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A Nudge in the Right Direction

I think that the Volt is a fine car and I'd probably be driving one if the Tesla didn't exist. But Tesla does exist and the Volt is BORING so I'll continue to drive an MS. As an environmentalist, I'm glad that cars like the Volt are on the market because they nudge people in the direction of thinking of electricity as a good thing for cars. I would attribute a lot of Tesla's success to the Prius for the same reason.
 
The Volt doesn't get anywhere near the respect that it deserves. I hope maybe the rollout of the new model will allow GM to re-introduce it in a better light.

VoltProtoType.jpg


When the prototype of the Volt was introduced, it looked kinda cool, but the production car was a huge disappointment. I know that Detroit is afraid to make a production car that pushes the boundaries on style. I'm hoping that the Model 3 may be the first production car that REALLY looks good.
 
I'll say this. The gen 1 Volt is slow by modern car standards, and just a little bit boring, in part because it is slow. But it is a nice car. I've been driving one for several years now.

The ridiculously high belt-line of the Volt concept car was just that ... ridiculously high. I like cars that have windows. Also, the concept car has a reported drag coefficient of 0.43, which like the belt-line, was ridiculously high. It was a concept design completely lacking in the practicality a production car requires. It had to change significantly to reach production. Could they have still made it a little cooler? Sure, but this is Chevy, and they struggle in that department. :p

There are 2 factors that made me choose a Volt over a Model S. Price and Superchargers (or a lack thereof). Supercharger roll out is going strong, so it won't (or shouldn't) be a factor for much longer. There's just a couple of key superchargers I'm waiting on. That just leaves price as the glaring sore spot, as you can buy 2 to 4 Volt's for the price of a Model S.
 
Volt has odd proportions, other than that it looks cool, has a slightly sexy front as well. I get compliments on the Volt. Always clean and shiny, 2014 diamond white (doesn't have the ugly black plastic cover in the back) with polished rims and a black roof


Volt is a great car and definitely not boring to drive since i enjoy driving it.


But the Volt isn't a Tesla... no car is.


The Volt is a training EV. You get to drive electric but still have gas and then you can decide from there if you want to go full electric, my decision has already been made (already have 18,000+ miles driven on my pure electric smart)


Model 3 couldn't come soon enough!
 
I considered the Volt, but there were three major issues.
#1 it was way too small for what I need it terms of hauling my equipment around. The Volt has limited space due to it's central battery.
#2 it is still a gas car
#3 (most important) the Model S was in every way a better car and a pure EV.
 
many people are still scared to go EV, those people will always think a hybrid is a better choice than an EV.

And honestly, depending on where and how you drive, they might be right. If you do frequent long trips in an area without superchargers, it's hard to argue that the model S is a better choice for you than a Volt
 
I lease a Volt and own a Model S, and while the Volt is actually somewhat fun to drive, it is simply no match for the Tesla. The Volt is not a bad car, and despite its flaws (tight back seat, slow charging, limited visibility, underpowered HVAC, lots of small mechanical issues), it is looking more and more likely that I will be leasing a second gen Volt when the first ones lease expires in September. While the Volt is not perfect, is the the closest thing to an EV available for someone who cannot afford a Tesla, and has a commute that is to long for a Leaf class EV to make 365 days a year.