they are doing it.
The car needs fuel every day in the form of electricity by way of plugging it into a outlet.
I’m acutally surprised the range is only 1,000 miles. My normal (MKZ) hybrid’s range is about 600 miles. I bet with frequent recharging the Volt could go even further on a tank of gas.
Is there no explaination offered why is was stated that I believed the car got 1000mpg?. Calling a guy out is all fine and good (and at times required) but being wrong about why you called a guy out deserves an explaination.
Is it agreeded I never posted anything saying that my source claimed that the Volt got 1000mpg, and I never said I believed that the Volt got 1000mpg?
I had a car that needed gas once.