Gasoline pole:
For you G-1 past and present owners. How closely did all of you follow the premium 91 octane rules listed in the manual?


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100%. We never put anything else in them. But MrsWD only put gas in her car twice in two years. :)

I just bought a Chevy Volt
 

Thanks, just came across that in the owners manual.....oops. Guess 7 gal of the diet version won’t hurt on my first topping......I hope. I wished my driving habits allowed my to go two years without fuel, that’s awesome! I’ve seen too many 200+ mile days. I also read that they only recommend the one GM fuel additive as well. Since our G-1 was sitting at 23k on the clock, I tossed in a bottle of Techron. Screwed up there too I guess [emoji849].

I know the G-2 backup camera images are really clear. What is Mrs WD’s G-1 back up camera image clarity like? Our imagery isn’t stellar.

Got into the charging program last night regarding off-peak times. Surprised to see that it already knew the winter/summer peak/mid/off peak times. The computing power this car has is impressive.

Cheers


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You prolly know about the button on end of the turn signal.

I actually drove the G1 car with the camera. I think it was better than my G2. Something about the placement of the camera - I can't remember needing to clean the camera on the G1, but the G2 camera is constantly filthy.

That's the pedestrian horn, only on G1s. G2s don't have it. They have a "white noise" generator instead. It goes off at 24 mph, not 35, as I stated above.

Biggest plus for the Gen 2 for me is the slightly thinner a-pillar. I was constantly moving my head going into intersections because the a-pillar could obscure pedestrians.

BTW, I’m in a different part of the world than most of you. There are 5 Volts within 1/4 mile of my house.

I just bought a Chevy Volt
 

Another example of the Fed Gov believing they have to protect ourself from ourselves by removing something that works with the application of logic and common sense.

Here is CA, I’ve been seeing the public add billboard campaign showing spunky millenniums having a breakdancing party in the street wearing battle-bot armor with the bold print “Pedestrians don’t wear armor, stay alert”

It probably should state something along the lines of “Get your face out of the face-magnet and pay attention to your surroundings, eyes-up stay alive”!

I like the ped warning button personally. Oh wait, it’s properly called..”Pedestrian Friendly Alert”


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"The new standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 141, responds to Congress' mandate in the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act that hybrid and electric vehicles meet minimum sound requirements to provide an audible alert for blind and visually-impaired pedestrians."

Those fookn' blind people should just learn how to take care of themselves. :D

I'm responsible for a EV charging station at work (level 2) and have done a little investigation on Amp draws. I got 28.5 on a Leaf, but on a Volt that was parked out there, only drew 14; I went and talked with the woman to see if maybe it was almost charged, but nope she only had like 4 miles left of drive distance, so almost dead.

Tessa guy said he was drawing 30- apparently his car tells him the amount. A Ford C-Max also only drew 14.

Is it a hybrid vs pure electric thing that they wouldn't take full advantage of the amps available?

I only use regular. Premium use is recommended ONLY for CAFE standards.

The maximum charge rate of the Volt 2016 is 3.6kW, so at 240 Volts, it will pull a maximum of 15 Amps. The Gen 1 is slightly less. It's probably because the Volt has gas power available, so rapid charging isn't critical. I understand (but I don't know the numbers) that some of the current at high charge rates goes to battery cooling.

Looks like Fisker, or an evolved version, is back with the Karma. Marketed as something to aspire to.

First problem with the Volt - 2.5 years and 10K miles. The motor wouldn't initialize a couple morning ago and power steering warning flashed on the display. Called my sales guy(he only sells electric) and he said it sounded like the 12V battery. There wasn't enough juice to call onstar, so I hooked battery charger and got them to run diagnostics and there was a laundry list. They sent a flatbed and dealer confirmed the battery had died. Warranty covered it.

Discovery 1 - you can jump the Gen 1 from terminals in the engine compartment or from the battery under carpet in the back. Discovery 2 - I could not get the hatch open with dead battery. Discovery 3 - if jumping another car from the Volt, ONLY connect to the battery and not the terminals up front.

I just bought a Chevy Volt
 

Had anyone converted the OEM 120V charger to a 240V using the converter plug on the Gen-1?? If so, was successful or was it an unmitigated disaster?!?!?!?! Curious for portability reasons. Seen and read about this conversion that allows you to use the particular 240v connector but the allows you to plug the 110v plug pigtail for usage. Kinda allows you to use one charger when traveling.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d609916261.jpg
Or this option
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...fca3a291a8.jpg

Many threads on this mod for 2011-2014, I’ve read the 2015 is somehow different and the Gen-2 is setup to do both L-1 and L-2 without issue.

Thanks

I just bought a Chevy Volt
 

Have to share this one. All of you Volt “veterans” have probably experienced this but it’s all new to me.

“Public Charging Etiquette”
So the wife and I drive down to the ElDorado Town Center about 30 miles away. I use my ChargePoint app and locate a public charging station in a local park and ride(Sunday). I park, plug-in and we go a walkin. The posted sign says “max 4 hours” so I note the time and think to myself, how cool it is not to use gas for a nice afternoon stroll. We return an hour and a half later to find a Ford C-Max parked on the opposite side of a hedge to our car and the plug removed from our car and plugged into the C-Max. I wasn’t fully charged but I thought to myself, “what a dickhead”. Guess I better research the protocol of public charging. At least my alarm fired off when it was unplugged. I discovered that little treat when I charged at home for the first time then unplugged it at 0430 before going to work. At least my key fob was upstairs.[emoji849]

I’m sure this is cheap entertainment to all of you hybrid vets.

He's a dickhead. The charge state is displayed on the dashboard as a flashing green light. If it isn't glowing solid green, your car isn't charged and the cord should not be removed. The guy who yanked your cord before your car was charged is either a dickhead or ignorant of protocol.

Carry Krazy Glue (in case the other guy needs some).

I just bought a Chevy Volt
 

Ok Guys n Gals,

Has anyone addressed the brain shaking air hammer buffeting experienced when driving with the driver’s side window down???

Before I get pummeled with comments of aerodynamic principles and how it’s inefficient to drive this platform with the windows down, I just want to say that I am fully aware of all those factoids.

My question to the Volt team in the forum is this...
Have any of you remedied this issue by having the TSB on the mirrors addressed at the dealer level -or- have anyone just installed the weather tech rain shields, fixed the issue and just be about your merry?

This is a pic of the fix at the dealer level from GM. A small faring along the glass(seen on the right in black) and a design mod to the mirror cap.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6f90bcce5e.jpg

Weather tech window rain shield.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...dd0b0c1812.jpg

Cheers

Swing and a miss, anyone? anyone?Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

I've never addressed it in the Volt other than to put the window up. My 356 coupe has the same issue, as did Saab's 93/96 models. I fixed the problem with my coupe the same way the Saab factory did it - with a little triangle of plexiglass at the upper rear corner of the window. I guess it could work on the Volt, too.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1515629110.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1515629110.jpg

you should have unplugged the guy and left.

Really interesting reading this. We've recently had to replace my wife's 2002 Passat and were shopping around for replacements. Eventually concluded we should look at plug-in hybrids as she has a 30+ mile commute and the gas usage was starting to add up. We looked at the plug-in Prius, Gen-1 Volt, Ford C-Max Energi, and Fusion Energi.

The Prius was crossed off the list early. It was hopelessly underpowered and very drab and dreary inside. Personally, I liked the Volt, but mainly because of its EV range. I wasn't sure about the rear seats with a console between them which seems to limit its practicality. But I did like that it was a hatchback. If it had been a car for me I'd probably have gone in that direction. However, she felt the overall quality felt a bit lacking. We ended up getting her the Fusion, manly because she loved the feel of the car, and found the seats to be super comfortable. She has a history of back trouble from crashing motorcycles and really struggles to find a comfortable seat.

The basic concept is the same as the Volt I suppose, and many of the things you mention here are relevant. I have to agree with you, the EV/Hybrid concept is amazing. Driving the car in electric mode is so relaxing - smooth, quiet, easy. She isn't the most economical driver, and really like to have the heat turned up in the car. Still, her trip back from work the other evening recorded 61 mpg. It's overall average is showing 57 mpg. As I learn more about it I'm trying to get her to manage the EV use more efficiently. We now have the car set to warm up from the charger before she leaves the house. She also gets free charging at work, so it's set to warm up there too before she leaves in the evening. She managed to drive to work for the entire week, drive around the whole weekend, and when we filled the car on Sunday afternoon, 10 gallons! The VW would get through a tank and a half a week, and that's a 16 gallon tank. Really, she's thrilled with it.

I'm still wondering what the Volt would have been like. With double the EV range I think it would have been even more beneficial for her commute, but at least she doesn't complain about her back hurting.

I'm a little concerned with the massive amount of technology built in to the thing. I mean, there's very little likelihood of me working on it. On the plus side, there's very little chance of me working on it - the poor old VW was starting to be a little unpredictable.

Anyway, thanks for all the positive plug-in hybrid opinions. Reading all of this before hand made the decision a little easier!

She is smart to use grid power to pre-heat and pre-cool the car. Does the Fusion have a phone app that lets her do the pre-heat/cool from her phone a few minutes before she leaves for home?
I find the sound of the ICE engine in the Volt a little annoying. The sound is not proportional to anything - it just revs up randomly.
Glad you are enjoying your Focus. Please keep us posted on your experience with it.

"I'm still wondering what the Volt would have been like. With double the EV range I think it would have been even more beneficial for her commute, but at least she doesn't complain about her back hurting."

Range is nice. We get around 50 in our Gen 2. PLUS when you mash the go pedal on a Volt you don't exactly get tire smoke, but you get serious protests from the front tires. It 's enough to get concerned comments from passengers who think they are riding in "just" an electric car.

Yes, the Fusion has an app that not only allows you to remote start (as does the key), but allows you to schedule "Go Times" for when you're going to use the car. These can be set for each day of the week, and allow you to set the temperature to which you want the cabin heated. It will also schedule "Value Charge" based on this schedule, if you so choose, which will make sure the vehicle is fully charged at the time you wish to leave but based around off-peak electricity tariffs.
It's scary how much this car will do, hence my technology apprehension. The one we have has adaptive cruise, lane departure guidance, accident avoidance, driver alertness warning, and all sorts of fun stuff. My favourite is the "Braking Coach" which gives you a percentage of energy recovered when you brake to a stop. Presumably it calculates the energy based on the mass and speed of the vehicle, then gives you the percentage based on recovered energy. It turns driving into a video game. It's relatively easy to get 100% given an easy to anticipate need to brake. In the real world though, you find stop light turn too fast, and other people are amazingly inconsiderate.
The app also gives you stats based on your driving for lbs of CO2 saved, miles driven, and energy consumed, in case that's of interest I guess. You can also see where you rank in the league of gas sippers, braking experts, EV only users, and overall efficiency. Some of that is a bit gimmicky of course, but it's interesting data-wise.
The Fusion is quite a big car, and the battery only gives about 20 miles range without using the heater. Still, it's enough to get my wife 2/3rds of the way to work, and the free charge while she's there gets her 2/3rds of the way home of course. Like the Volt, it seems to offer the advantages of an electric car with the practicalities of a regular fossil fuel car when you want to make a longer trip. Is not super fast, but it's definitely no slouch either. We really like it. Oh, and the HOV lane stickers save her a good ten to fifteen minutes on the way home in the evening!

Did..................... All is fair in love and poor etiquette at public charging stations. Just returned the love.


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My sister has a blue one, her husband has a white one, & they gave their kid the red one. Red White and Blue. They love them and even occasionally charge them for free at 'incentive parking area's' when shopping in town.
Too bad the sedan has been discontinued but the basic platform will remain in production and live on in another form so all the parts will be available from what I understand.

I am waiting for a 250 mile range min. & batteries that are lighter than a standard gasoline-fuel motor and for them to be cheaply available everywhere in used mid-engined sports-cars.

I've had Fusion hybrids several times for rentals. Really the biggest compliment I can give is that they operate in a nearly identical manner to a standard Fusion, except for better MPG. The technology is pretty much transparent at a normal operating level. Not a car that I would pick for myself, but a good appliance.

Yes, I have to agree, once out of full EV mode it does behave more 'normal', but still offers very respectable mpg. Still, I think the plug-in version offers more than the regular hybrid does, and the technology is far more visible. Twenty miles of EV range is easily enough for a run to the grocery store, or the Saturday morning shop.

I will also agree that these are all appliance-type cars. Although it's quite a good looking car, and the trim level on ours does make it a very comfortable appliance, I don't get the same level of driving fulfilment I get from my other vehicles. That isn't to say it isn't fun in other ways though.

The most important thing is, she's happy with it :)

Nice little summary on EVs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0PPVC7FOeY

BTW beme News is started by Casey Neistat, it is now a CNN-owned start-up

My wife commutes 100 miles a day, two separate trips of 50 miles one at 7:30 the other at 1:30.

I decided a few weeks ago to buy an hybrid EV car. I narrowed down my selection to two cars, the Volt and the i3. The reason for those two was simple, both had at least 80 miles of battery range and both had gas motors driving generators (1st gen volt at least) that extends the range of the car.

On specs alone (2014 used models) the cars were a toss up, the decision was going to be based on how we liked each car while driving it.

When we got to the Chevy dealership they only had 2018 Volts, I was told the 2018 was vastly improved over the 1st gen models and felt this was going to be an unfair comparison as we had lined up a 2014 i3 to drive at BMW after.

We drove the Volt, it was nice, you really had no idea you were in a hybrid electric car unless you really looked for it. It was set up just like a Cobalt, center tunnel down the middle, gear selector etc..

The drive of the Volt, it was ok you felt more like you were riding in it than driving it, you felt somewhat disconnected, but, this is a economy car so we were expecting this.

Then we went to the BMW dealership and drove the i3. The regenerative braking really surprised us, it is very intrusive, yet, after a few stops, intuitive. If you look far enough ahead and anticipate you can stop the car without ever touching the brakes. The interior was different from any car I had ever been in, no tunnel down the middle, dash layout completely foreign with only 2 tablet looking displays. The exterior too was very in your face, the car looks weird and I was not sure I liked how ugly it was.

The drive though was very BMW, even though this little car weighs 3600 lbs you could not tell, acceleration was on par with the Volt if not somewhat quicker, or at least it felt like it was. Handling was very precise, steering inputs sharp and responsive, all this despite the motorcycle like tires on the car.

After driving both, we really liked the BMW much better. Of course they wanted to deal on the spot and not let me walk away. I had to sell my JCW Mini first. No room for all these stupid cars. I sold the JCW in 24 hours, then something cool happened.

The BMW salesman texted me and asked if I was still interested in the i3. I smiled, and waited a day before responding.

Then I texted back and said yes and made a cash out the door offer and told him take it or leave it.

He tried to counter @$500 more, I thanked him for his time and said no I will continue to shop.

He came back 30 minutes later and accepted my offer. I scanned and emailed all my info to him. Walked in the next evening and walked away 45 minutes later owning the car. Easiest Stealership used car purchase ever.

We had our Stage 2 charger installed Monday night and this is my wifes first week commuting with the car. She loves it I dig the tech in it and mostly the fact we never have to buy gas is really nice.

We set it to charge in the middle of the night when rates are lowest and are curious to see how much our electric bill changes. She was spending $280 a month on gas. If our electric bill goes up $100 a month this is a total win for us.

This is not even considering lower maintenance costs as well. I think we have to do an oil change once a year.

I call this pic 33 years of BMW.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/n-jS.../i-9tLpfVP.jpg