Volt

Which Volt charger is more efficient, the 240V or the 120V charger?

We hear this question all the time, and it is a great question! The answer is that the 240V charger is more efficient, because it shortens the overall charge time.  However, this has less to do with the battery, because the Volt is able to manage the voltage and current flow to the battery at the same levels while charging regardless of what level charger the vehicle is plugged into, and more to do with other functions that support charging.

For example, there is a charge management and a thermal management system that run simultaneous to control charging. These systems manage current flow and battery temperature to safe levels and require energy to do so. Therefore, by shortening the overall charging time, you run those extra loads for less time, resulting in a higher percentage of the total energy used going to charge the battery.  

We had a chance to meet with racer Simona de Silvestro at the Geneva Auto Show. This year she will be racing in the Izod Indy Car Series driving a Chevrolet-powered #78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy car. Check out the video to meet this Volt owner and new member of Team Chevy.

For more than 50 years, Ferndale Electric of Ferndale, Mich., has been providing specialized electrical services for commercial buildings, such as manufacturing facilities, power plants, and public buildings.

Ferndale Electric CEO Art Ashley and his wife Mary recently celebrated two years of owning their Volt.  During that time, they

As a member of both the Southeast Michigan Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Art is a proud advocate of all things electric. He drove his first Volt at IBEW’s Electrical Industry Training Center (EITC) – a facility that provides apprenticeship and continuing education for NECA and IBEW members.

Soon after his first Volt experience, Art says he knew he had to have one. He bought his current Volt in May of 2011 and remarks on how much fun he has answering people’s questions about the technology; namely, how many miles he drives and how often he charges it. His Volt has even reached 48 to 50 electric miles in a single charge – a feat he hopes to beat in the future.

What’s more, Art and his team at Ferndale Electric have installed EV charging stations all over the Metro-Detroit area, including: various General Motors facilities, the City of Mount Clemens and at the campuses of St. John Providence Health System. They’ve also been a leader in renewable energy projects since 2001 by providing engineering, procurement and construction expertise for Southeastern Michigan’s alternative energy market.

Art has spoken with many of his friends, family, colleagues and industry peers about his Volt. Art says many of his friends are seriously considering a Volt for their next vehicle purchase and one of his employees’ parents even went out and bought one after talking with Art about the car. He adds that people are always surprised by the Volt’s quiet ride and instant torque.

*Disclosure: EPA-estimated 38-mile range based on 98 MPGe (electric); 342-mile range based on 35 MPG city/40 highway (gas). Actual range varies with conditions. Volt owners on average, by charging regularly, are driving 900 miles between fill-ups.

Ewa Omahen, Volt Owner, Michigan

My husband Ed and I started leasing our Volt in January of this year and couldn’t be happier. The favorable lease prices as well as the substantial savings in gas costs were among the top things we considered before purchasing.

We had read that on average, Volt owners drive approximately 900 miles between fill-ups by charging regularly. Since bringing our Blue Topaz Volt home, we have only used a half a tank of gas to drive more than 600 miles, which means we are well on our way to meeting and exceeding that average.

With a commute well within the Volt’s electric range, I am the primary driver. I love everything about the vehicle. It is comfortable and quiet and makes me feel as though I am on the cutting edge of technology.

We were initially attracted to the Chevrolet Volt as an addition to our already green lifestyle. We live in what we consider a green home, which means we look for every opportunity to improve our home’s energy efficiency, from using earth-friendly and allergen-free materials to installing a geothermal heating and cooling system. It is our way of doing our part to help preserve the Earth’s resources, so having a green vehicle just seemed fitting.

In addition, the Volt has attracted the attention of our colleagues and friends. I have been stopped multiple times in my school’s parking lot, in particular, by the science teachers. When they ask about the car, I am never hesitant to brag about the low cost of driving electric; I estimate we have added five dollars per week to our electric bill*, and of course the convenience of not having to stop for gas!

The Omahen’s are a great example of why Volt owners continue to be the happiest owners on the planet!

*Based on national average of 12 cents per kWh and 13.2 kWh for a full charge ($1.58).

Chevrolet Volt owners in San Diego had the opportunity to participate in a silent cruise to celebrate the completion of a 10-day road trip, led by Stupid Cancer. Stupid Cancer is a nonprofit organization that empowers young adults affected by cancer through innovative and award-winning programs and services.

Check out the video to learn more about Stupid Cancer and this unique event!

The Pecan Street Project may be home to the highest concentration of Chevrolet Volt owners in the world. We set out to meet some Volt-owning residents and came upon Dennis and Carol Mick. They’ve been a part of the Mueller Community for the past four years and have owned their Chevrolet Volt for a little over a year now.

Dennis says after the couple retired, they decided to move from their suburban home to Mueller because of the community’s commitment to the principles of new urbanism, an approach to land planning that reduces traffic and eliminates sprawl. Since making the move four years ago, Dennis says they’ve dramatically reduced their carbon footprint and their one-year-old Volt is a big part of their more energy-efficient lifestyle.

The couple’s favorite Volt features are OnStar’s turn-by-turn navigation for directions and using the OnStar RemoteLink™ mobile app to cool down the car before they go out for a drive in the Texas heat. They also enjoy the ability to call and speak with their personal Volt expert Andrew, from the Volt Advisor Team, whenever they have any questions about their vehicle.

What’s more, the Mick’s have a unique experience when charging their Volt at home – they have their own solar panels. Dennis says all the electricity recharging his Volt comes from the Sun’s energy captured by his home’s rooftop installation. Additionally, Mueller residents have the ability to log-on from either their smartphone or computer to instantly access their home’s energy usage, from such things as A/C and lighting, to power generation from the structure’s solar panels.

One thing is for certain – the Mick family is ready to take on any new energy efficiency challenges with their Volt by their side. Dennis says the couple is excited to participate in future programs focused on reducing their carbon footprint.

I was looking to create my own health food product and loved the idea of starting a business from scratch because it gave me the chance to create a company that reflected my core values.

At B’more Organic, we make bottled skyr smoothies. Skyr (pronounced “skeer”) is an Icelandic-style yogurt that’s strained, similar to Greek yogurt. As our name says, we’re all organic. Our vision is to change the way the world eats by providing convenient and healthy food. Our smoothies have more than 34 grams of protein, no added sugar and nothing artificial. We also try to live our core values every day, one of which is “B’More Green.”

B’more Green means we try to adhere to sustainable business practices in all that we do. Our milk comes from a farm powered by solar electricity. The electricity for our office is generated from wind-power. So, when it came time for us to purchase a company vehicle, we wanted it to be as green as possible too, while still fitting our needs.   

One of the added benefits of “being green” is that it often saves you money. As a start-up, we couldn’t afford to spend a lot on gas and oil changes, (the $7,500 tax credit will save us some green as well).  We also wanted a car that minimized our use of fossil fuels -- and our country’s dependence on foreign oil. We realize that one car won’t change the world, but we believe in what Gandhi said: “Be the change you want to see in this world.”

There were a few options for us, including some pretty good cars getting really good gas mileage. Others we looked at could even be converted to running on used veggie oil!  Besides worrying about smelling French fries all day, those were good options. There were also other plug-in hybrid options from Ford and Toyota. But, when we looked into the Chevrolet Volt, we were attracted to the fact that we could go 40 miles running only on the battery. We also really liked the Volt’s gasoline range-extender for longer trips - something the Nissan Leaf doesn’t offer.

Our office’s electricity is 100 percent wind-powered thanks to our energy supplier Clean Currents. Because of this, we loved the idea that we can drive around powered mostly by renewable wind. We think it’s pretty cool that the car was made in the U.S. and it’s primarily powered by American wind. Not many company cars can make that claim.

When we test drove the Volt we found it to be surprisingly quick and it handled really well. It’s quiet with very little outside noise. So quiet, in fact, that it even comes with the little button that alerts unsuspecting pedestrians that you’re nearby. The Volt also has all the fun electric gadgets that our 24-year-old Market Manager, Eric, geeked out over, mainly the Bluetooth audio and free XM radio for three years. He’ll use the Volt to make shopping trips to local stores. He’s getting it decaled to reflect our values of being green and taking it to area events where we hand out free samples. I just hope that he lets me drive it sometime!

A team of young men who call themselves the Pilgramers, teamed up with Chevrolet in search of adventure. On their way from Virginia to Austin, Texas for SXSW, they drove a Chevrolet Volt for the first time.   

The Pilgramers use Instagram to film their travels around America and create an online TV series about their journeys and the people they meet. They were eager to share with us the highlights of their trip which included a visit to the Sun Records recording studio previously used by Elvis Presley, and the chance to host two instameets at the Chevrolet Find New Roads Lounge.  

Pilgramer, Jody Johnston, describes his experience driving the Chevrolet Volt:

“Initially we were concerned with the size of the Volt. A road trip means luggage and we weren’t certain that the Volt would be able to accommodate everything we needed to pack. We were wrong. The Volt’s cargo space was plenty large enough and we were able to bring more than just the necessities.

Our favorite part about the vehicle was the dashboard interface. It provides you with so much more information than a normal car, such as helping the driver determine what speed to drive in order to get the best gas mileage.

Driving an electric, connected car made it so much easier for us navigate Austin. We avoided using gas for much of the trip across the country, and once we arrived in the city, we drove the entire week without using a single gallon. We are thankful to Chevrolet for giving us the opportunity to experience the Volt firsthand.”

The Chevrolet Volt -- the perfect vehicle to help you find new roads.   

Check out more photos from their travels here.