On a cold night last Saturday, Ed and I drove down the shoreline to Port Sanilac to have supper at the Van Camp House. It was the Chevy Volt's first trip to Chef Andy Fabian's delightful dining spot.
The optimum temperature for the Volt's battery to operate at is 70 degrees. Looking at the display above tells you that we were driving far below that level (it was fifteen above when we got back from dinner), yet the Volt performed spectacularly. We started out with 28 miles on the battery and actually used .3 of a mile more than that, thanks to the regenerative braking that adds power when the car slows or the brakes are applied.
When first starting out in the cold, the gas generator can override the battery power in order to keep the battery fluids warm enough. That happened several times on our trip down to Port Sanilac. The Volt would run on gas for a half mile or so, and then switch back to battery power.
Considering that I have to keep my camera in a warm pocket so that the battery stays active, the Volt's big 400 pound lithium ion battery really performs well in the winter cold. Come summer, I can look forward to overnight charging that will approach 35-40 miles per charge. Now, in the cold winter, the Volt is doing very well, thank you!
Copyright 2012
Wanda Hayes Eichler
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