Q: So Mike, why did
you choose the Chevy Volt?
A: The Volt is American/Detroit made, and after the recent
market collapse, it seemed like a good time to help GM advance the ball. GM has
thought out the technology and the Volt was definitely ready for prime
time. (Note: the Volt is powered by an
electric motor that is always operating on electrical energy. Once the battery has exhausted, the power to
move the vehicle forward comes from a gasoline engine that generates the
electricity to power the motor. This
feature had enormous appeal from a practical/engineering perspective). Also, it
felt like a good time to be as petroleum-independent as possible, and the
Volt's battery "range" of + 40 miles fit my commute so well gas
stations are something that are now easy to avoid.
Q. Did the fact that
the Volt has a range extending engine help with this decision? Do you think you
could get what you need from a car that was only electric with no back-up?
A. Without many convenient charging stations in RI, at this
point in time a range-extending motor/engine combo is critical. Ultimately, the range of the Volt's lithium batteries
and the overall technology will exceed what we are looking at today. Driving a vehicle that seamlessly gets 40 MPG
after it goes beyond its electric range makes a lot of sense, and I am willing
to be a bit of a guinea pig.
Q. Did you notice a
change in your electric range in the very cold weather?
A. During the winter months, the Volt's display, when fully
charged, says the vehicle's range is 38 to 40 miles. That is down considerably from the summer
range of + 48 miles. One thing that doesn’t normally come up in conversion is
the fact that, in winter conditions, you see the "engine running due to
temperature" message come up on the display. That is on for 20 to 30 seconds every few
miles and I presume the Volt's engine is running to keep the vehicle's lithium
batteries "happy."
Q. Is the low cost of
operating the car (electricity/vs. gas) a good incentive? Have you ever used a
public charging station?
Q. What are your
favorite things about driving an electric car, and would you recommend it to
our members, supporters, and readers of the blog?
A. Hands down, the best part is being able to ignore gas
stations. The Volt took some getting
used to, but I am all in now. Obviously,
there is no "free lunch" here. If we want to move ourselves around, trade-offs are required. The concept of all those individual internal
combustion engines, spewing who knows what into the environment, does freak me
out a bit. Not being a part of that is
my preference.
Recommendation-wise, the more the merrier! If an electric vehicle fits someone's driving
"style," they need to find one they can live with for three
years. Consider leasing this kind of
progressive technology and give it a go. Right now I am generating my own set of numbers and will let them tell
me what I can/want to do when this transportation "experiment" is over. But if you ask me now, my initial impression
of this technology is positive as heck and I am looking forward what the future
holds!
Thanks, Mike for
sharing your thoughts! I may just take a harder look at this new technology.
Re: "in winter conditions, you see the "engine running due to temperature" message come up on the display...I presume the Volt's engine is running to keep the vehicle's lithium batteries "happy."
ReplyDeleteThat's a common misconception. The ERDTT (which comes on at a user configurable 35F or 25F(2011-2012)/15F(2013+) is only for the purposes of generating heat for the cabin air heating system, as engineers determined that using a little gasoline for occupant heating was a more optimum use of energy at colder temps, rather than only relying on energy from the battery. The battery is in fact warmed or cooled independently by an electric only powered TMS (Thermal Management System) to keep it between ~45F and ~85F when the car is in operation. There is no heat exchange between the two independent passenger heating and battery management coolant loops.
This does indeed provide both consistent performance and ensures excellent battery longevity (as extreme ambient heat, say over 100F, can cause permanent premature damage to lithium batteries, something that some EVs like the LEAF have experienced in hot climates like Arizona. This can't happen t a Volt, Tesla, Ford Focus EV, etc, because those have the liquid thermal management system with its own AC compressor to keep the battery cool)
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