Why the Chevy Volt is Such a Strange Car

Greg - Your Car Angel talks about the Chevy Volt which debuted by General Motors in 2011 as a range extended electric car with a 35 mile range. Before the Volt GM had been working on many project cars including the EV-1 which was also named the impact as well as the Sunraycer which won the Australian race. The Chevy Volt had a reliable and long lasting T shaped Lithium battery pack which only allowed the Volt to be a four seater. The skateboard battery configuration that Tesla used had not yet been invented. The first generation Volt was a strange car with many unusual features. The second generation was built on the Chevy Cruz platform and was an upgrade on many levels including the new battery pack with a range of 53 miles.

[GodKing]

Wow this channel is so underrated, so much automotive history well presented

[Gaddict]

Look at these comments...You will find nothing but extremely pleased Volt owners. I absolutely love my 2015 and have 140k on the clock! I drive over 200 miles per day so they rack up quickly. I am a race car guy, I drive a diesel truck, I have always been a car guy, and I can tell you that the Volt is my favorite vehicle. Come on GM!

[alex-sd]

Great info! I love my 2017 Volt. Best car I've owned thus far. GM should have made an SUV or CUV with this platform and they would have sold a ton. The Volt was the best EV transition car ever made.

[SkyDawg]

There's much to love about my 2019 Volt Premier, but this old beat-down body loves the drivers seat more than anything. It's like sitting in a big hand.

[julesgamingnstuff]

Thanks for making this! I still love my 2018 Volt after 4+ years. Fun to drive and only get gas 1-2 times a year.

[jasondailey]

Some comments: My 2017 Volt also has adaptive cruise control, it’s definitely not a 2019 exclusive feature. The 2019 gained the ability to DISABLE adaptive cruise, and use normal cruise instead. In either 2018 or 2019 it also gained faster charging, more powerful regen braking, optional power driver seat, and updated display interfaces. Also, I’m not sure what cars the 2nd gen Volt looks like, to me it’s pretty unique…

[speedhuntr]

I bought a 2014 Volt almost a year ago and I LOVE IT. As an apartment dweller, a full EV is not an option for me--i cannot charge at home. The Volt allows me to dip my toe in the EV space but still have the flexibility of an ICE vehicle. And it's just so fun to drive.

[Dakiraun]

Greg! Great to see another video from ya - Happy New Year! That's one epic outro at the end. :) One of my cousin's has a Volt (first gen) and loved it; she did a ton of commuting for her job (pre pandemic anyway) and the Volt dropped the commuting costs down to a fraction of her prior car. She's never had any issues with it. She and her husband don't have any kids, so backseat issue didn't matter, and she picked it up for a very good price when it was only a year old, so sort of the perfect case scenario for that type of vehicle.

[GoldenLegionHoney]

I have a 2013 volt and I love it. I just had my first major issue which was a rock punctured my battery radiator. If you have one you need to put some hardware cloth or something in the space under the license plate to protect from rocks. Its the only repair I've had to do in 3 years of owning it. Still get 32 miles per charge so the battery pack is great. The car cools and heats the battery to keep it optimal. My only gripe is it charges slow. Takes about 4 hours on a level 2 30 amo charger. 8 hours on a level 1 regular plug

[nothere]

I really love the Volt, one of my favorite recent GM vehicles. Our 2016 model was great.

[dansanger]

I have a 2017 Volt that I bought new. Although it's not big, being a hatchback it's a very practical car. I remodeled two rental houses using nothing but my Volt to haul tools and supplies. I can even fit 10 foot 2x4s inside with the hatch closed.

[Wire-Free]

Wow, thanks Greg-CA... This was a great educational overview of the Volt...

[gabec]

I had a 2014 volt for years, loved it so much i upgraded to the 2017. Such a great car to drive and saves so much money on operating costs.

[davidvanderboegh]

Excellent video Greg, one of the best overviews of the Volt out there. My '13 Volt is the best car I've ever owned. Your description nailed it. Very quiet, rock solid, fun to drive and a great highway cruiser. As Kaleb commented earlier, it ruined me for other cars. Six friends and colleagues bought Volts after driving mine and all love them. I had one minor problem with the heat control module fixed under warranty, that's it. A trouble-free car that in my case is driven entirely on battery most of the time. The center stack is cool at night, but it does take time to get used to the switches. (Gen 2 is more conventional.) Visibility did scare me at first, especially during lane changes but with the mirrors set right it's fine. New owners need to take the time to get to know this car. One more Volt plus is the safety factor. These cars are built like tanks. The Volt Facebook page is filled with examples of people who walked away from terrible accidents and immediately set out to buy another Volt. It's important to have access to a Chevy dealership with an EV tech. Basic things like oil changes are easy, but for diagnostics and any issues with the Voltec system it should go to a certified tech. I usually avoid dealer service but have been lucky with our Chevy dealer. Again, great job Greg!

[jessecondit]

Good one Greg! I own a 2017, I like it very much. When I changed my route to work to run slower speeds instead of freeway I can go above 60 mile range. Let's say Fall to Spring, you lose range during winter months.

[BryceLovesTech]

I have had two of them and they were great cars. I have transitioned to Tesla but I always have fond memories of my Volt

[alansnyder]

I'm a current Volt Gen 2, owner and previously had the Nissan Leaf (2011) and Corbin Sparrow (2000).

The Volt Gen 2, is how an electic car should be done. The first 50 miles comes from the battery which can be changed at home, but when you need to go futher you can switch to gas to generate the electricity for you electric car. This has the benefit of not being stuck with any one type of "fuel" for you car. If the electric grid is out, not a problem. If there is some kind of gas "crisis" like in the 70s not a problem. As a system, it is very robust without any single point of failure.

In practice most of the driving is done on the battery and the car is only fueled with gas once every few months. GM again made a terrible mistake by getting rid of this car in favor of the Bolt.

[scruffy]

I own two 2013 Volts. First one I purchased brand new. Second one used with 18k miles two years later. This month both turned over 100k miles. Still going strong. On good weather days, still getting 40 mile range. Old technology right now, but it's still a great ride. Still no range anxiety.

[LorenDavis]

Great video! I watched this 2 years ago and coming back to this it's still relevant. Thanks

[alexnutcasio]

Cliff Notes version: GM f’d up by not continuing the EV1. They were 20 years ahead of their time. 06:12 TP was the clock set or “ Time Program” ( TP).