2013 Chevrolet Volt Real World Electric Range And Fuel Economy Testing

We don't all feel the need to justify the pizza we ordered last night or the latte you bought this morning at Starbucks, or for that matter, the new Honda CR-V your neighbours just leased. And although I wish to take a stand against the bizarre requirement reviewers and non-buyers have to calculate whether the purchase of a  Chevrolet Volt can be justified (as though we all think the purchase of other $46,030 "assets" that depreciate could ever be justified) I really wanted to see how much money I could save during the abbreviated week in which a Chevrolet Volt was visiting GoodCarBadCar.

A full review of the nearly fully loaded Volt that GM Canada sent our way will be on GoodCarBadCar soon. Until then, I present you with an exhaustive look at the energy expended by the Volt during the five days it stayed in Eastern Passage.

Consider yourself temporarily deputized as an editor, as well. Check the math. Consider the facts. Keep in mind, most of the Volt's miles were spent in the city, and it was driven spiritedly. Electric torque is so much fun. There were about 40 highway kilometres done at speeds around 105 kmh, or about 65 mph. Also, this Volt was fully run-in, topping 7200 kilometers while here. Overnight temperatures hovered just above 0ºC, daily highs reached between 3ºC and 6ºC.

All Photo Credits:  
Steffani Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

Those highway miles came about during the second electric range test we performed on the Volt. In that case, the fully-charged Volt figured we had 49 kilometers (30.4 miles) of electric-only driving, and we managed to eke out 49. 

At the beginning of our first fully-charged test, when the Volt was basing its estimated range on a previous driver and the circumstances in which he was driving, the Volt figured on a range of 47 kilometers (29.2 miles). We managed 65 km (40.4 miles) however, four more than the estimates produced by GM Canada and Transport Canada.

In the final test, the Volt had upped its fully-charged estimate to 50 km (31 miles), and after driving 34 km (21.1 miles), the Volt's range had gained a single kilometer, figuring we had 17 remaining, not the 16 its initial estimate would lead you to believe.

Cars cost money. In comparison with other vehicles priced above $40,000, the rebate-less Volt (here in Nova Scotia) has the potential to save some money. Is it less costly to purchase a Chevrolet Cruze? Well, yeah. But the same could be said in regards to the Corvette buyer who could have saved money on a Camaro. The very idea borders on impertinent.

So take this moment to view the Chevrolet Volt as a very efficient alternative for the buyer who is considering a $44,000 Buick LaCrosse, which the Volt is capable of outselling in Canada. An alternative without power seats, or a sunroof, or a fifth seat. But an alternative, nonetheless. And stop acting like the Volt is what you buy when you don't want a $21,000 Prius C. People don't do that. At least I hope they don't.

2013 Chevrolet Volt	March 10-14, 2013
Total Kilometers	230
Total Miles	142.9
Total Electric Kilometers	148.9
Total Electric Miles	92.5
Total Range-Extended Kilometers	81.1
Total Range-Extended Miles	50.4
Electricity Consumed ($0.1379/kW-hr)	33.8 kW-hrs
Litres Consumed ($1.444/litre)	6.164
Gallons Consumed ($5.466/gallon)	1.628
Overall L/100 Kilometers	2.68
Overall Miles Per Gallon	87.8
L/100 Kilometers (Range-Extended Mode)	7.6
Miles Per Gallon (Range-Extended Mode)	30.9
Overall MPGe	55
MPGe (Electricity Only)	93
MPGe (Range-Extended Mode)	31
Overall Cost Per Kilometer	$0.059
Overall Cost Per Mile	$0.095
Cost Per Kilometer (Electricity)	$0.031
Cost Per Mile (Electricity)	$0.05
Cost Per Kilometer (Range-Extended Mode)	$0.11
Cost Per Mile (Range-Extended Mode)	$0.177
EPA MPGe (Electricity)	98
EPA kW-hrs/100 Miles	35
EPA MPG Combined (Gasoline/Hybrid Mode)	37
EPA MPG City  (Gasoline/Hybrid Mode)	35
EPA MPG Highway (Gasoline/Hybrid Mode)	40

MPGe calculated with a spreadsheet from Progressive Automotive X Prize

RECOMMENDED READING
Real World Fuel Economy Testing In The Ford C-Max Hybrid SEL
Quick Spin: 2012 Chevrolet Volt
Historical Monthly & Yearly Chevrolet Volt Sales Figures
Historical Monthly & Yearly Nissan Leaf Sales Figures
Historical Monthly & Yearly Toyota Prius Plug-In Sales Figures

2013's The Good 12 - Chevrolet Suburban - $45,000-$50,000

CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

The Chevrolet Suburban's downsides are widely known and easily explained in a nutshell. Suburbans are vast, and while that pays dividends inside, the size of this behemoth sucks, both in parking lots and at the fuel pump. Additionally, the eleventh-generation Suburban is nearing the end of its term, and its interior styling was never the most modern to begin with.

The penalties we pay for Suburban ownership are nothing compared to the perks we enjoy during Suburban ownership. It's a veritable school bus, and with seats folded, it's a genuine cargo van. Suburban 1500s have a theoretical range of 540 miles. 

The long wheelbase limits off-roading, but only to a degree: there are nine inches of ground clearance. Even in the third row, leg room stretches to 35 inches, just a speck less than you'll have in the back of a Civic. 

Best of all, the Suburban can be a school bus and cargo van at the same time. Having seated eight of your besties, you can also throw in 45.8 cubic feet of their luggage. That's significantly more cargo capacity than you'll find behind the second row of the Chevrolet Equinox. The Toyota Camry's trunk is only one-third the size.

Space equals luxury. Given how much Chevrolet is charging for a Suburban these days, it better be luxurious in one way or another.

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Engine: 320 horsepower; 335 lb-ft of torque from a 5.3L V8 or 352 horsepower; 382 lb-ft of torque from a 6.0L V8

Base USD/CAD Price: $42,545 / $52,610

City Fuel Economy: 10 - 15 

It's Not Perfect: There are plenty of fine Suburban rivals, not the least of which is its twin, the GMC Yukon XL. Cadillac's $66K Escalade ESV is a high-end option. Toyota's Sequoia and Ford's Expedition also feel a bit fresher. In other words, the Suburban is getting old, and we expect a bit more finesse from a new SUV these days, even if it is more than 18 feet long.

Sales Stats: Obviously GM isn't selling as many full-size, truck-based sport-utility vehicles as it did a decade ago. But automakers aren't selling as many vehicles as they used to in general, as the market is simply not the size it once was. Nevertheless, America remains a much larger market for jumbo SUVs than Canada. Although the overall U.S. new vehicle market is between eight and ten times bigger than Canada's, Suburban volume is 46 times better in the U.S.

Viable Alternatives: Rather obviously, the GMC Yukon XL. The Ford Expedition and Toyota Sequoia are also impressive.

The Good 12

Kia Rio 5-Door - Fiat 500 Turbo - Volkswagen Golf GTI
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S - 
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover

The Bad 8

Chevrolet Spark - Chrysler 200 Convertible -
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour - 
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

The Good 12 Rules

2013's The Bad 8 - Chevrolet Spark

CHEVROLET SPARK

Oddly, the Chevrolet Spark's problems aren't self-inflicted. Okay, some of them are. The Spark's headlamps are outrageously disproportionate. The upright body, necessary in order to find adequate passenger space in a car that's only twelve feet long, makes it ripe for cow tipping. 

Some of the colours Chevrolet has chosen to offer - Techno Pink and Lemonade in particular - are downright offensive. And the Chevrolet Groove Concept with which the Spark's concept predecessor competed appeared to have greater stylistic potential, so in the Groove's shadow, the production Spark has always been a bit of a letdown.

One would assume that complaints about the 83-horsepower 1.2L four-cylinder would be front and centre in a derisive post like this. Indeed, the Spark's power-to-weight ratio is worse than the Scion iQ's, worse than the smart fortwo's, as well.

But the Spark's dreadful design and weak engine aren't what landed the littlest Chevrolet in the 2013 edition of The Bad 8. Chevrolet's own Sonic did that.

A basic Sonic 5-door is only $1000 USD more than a mid-grade Spark. The Sonic has 55 more horsepower and is widely regarded as one of the best-driving subcompacts on the market. The Sonic hatchback has 5% more passenger volume, 67% more cargo capacity with the seats up, 53% more cargo capacity with the rear seats folded, 7% more shoulder room in the rear seat, and 7% more hip room up front.

What reason is there to buy a Spark? Fuel economy?

Nope. Depending on engine and transmission, the Sonic can actually be more fuel efficient, the EPA says. More likely than not, because you won't be driving it like you stole it just to keep up with traffic - as you would in the Spark - even the least efficient Sonic will end up being about as miserly as the most efficient Spark.

With no redeeming features, it's hard to think of a reason for any buyer to accept the sacrifices a Spark inflicts. 

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Alternatives: You've read the above paragraphs, right? The freakin' five-door Chevrolet Sonic is the key alternative, for goodness' sake. Or the Kia Rio 5-door, a Good 12 winner.

Base USD/CAD Price: $12,245 / $11,845

It Sucks, But... For a car of this size there's a shocking amount of space inside. 

Sales Stats: It's too early to adequately gauge Canada's reaction to the Spark. In the United States, Chevrolet is selling way more Sparks than analysts expected.

The Good 12

Kia Rio 5-Door - Fiat 500 Turbo - Volkswagen Golf GTI
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S - 
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover

The Bad 8

Chevrolet Spark - Chrysler 200 Convertible -
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour - 
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

The Bad 8 Rules

November 2012 Top 5 Best-Selling Trucks In Canada

Now that we're six days into December, Ford Canada has surely sold its 100,000th F-Series pickup. Through the first eleven months Ford sold 99,331 F-Series trucks, 35,176 more than the second-ranked Ram's total.

Ram sales fell in November but are up substantially this year. GM will soon be replacing its trucks, and not surprisingly, sales are down despite hefty inventory and healthy incentives. 

Canada's two best-selling trucks also happen to be Canada's two best-selling vehicles, and by a healthy measure. Canada's best-selling car, the Honda Civic, was shown with its 19 closest rivals earlier this evening. The Ford Escape, Canada's top-ranked SUV, was profiled with the 19 next-best-selling SUVs and crossovers just minutes ago.

All 261 Vehicles Ranked By November 2012 YTD Canadian Sales

Find any GoodCarBadCar best seller list at this page. Historical monthly and yearly sales figures are available through GCBC's Sales Stats home page.

Rank	Best-Selling Truck	November 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
#1	Ford F-Series	7237	+ 6.4%	99,331	+ 12.4%
#2	Dodge Ram	5316	- 2.4%	64,155	+ 8.2%
#3	GMC Sierra	3396	- 16.3%	39,962	- 6.5%
#4	Chevrolet Silverado	2564	- 26.7%	33,591	- 8.6%
#5	Toyota Tacoma	897	+ 29.1%	9076	+ 29.2%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 15 Best-Selling Trucks In Canada - December 2012
Top 5 Best-Selling Trucks In Canada - October 2012
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Canada Auto Sales Brand Rankings - November 2012
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - November 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In Canada - November 2012
Top 20 Best-Selling SUVs In Canada - November 2012

November 2012 Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In Canada

The Updated Interior Of Honda's 2013 Civic

Canada's new vehicle market posted a 4% improvement in November 2012, gains which could have been much greater were it not for the losses posted by some of Canada's best-selling models. Dodge's Grand Caravan fell 3.2%, or 112 units. Dodge's Ram P/U, Canada's second-best-selling vehicle, fell 2.4%, or 129 units.

And Canada's best-selling car from November 2011, still Canada's best-selling car, fell by 1756 units year-over-year. Last year at this time, Civic sales had risen 62% compared with November 2012. In other words, Honda Canada could afford a 26% drop in Civic sales. Even as Hyundai Elantra sales rose 39.5% compared with November 2011, the compact Hyundai ended the month 954 sales behind the Honda. 

For the Hyundai to have overtaken the Civic, Elantra sales would have had to jump 72%. That didn't happen. And despite its 26% drop, the Honda Civic easily ended November 2012 as Canada's best-selling car while expanding its year-to-date lead to 10,528 units. Oh, and an updated 2012 model goes on sale soon.

All 261 Vehicles Ranked By November 2012 YTD Canadian Sales

The Kia Rondo and Chevrolet Orlando landed on Canada's list of the 20 best-selling cars for the second consecutive month. Typically, minivans are only eligible for Canada's best-selling vehicles list. But the Orlando and Rondo aren't so easily classified. If you don't want to consider the two Mazda 5 alternatives as passenger cars, the next-best-selling cars in November were the Subaru Impreza, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Dodge Dart. 

Much more could be said about November 2012 new vehicle sales volume in Canada, and much will be said. GoodCarBadCar will soon post a best-selling SUV list and added to that will be a best-selling truck list, and shortly, yet more for best-selling vehicles, best-selling luxury vehicles, worst-selling vehicles, and full vehicle rankings. 

Below, Canada's 20 best-selling vehicles in Canada are listed by November 2012 volume. As, always, you can access historical monthly and yearly sales figures for all these vehicles through GCBC's Sales Stats home.

Rank	Best-Selling Car	November 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
#1	Honda Civic	5061	- 25.8%	58,296	+ 17.6%
#2	Hyundai Elantra	4107	+ 39.5%	47,768	+ 11.1%
#3	Toyota Corolla	2976	+ 4.1%	38,535	+ 13.4%
#4	Mazda 3	2752	- 4.1%	37,460	+ 9.2%
#5	Volkswagen Jetta	2420	+ 30.5%	24,931	- 0.8%
#6	Ford Focus	2322	+ 37.3%	26,501	+ 9.4%
#7	Chevrolet Cruze	2272	+ 0.7%	30,642	- 4.3%
#8	Honda Accord	1451	+ 240%	8729	+ 18.2%
#9	Toyota Camry	1208	- 11.7%	17,302	+ 58.1%
#10	Kia Rio	1150	+ 79.7%	13,060	+ 103%
#11	Hyundai Accent	1125	- 14.7%	21,885	+ 4.8%
#12	Nissan Sentra	988	+ 47.9%	10,064	- 17.0%
#13	Ford Fusion	952	- 1.1%	15,540	- 11.4%
#14	Kia Rondo	942	+ 198%	6058	+ 1.8%
#15	BMW 3-Series	910	- 9.0%	10,294	- 1.8%
#16	Chevrolet Orlando	899	+ 211%	6530	+ 738%
#17	Hyundai Sonata	888	- 12.6%	13,720	- 12.2%
#18	Volkswagen Golf	878	- 8.6%	12,672	- 3.1%
#19	Toyota Venza	863	- 26.5%	10,505	- 12.9%
#20	Chrysler 200	846	+ 23.5%	13,504	+ 92.7%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales 
Rondo and Orlando have been offered entry. The Grand Caravan (3350 sales) and other true minivans were not.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 25 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - 2012 Year End
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - December 2012
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - October 2012
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - November 2011
Canada Auto Sales Brand Rankings - November 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In Canada - November 2012
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November 2012 Top 20 Best-Selling SUVs In America

America's 20 top-selling SUVs and crossovers accounted for 219,682 of America's 1.14 million new vehicle sales in November 2012. The Ford Escape trailed the leading Honda CR-V by 1363 units, but was the highest-selling of four American brand SUVs in the top five. Year-to-date, the CR-V's 15,042-unit lead over the Escape is not something that can be overcome in December, particularly if CR-V sales continue to rise and Escape sales continue to fall.

The chief newcomer on November 2012's list of the 20 best-selling SUVs and crossovers in America is the Nissan Pathfinder. With 23% of its year-to-date sales coming in the eleventh month of the year, the Pathfinder nameplate owes much to the fourth-gen model that was recently introduced with more of a crossover angle. 

The best Pathfinder sales year in the last decade was 2005, when 76,156 were sold. It seems unlikely that Nissan could sell 8000 Pathfinders each month now, but if it did, that 96,000 annual rate would have a hugely negative impact on the Murano, or at least one would think. Ford is doing a fine job of selling a big crossover-that-used-to-be-a-truck, the Explorer, alongside the smaller Edge and the better-selling Escape. Perhaps Nissan can do the same with the Pathfinder, smaller Murano, and better-selling Rogue.

All 265 Vehicles Ranked By U.S. November 2012 YTD Sales
12 different auto brands are represented in this month's top 20 list, although they hail from just eight different auto manufacturing entities. The Lexus RX was the only premium brand vehicle to crack the top 20, although you will soon be seeing in this month's luxury SUV sales post that Cadillac SRX sales shot up 13% to 5340 and BMW had a great month with the X5 and X3. 

GoodCarBadCar makes all these sales figures readily available through the Sales Stats homepage where you can select any make, model, overarching manufacturer, or the total market. America's 20 best-selling cars have already been published along with brand-by-brand rankings and the country's five favourite trucks.

Rank	Best-Selling SUV	November 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
#1	Honda CR-V	22,333	+ 36.0%	255,919	+ 30.0%
#2	Ford Escape	20,970	- 3.9%	240,877	+ 5.3%
#3	Chevrolet Equinox	16,821	+ 12.6%	199,070	+ 13.7%
#4	Ford Explorer	14,940	+ 15.9%	146,963	+ 20.6%
#5	Jeep Grand Cherokee	13,619	+ 0.5%	137,613	+ 24.7%
#6	Nissan Rogue	12,662	+ 16.8%	130,861	+ 16.6%
#7	Toyota RAV4	12,423	+ 9.6%	157,526	+ 33.3%
#8	Kia Sorento	10,851	+ 12.2%	108,630	- 9.2%
#9	Jeep Wrangler	10,337	+ 12.1%	130,124	+ 17.2%
#10	Ford Edge	10,142	+ 4.7%	115,535	+ 5.4%
#11	Toyota Highlander	9474	+ 13.2%	108,864	+ 21.7%
#12	Honda Pilot	9366	- 10.7%	103,482	- 1.1%
#13	Lexus RX	8871	+ 17.0%	82,847	+ 16.5%
#14	GMC Terrain	8158	+ 44.3%	86,270	+ 14.3%
#15	Nissan Pathfinder	8097	+ 249%	34,682	+ 49.0%
#16	Hyundai Santa Fe	6754	+ 10.2%	63,737	- 8.0%
#17	Dodge Journey	6569	+ 77.0%	71,875	+ 42.5%
#18	Chevrolet Tahoe	5895	- 29.8%	60,302	- 16.4%
#19	Subaru Forester	5703	- 2.2%	67,583	- 0.02%
#20	Chevrolet Traverse	5697	- 20.3%	78,176	- 20.1%

Source: Manufacturers
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 20 Best-Selling SUVs In America - December 2012
Top 20 Best-Selling SUVs In America - October 2012
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