2012 Chevy Volt - kids drive free!

I just signed on the dotted line for a 2012 Chevrolet Volt with 96k miles. One owner car bought from the same dealer it was traded in to.
The car will be a commuter and a learner car for deucekids#1 and #2. They'll also have time on the FJ and once they show competence at AX in the Volt I'll let them drive the Cadillac between the cones, so they'll get manual transmission time too.
The theoretical idea is that the gas savings created by driving the volt will basically allow me to use the car for free over having the kids drive one of the other cars in the fleet, all of which get about 15mpg. Lots of equations and assumptions to get me there, but this thread will (hopefully) be more of an ownership and cost log than a build thread. Yes, I've said that before with other cars, but really, what could go wrong this time?
Pictures and what not tomorrow as it will be dark by the time I get it home tonight.

mazdeuce wrote: but really, what could go wrong this time?

You are a brave man to put that in writing.

mazdeuce wrote: ...and once they show competence at AX in the Volt I'll let them drive the Cadillac between the cones...

You sir are a brave man indeed. Fearless I tells ya!

I'm relatively new here but based on my observations so far I can't help but think that this is the beginning of a DIY Chevy Volt motor rewinding thread.

APEowner wrote: I'm relatively new here but based on my observations so far I can't help but think that this is the beginning of a DIY Chevy Volt motor rewinding thread.

QFT.

I'm not sure if your math makes you a genius or a delusional Optimist. Either way I'm along for the ride.

Congrats

APEowner wrote: I'm relatively new here but based on my observations so far I can't help but think that this is the beginning of a DIY Chevy Volt motor rewinding thread.

As much as I hope everything goes right for mazdeuce, I'm kind of hoping it leads to making Fergus electric somehow.

I still think him and wearymicrobe should get together about the viper, but that's just a fantasy build thread.

I look forward to seeing where this goes

Excellent! Is the Grosh to get a L2 EVSE?

Ian F wrote:

mazdeuce wrote: but really, what could go wrong this time?

You are a brave man to put that in writing.

Comedy before tragedy and all that.

Sky_Render wrote:

APEowner wrote: I'm relatively new here but based on my observations so far I can't help but think that this is the beginning of a DIY Chevy Volt motor rewinding thread.

QFT.

You guys underestimate the Deuce guy. With his geological prospecting background he will find, mine, and process the ores required to do the job. Rewinding is for amateurs.

well, his 2015 OneLap co-driver is an EE (?) that works on electric traction motor design. So, many things are possible.

Was just helping a gal on our old plant FB page decide on a '14 Premium. One of our old bosses posted this:

I have a friend who owns an early Volt. Now commuting 90 miles one way. His Volt now has 360,000 miles, with the original Batteries. He claims no reduced range since new. BTW, his wife has a newer Volt as well. He is very happy with both.

Can't vouch for it myself but it was backed up by another co-worker who knows the owner. Says he thinks GM is keeping tabs on this car because of the mileage he puts on it.

In on the first page

They plugged it in to a 120v outlet at the dealer for the afternoon and the battery read 24 miles of range when I picked it up this evening. I babied it and got closer to 30, but still burned gas on the way home.
It's all snugly plugged in for the evening and it says it will be full before morning. We'll see if I can do the double school run (Deucekid#1 to highschool, back home, pick up the other three to deliver to elementary, intermediate and middle school, and back home again) all on battery. I don't think I can, but it'll be close. This is already fun!
Oh, and I found the traction control button. I wonder how far off if goes?

nice color, all the ones we had to look at were white or grey when we were looking back in 2014

Nice. Those are the only current GM car that even remotely makes me wish I didn't have a personal boycott against buying a post-bailout GM.

mazdeuce wrote: They plugged it in to a 120v outlet at the dealer for the afternoon and the battery read 24 miles of range when I picked it up this evening. I babied it and got closer to 30, but still burned gas on the way home. It's all snugly plugged in for the evening and it says it will be full before morning. We'll see if I can do the double school run (Deucekid#1 to highschool, back home, pick up the other three to deliver to elementary, intermediate and middle school, and back home again) all on battery. I don't think I can, but it'll be close. This is already fun! Oh, and I found the traction control button. I wonder how far off if goes?

There are two levels on the button, IIRC. Keep holding it. 2011 didn't get that button. edit I remember traction control being fast and subtle. The car felt faster with it off, even if driving wasn't properly lairy.

If it were my money, I'd seriously think about the OnStar. The people were really nice, the nav was great (even if you have built in nav, talking to the OnStar people is nicer) and you get some neat connectivity options and apps that I used all of the time. We had some prepaid minutes that gave the car its own number, which helped in the middle of nowhere, when our cell phones stopped working. I know, it doesn't sound awesome, but it really was one of our favorite parts of the lease. They'll also do remote diagnostics and can connect you to a Volt advisor who can talk you through any quirks you can't work out.

One thing I really appreciated was that the door on top of the dash has a wire routing notch, and a 12v socket, so if you want your phone or GPS on the windshield, you don't have to run wires everywhere.

The coat hooks are inscrutable.

The front air dam scrapes everywhere, but you can get an improved clearance part from GM parts.

If you can't tell, I'm jealous.

Apparently, putting the gearshift in B makes for a better driving experience and better regent for the batteries

mazdeuce wrote: Oh, and I found the traction control button. I wonder how far off if goes?

Make sure to hold the button down for about 10 seconds. It will turn all the nannies off in two stages. At least our 2013 does.

Congrats! That is my favorite color too. If you are getting more range then shown on the dash, you will see your range estimate slowly creep up as the car gets used to your driving style. In general mine shows close to 50 all summer long, but then dips down to around 35 over the colder months (which you probably won't experience).

I have thought many times about autocrossing the Volt, I feel like you are going to convince me it isn't a bad idea.

Nitroracer wrote:

mazdeuce wrote: Oh, and I found the traction control button. I wonder how far off if goes?

Make sure to hold the button down for about 10 seconds. It will turn all the nannies off in two stages. At least our 2013 does.

Also, the only way to prove that you've got it all the way off is a big smoky burnout.

First things first. The Grosh currently runs off a single 30A breaker from the main box in the house. This is split into two 15A circuits. Everything is hugely underrated so I don't burn down the Grosh. The dehumidifier was on the same circuit as the Volt last night and it came on and tripped the breaker at 34 miles of charge. I've moved the dehumidifier to the other circuit.
I drove 52 miles this morning, 32.5 of them electric. I have quite a few stoplights and 60-65mph sections that are probably reducing range. The car still calculated 98mpg for the morning burning 0.6 gallons of gas. Kind of awesome. The car is plugged in awaiting the afternoon run.