More Winter Driving Electric Range Statistics For the Chevy Volt

A Chevy Volt Makes Its Way Down Production Line









I have been driving a Chevy Volt since November 11, 2010, covering over 4200 miles so far. Almost all of this driving has been in winter conditions. I logged my first 2352 miles here to get a feel for the vehicle’s overall efficiency, which effectively settled in at 129 miles per gallon.

For the entire month of January I have recorded my daily EV range compared against ambient temperature, driving style, road consitions, and HVAC cabin energy use. I started each day with a fully charged battery and my trip was 30 miles one-way. I did not pre-condition the cabin and 90% of the drive was at highway speeds over 65 mph, using Normal mode acceleration and L-position motor braking.

The data is presented below:

Date	Temperature (F)	Driving Efficiency	Cabin Efficiency	EV Range	Notes
12/30	30	66%	13%	27
1/2	28	64%	15%	25.6
1/5	36	69%	18%	24.7
1/6	28	73%	12%	25.6
1/7	32	66%	15%	23.4	snowing
1/10	33	60%	45%	25.6
1/17	22	68%	12%	26.4
1/18	32	66%	16%	22.8	slippery ice
1/19	38	83%	28%	27.9
1/20	34	89%	32%	31.2	72 eco
1/21	29	79%	21%	27.2	icy
1/24	8	68%	6%	26.6	0.1gal used due to temp

You will notice the columns called driving and cabin efficiency. The higher the number the more efficient. These were obtained from the dashboard display at the point the gas engine went on. It is posible to achieve 100% driving efficiency if one stays below 50 mph and is very careful to avoid accelerating and braking hard, trying to coast as much as possible, something I did not achieve in my particular commuting cycle.

The cabin efficiency reaches 100% if no HVAC is used, the lower the number the more aggressive the HVAC settings.

Over this period my average EV range was 26.2 miles with an average driving efficiency of 71% and cabin efficiency of 19.4%. The average temperature was 29.2 degrees. EV range appeared further reduced when the roads were slippery from snow and/or ice.

My greatest range was 31.2 miles at 89% diving and 32% cabin efficiency, and the lowest range of 22.8 miles occurred at 66% driving and 16% cabin efficiency.

Source: GM-Volt.com