Anyone own/drive a Volt?

Link to Bosch Level II Charger

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-EL-51245-Electric-Vehicle-Charging/dp/B00DMG104E/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1407845787&sr=1-1&keywords=power+max

There are also a few hitches available for the volt so maybe a cargo basket type carrier on the back might be better as far as reducing aero drag with extra cargo capacity.

Those wheels do look awesome on the Volt. I think I saw that car on gm-volt before, and they are TSW Nurburgring.

Storz wrote:

Hmm, I like those wheels with that color. That doesn't look like a factory color, either...

Chris_V wrote: BUT, I've noticed that braking in D does not give as much regen as just letting off the throttle in L. In theory, it is supposed to be the same, but in practice, it is very different.

I'm not sure how you can tell that. Do later cars actually give you kW numbers? When you press the brakes, you engage regen. When checked after a drive, my brake rotors would always be barely above ambient temperature, even when using D.

Personally, I never could tell the difference in range between the two AS LONG AS I was actually trying when I was in D. It was easier to be inefficient in D. I'll grant that in pure stop-n-go, which I never encounter, L does have a real advantage in that it starts the instant you're off the accelerator rather than when you hit the brake pedal.

Chris_V wrote: Hmm, I like those wheels with that color. That doesn't look like a factory color, either...

It looks like Cyber Gray to me.

Now you guys have me thinking this would be a perfect vehicle for my wife. She drives about 4 miles to work one way and it is killing her car in the winter because it never warms up.

Too bad she will never go for it.

My parents bought a new 2013 Volt today

mfennell wrote:

Chris_V wrote: BUT, I've noticed that braking in D does not give as much regen as just letting off the throttle in L. In theory, it is supposed to be the same, but in practice, it is very different.

I'm not sure how you can tell that. Do later cars actually give you kW numbers?

Yes. On the dash there is ah "H" pattern that shows electric use, electric regen, and gasoline use:

There it's showing using 19 kW of juice for acceleration or cruising at 65 mph in a yellow bar that is starting up the right side of the H. If that side goes down, it goes green and it shows how many kW of regen you're getting. I've never got more than 20kW of regen using the brakes in D, but I can get 40 kW of regen JUST letting off the throttle in L. Here's a shot getting 34 kW of regen in L:

For some reason, I thought that Volts were all Lease-only.

Woody wrote: For some reason, I thought that Volts were all Lease-only.

The EV-1 was lease only

Chris_V wrote:

mfennell wrote:

Chris_V wrote: BUT, I've noticed that braking in D does not give as much regen as just letting off the throttle in L. In theory, it is supposed to be the same, but in practice, it is very different.

I'm not sure how you can tell that. Do later cars actually give you kW numbers?

Yes. On the dash there is ah "H" pattern that shows electric use, electric regen, and gasoline use: There it's showing using 19 kW of juice for acceleration or cruising at 65 mph in a yellow bar that is starting up the right side of the H. If that side goes down, it goes green and it shows how many kW of regen you're getting. I've never got more than 20kW of regen using the brakes in D, but I can get 40 kW of regen JUST letting off the throttle in L. Here's a shot getting 34 kW of regen in L:

There is one of my few Volt gripes. During development, software updates that provided functionality enhancement were supposed to have been a feature. I was sent a Nice coffee table book on the Volt story about a month after my lease, and there is a section in there on the topic. So far, I've only seen bug fixes. Why can't a 2011 US market car get the hold mode feature as a software update? Other markets had it, and 2013 cars had it.

Tesla seems to be the only company doing this.

What Volt Android app are you guys using?

Storz wrote: What Volt Android app are you guys using?

There are two. The OnStar remote app handles remote control functions, nav and telemetry. There is a second that is a sort of Volt centric version of Foursquare, that lets you earn badges for road trips, visiting certain locations and meeting certain mileage and energy usage goals. Both are official GM. I've never used any unofficial apps. Both are slow to a fault, but retain enough utility to be useful.

Test drove a 2014 Volt and a 2014 Nissan Leaf this morning at the EV Demo I posted in another thread. Took the spousal unit but she did not drive either. I assume she figures it will be my car, so she doesn't really care how it drives. I will eventually get her to drive one before any acquisition as I want her to be comfortable with it also. We both liked the Volt better than the Leaf and we both think it is a better fit for us due to how we would use it. Pricing seems to work out to about the same based on differences in MSRP and tax incentives. We (me?) are probably going to seriously consider purchasing one next year after some other things get taken care of (including fleet reduction).

Well, the introductory conversation about the Volt went far better than expected. Fleet re-utilization maneuvers may begin soon. Apparently my conversations regarding replacement of our SUV with a minivan have made other options far more palatable...So if you don't really need a minivan and want a Volt, you should start talking up minivans immediately. One brief ride in a Volt and a short discussion a few hours later lead to authorization to begin making it happen sooner rather than later. I've spent the past 2 years discussing the practicality of replacing the SUV with a minivan and have been rebuffed at every turn. The only catch is that the Volt will be my DD and will replace at least 2 (possibly 3) vehicles in the fleet including the designated trip-mobile SUV. SWMBO will get to keep her DD and won't be too ashamed to drive a Volt on occasion.

As a peace offering, I did leave out the latest edition of GRM with the Viper as a DD article open and tell her if she got one more promotion a work we could probably make one of them her DD (she would get a car allowance that would probably cover 50% of the payment and currently has no restrictions regarding practicality of the vehicle ).

We bought a Volt!! Just got back today from OBX Chevrolet (amazing dealership btw) with out 2012 Volt! Its going to be the main ride for the Mrs.Storz and our roadtrip/do it all family car. So far we absolutely love it! Our car is a 2012 with 40k on the clock and every single option you could get on a Volt, original sticker price was $45.6, we got it for $22.6 from OBX Chevrolet.

Ours is the one gettin charged, the one in the garage is my moms

My dad and wife giving her a detail

Happy Mrs

I'm bummed. I just bought my soon-to-be-a-project-thread Honda, and I can't have two cars. I just finished a two hour drive that leaves me at 23956 of my lease-allotted 24000 miles. My lease also ends on September 2nd. I might have just driven the Volt for the last time.

This is the first car I wasn't excited to move beyond. It's the first car I wanted to keep. When the come down a little, I might get one to keep.

This is a first world problem, to be sure, but I'm a little bummed all the same.

I've seen them locally for as low as 16k, and it was pretty clean.

I plan to buy a used Volt next year. What i am more undecided on is whether i should keep the Prius at that point. Its such a good car i'd be tempted to keep it even though it was completely superfluous.

Not like ive never done THAT before.

A friend is looking to get out of the last ten months of his Volt lease. I'm seriously considering it as a way to try out this technology. My Southern California commute is ideal for a vehicle like this. We'll see how it plays out.

I did drive a '14 today which got the dealer all excited. The car was impressive, I see what you mean about all of the different drive modes. The acceleration was impressive with four big people in the car.

Now i am even more excite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA4fLSuvkk8&list=UURGgwPKoHeWZlBsYpM02wVw

Lots of good info here guys, I spent today checking them out a two dealers.

Any insight on the tax incentives?

It looks like there is a 7500 credit but it would only apply if you owed the government 7500 or more on your taxes. So if I got a small return that 7500 goes poof into the air?

That's correct, you wouldn't get the full amount if you paid less than $7500 in federal taxes in a calendar year. Though at that point the question is probably whether you can afford a new $30k car.

So it isn't about the refund as much as it's about what you paid in. What I read is that no matter you wouldn't get it back on a refund even if you "overpaid" during the year.