2016 Volt

[siai47]

Thank you GM for the buildup on a car I really wanted to buy--the 2016 Volt. I actually got rid of my I-MiEV in anticipation of buying one this Fall. Now, after reading todays Detroit News, for those of us who are unlucky enough not to be members of the elite group of citizens of the 11 "California emissions" States, we won't be allowed to order on of them. Us peons will have to wait for the 2017 model year to get ours! Even my local Chevrolet dealer had no clue. A GM spokesmen said that 40% of the Volts are sold in California so they needed to be supplied first----so you dis 60% of your customers (in other words). Can you say compliance car? Can we get more emission credits so we can shove more Escalades down peoples throats? What a bunch of B.S. I think the real reason beyond this is (and mentioned in the article) is the thousands of unsold 2015 and 2014 Volts sitting around that GM isn't willing to discount enough to move them. So some brainchild in the marketing department came up with a "shortage" to move some rotting, stale inventory sitting around the country. Even Mitsubishi did the right thing and moved it's old stock and finally released a new model year vehicle. And Mitsubishi allowed you to buy wherever you lived. Shame on you GM---I can't print what they can do with their Volt---but I will never darken the door of a GM dealership for one of their products again .

[PV1]

So, does that mean you're back to i-MiEVs?

If anything, the announcement of a new model would make people NOT buy the current model and wait for the new one. What a way to trap inventory and screw the dealers.

I guess I can tell my work not to wait for the new Volt (although I doubt they'll buy more than the one they have anyway).

Just for future reference, what are the 11 states?

[siai47]

There are actually 14 "California emissions" states. Pennsylvania is one of them but not one of the 11 "California emissions" states that the Volt will be sold in. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy if you live there and wanted a Volt. Here is a link to the Detroit News article.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/busine ... /71897188/

[rkarl89203]

Or you could buy an actual ELECTRIC car.
Just saying....

[Don]

Or you could buy an actual ELECTRIC car.
Just saying....

Actually, the Volt is an electric car - Without juice to it's electric motor, it won't move at all. True, it does have a gasoline 'range extender' motor which recharges the batteries, but the drivetrain is still 100% electric

I had been looking at the new Volt as well, though likely we would buy a 2 year old one in 2018 or '19 since we won't qualify for the $7500 Federal credit. If the 2017 model does indeed come with a more powerful onboard charger, it might be worth the wait over the 2016 model

As much trouble as EV sales are in with sub $2 gas ($1.85 here currently) you would *think* GM would allow every single dealership in every state to take orders for the car on a one by one basis - The last thing they needed to do was piss off potential customers by favoring some of them over others

Don

[SyCo]

Or you could buy an actual ELECTRIC car.
Just saying....

Actually, the Volt is an electric car - Without juice to it's electric motor, it won't move at all. True, it does have a gasoline 'range extender' motor which recharges the batteries, but the drivetrain is still 100% electric
Don

Then again everyone knows that the Volt is simply a plug-in hybrid where the ICE actually moves the car. Just look how GM copied the Prius planetary gearset and simply added clutches .

You could also take a look at numerous articles that have confirmed that "When above 70 mph or in battery depleted mode the ICE can 'assist' the electric motor in driving the wheels."

Of course, you should also not forget about ERDTT "Engine Running Due To Low Temperature" mode where everytime it's below 14F the engine will run

So to me, and many others, it's not what I call an electric car But it is indeed a good plug-in hybrid.

Now to OP, it's sad to know about that delay

[jray3]

Go easy on the admin there, SyCo. I found it interesting but appropriate that the 2016 will use a 'more direct connection' to the wheels, or at least hook up the engine more often than the first generation car.

I've no interest in owning a Volt, but would love the ability to rent one, or any other high efficiency model for long highway trips. There's just no rental company that reliably inventories high MPG vehicles, let alone for a competitive price.

[rkarl89203]

If it uses gasoline, it's not an electric car.
I like ELECTRIC cars.
That's why I have two.
I don't go to 'gasoline stations' in my electric car.
Because I choose to own an ELECTRIC car.
Just saying.

[Phximiev]

Speaking of renting a Volt, I've seen a few on Relay Rides. On our next vacation, we may try one if another electric doesn't make more sense.

[siai47]

Just to clear up a couple of things about my desire to purchase a new Volt. First I love BEV's and have owned quite a few. I have also owned several Prius'. I have never owned a PHEV and was looking forward to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (for years) which is more of a Unicorn in the US then the Volt is. For me the Volt would fill a specific need for a vehicle with a 50 mile range in any conditions. This cannot be counted on in the I-MiEV in all cases--even in city driving. I know as I have owned two I-MiEV's and sweated the last few miles on cold, dark rainy nights on many occasions. This would have only gotten worse as the battery capacity drops due to age. The 2016 Volt can do this with no range limitation with limited use of it's gasoline engine. As some of you know, I also own a Tesla Model S which has outstanding range and is a great highway car. However, it is large car, very wide and feels like driving a battleship through narrow city streets and getting around small parking lots. This is where the I-MiEV really shined and I would buy another in a heartbeat if it had just 20 miles more range. I had the best of both worlds with the I-MiEV and the Tesla and only got rid of the I-MiEV because of it's limited range and the promise of a cheaper, longer range Volt. Knowing what I do now about the delayed introduction of the 2016 Volt in my part of the country, I would have still had the I-MiEV and wouldn't be having this discussion. GM overpromised and underdelivered on the Volt just like Mitsubishi did on the Outlander PHEV.