I have a Chevy Volt, and so does my wife. This car is currently the best compromise. We do buy gasoline, but about a tenth the amount of a fully gasoline powered car. Mine has a lifetime gasoline consumption equivalent to 240 miles per gallon. There is no "range anxiety," because after 40 miles of continuous fully electric driving, the gas engine starts. This car is cheap on the used market too, because people don't understand what a superb vehicle it is.

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

rationalguy thanks for the comment! You are completely right that people don't know what the Volt is. They either think it's a regular hybrid, or a full battery electric with very low range.

@jamesdrichardson3447

4 жыл бұрын

@@DustinBatchelor ....it's the same over here in the UK. I'd go even further and say it's probably one of the most misunderstood cars on the road. GM were asked why they discontinued the Volt/Ampera, their reply was 2 fold,.....In 2012 people were starting to make the big switch from Saloons and Hatches to SUV's and secondly they chose to put all of their R&D into the Autonomous Driving market. !!!

@flamingspinach

Жыл бұрын

Seems like people have finally started to understand their value - they're not cheap at all on the used market these days!

This was perfect. I watched like 45 Chevy Volt Gen 1 videos but none of them gave me what to specifically look for when buying a used one. Thank you!

I own a 2014 Volt Purchased in 2015: few more tips.. - Starting in 2013 they added a HOLD button that will turn on the motor if you would rather be on gas engine power (for example Highway, or if on occasion would prefer to heat up the car on a very cold day) if it's really cold the Volt will do it for you automatically. - some Volts do not come with heated seats... highly recommend them if you live in a cold climate area (as heating the car takes much life out of the battery, and the heated seats might help you out in this regard. - the "transmission" comes with a low speed, which is great to use in heave traffic as it "brakes" for you w/o using the brakes too much and generates a little electricity. I also use it to slow down on hills and stop lights when in regular mode. - A/C doesn't eat too much battery life, although I own a black color and it gets hot inside the vehicle quickly when the sun is out. I'd go for a lighter color. - I had my Shiny chrome wheels replaced under warranty as they were pitting near the air valve. should have waited a year longer... but new ones are still O.K. - make sure all your codes are up to date (flash) - not great in the snow, probably because of the Fuel Efficient Low Rolling Resistant Tires... I am going to try regular tires for next winter and see if it helps... I have a Q5 so I don't risk driving in the snow because of the slipperiness. - really like the car for short commutes and tooling about town. I would have preferred the upscale model (mine only has backup sensor and camera). which gives you heated seats, Navigation (even though smartphone/garmin is probably better) stereo system. and Used Volt with those options will not be that much more expensive. - read the forum and educate yourself... Personally I would not buy this vehicle for my only source of getting around because of the various types of trips I take, and the need for a trailer hitch for various functions. - bought rubber volt winter matts at half the price on the internet Nice review

@utah133

7 жыл бұрын

Yes, I bought a 2013 off-lease with 20k on it a couple of years ago. I love the car. No issues whatsoever.

@ArjunGMenon

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this comment. I might go for the 2013 and later models just for the "hold" and "low mode". I thought the low mode was something only the new Bolt offered, but it's great to know 2013+ Volts have them too!

@60viking

5 жыл бұрын

I'm going to get one of these. I like that the owners manual talks about how to deal with the old and unused gas.

Worth to note. Starting with 2013 you can get front camera with collision alert, sign recognition and lane assist.

Hey Dustin, I've watched a lot of your videos and am taking the plunge to get a used 2015 Volt. Thanks for all of your time putting this info together bro!

@DustinBatchelor

5 жыл бұрын

Hey that's awesome! Thanks for taking the time to write a comment and I hope you love your Volt. It's an awesome car. Let me know what you think of it once you've owned it for a bit :)

Lovely relaxed focussed and useful commentary, thank you

This was incredibly helpful and informative. Thanks for posting!

All these years later, this is still a good video to see for the prospective gen 1 Volt buyer, like me! I’m going to be looking at a 2013 in a couple days and I’ll have list of your points along with me. Thank you!

@DustinBatchelor

3 ай бұрын

Good luck with the search!

Just bought a Volt, and I wish I had watched this beforehand. Very informative. Great car!

@DustinBatchelor

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to write a comment. Glad you like your Volt!

@VacTech1

4 жыл бұрын

@@DustinBatchelor 1 year later, it's one of my all-time fav purchases, and the best car I've ever owned. I have several little "general car" complaints, but overall it's a blast to drive, and so cheap to run!

Thank you so much for making this video it was a great help in doing research for this vehicle. Excellent job of going over points that I possibly would have missed. Hope to get this as my first car :)

Thank you for taking the time you explained a lot and you are appreciated

A lot of good tips for someone buying a used Volt

Super helpful video! Thanks for posting.

Thanks Dustin. Great video. Very informative.

Thanks for the heads up review in buying a used Volt. I'm now a proud owner of a 2013 Volt purchased after a leased.

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

That's great! How do you like it?

@kirivanyam6035

7 жыл бұрын

Wonderful, love it. Just finished watching your range comparison to the Gen2. It's easy to get enchanted by the new Gen2 upgrades but a lot of us bought our car to serve a purpose and the Gen1 still exceeds expectations on new Volt owners. Looking forward to the future of EVs in general and your reviews.

Hey Dustin, I live in Victoria and just bought a 2012 Volt last week. It's Blue! Your videos helped me make the decision on whether or not the Volt was right for me. Thanks!

@DustinBatchelor

8 жыл бұрын

Hey that's awesome, congratulations! You'll love the car. I'm actually flying over to Quebec in two weeks to get an exclusive drive in the 2016 Volt. Thanks for the comment and let me know if you have any questions or want me to cover a specific topic!

@nawewan

8 жыл бұрын

+Dustin Batchelor Cool that sounds fun! I thought a lot about either getting the 2016 or buying used. The new ones look really cool.

Excellent presentation.

Great tips! Very helpful.

Incredibly useful video. My 1999 Rav4 is starting to have transmission issues, so I was thinking of a 2013 Prius, then I thought about the Volt. Still haven't decided. Who has more rear seat room ? With seats down, which can hold my bicycle with least effort. . But the Volt LOOKS , so damn good !

@DustinBatchelor

8 жыл бұрын

Pretty sure the Volt with the seat down has more space. It's a great car!

Thanks for this video. It was a lot of really helpful info.

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Arjun G. Menon thanks for taking the time to comment!

thanks! answered my questions and then some!

I wonder why dealers keep the battery fully drained on used Volts. That really bothers me when I see photos of the dash and battery showing 0.

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Joseph Wallace I think it's just a lack of knowledge of the type of vehicle and the customers who would want to buy it

@babybirdhome

7 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that's really irresponsible. It tells you something important though- it means you know for sure that it's not a trustworthy dealership to depend on if you buy a car from them.

@DustinBatchelor

4 жыл бұрын

@Maxs Raving Music I think that's a great idea. The Volt is very over engineered and should be trouble free for years, plus you'll be using so much less fuel

@DustinBatchelor

4 жыл бұрын

@Maxs Raving Music yes I would say that is true. The second generation seems to have lots of issues with the infotainment system. The first generation Volts were basically bullet proof.

The model 2016+ no longer requires premium octane gas.

Hi Dustin, I'm from over the water in the UK, North of England to be more precise and just wanted to check out the Chevy Volt compared to its sister car which we have here, the Vauxhall Ampera. Differing body styles is the first obvious thing I notice but the interior looks identical except for the LHD configuration for Canada and the US. I'm looking to replace my wife's Mitsubishi and have decided on a late run-out Ampera,...a 2015 model with around 40k miles which will cost between £12- 13k over here, I will also use the car occasionally. This was a great little video and you were wise to point out how to run the 1.4 motor for check purposes, I will certainly do that and thanks for the other sdvice too. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇨🇦

@DustinBatchelor

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time write a comment James. I think you'll love the car, and out of that model the 2015 is definitely the one to get. Let me know what you think of it after you own it for a couple of weeks!

@jamesdrichardson3447

4 жыл бұрын

@@DustinBatchelorNo probs, I'll give you an update as and when. The Ampera is a very rare car over here with only 1200 registered, I've only ever seen one in the 8 years since production started in 2012. The main reason we are changing is most Diesel cars in the UK are slowly getting phased out, Petrol (Gas) will surely follow as our government want's them gone by the year 2030. They'll gradually increase the road tax charge making them an unviable option to buy leading up to 2030. British drivers still don't have enough faith in EV's, myself included,...range anxiety being the main problem but lo and behold GM were way ahead of the time and the Volt/Ampera comes along with its range extending motor. 😎

Thanks Dustin I bought a beautiful silver topaz 2013 volt

@DustinBatchelor

8 жыл бұрын

Hey that's awesome, congrats!

Also only in 2011 and 2012, the volt had a built in harddrive that can save songs playing on the radio. Pretty cool..but they killed that feature in 2013.

@prescottpeterson6786

3 жыл бұрын

at least you can use a tiny usb thumb drive and even watch videos (while parked)

Thank you very helpful

Thank you very much! Very helpful and useful! Thinking about to buy Vauxhall Ampera. Second hand in UK started from 9000 pounds. For the 2012 with 60-70 thousands miles on clock. Do you think it is right price? One more time - thank you!

@DustinBatchelor

6 жыл бұрын

Ivan Timofeev honestly I'm not that familiar with the market over there, but that sounds about right to what they sell for here. 2012 Volt with about 50,000 miles go for $19,000 CDN. Given the higher mileage the price seems fair, and it's an excellent car!

@trumpethooter

5 жыл бұрын

Ivan, I'm in the UK too and I purchased my Ampera 6 months ago. I paid £9500 with 65k miles and it's absolutely fantastic, I can't recommend it enough. Aparently only 1200 sold over here despite being European car of the year in 2012. If you're still considering one for that price I would say it's fair on the basis of what I paid. Mine had a lifetime MPG figure on the screen of 48mpg which is shocking, it was an ex lease and must never have been charged. The range is still fantastic though and tyres have become the only consumables

Sorry, late to the game. My question is, I have seen on other reviews that you lose efficiency if you accelerate. Maybe I am seeing this wrong, but does this mean that you can't drive it past a certain MPH? I live in California where it is mostly highway driving. 60 MPH is considered slow here. Asking becuase I am looking at a used 2011 model.

@DustinBatchelor

6 жыл бұрын

Alisha Scott hey good question! Yes it's true that driving past a certain speed means the car becomes less efficient. Because it has no gears to change between, you can't tailer it for the driving condition. It's a trade off as the lack of gears makes it a fantastic driving experience (instant power, no hunting for gears, predictable acceleration band). The reduction in efficiency does not mean that you can't go the faster speeds though. I drive my 2011 Volt from Victoria, BC to southern California and back. I took the i5 and lets just say that I kept up with traffic in the left lane the majority of the way. Yes your battery will drain faster when going over 55 MPH, but the gas generator has no problem keeping up once the battery is empty. There is a limit though, and I believe it's 90 mph. Oh one more thing, acceleration and top speed are two different things. Accelerating hard in any vehicle uses a ton of energy. I do it all the time in my Volt though as it's too much fun :)

I wish I Had watched this before I got my used Toyota Prius. Although I do love the Prius. Mine came with a spare tire. IT also has a solar panel that powers a small fan that helps cool the interior while sitting in the hot sun. I won't brag about the gas mileage, it's great, but lousy compared to a Volt. I must say the Volt is prettier. After watching this, I have a way better understanding of the car.

Hi Dustin. Great video. I’m looking to import from Washington into BC and can u tell me more how u got the daytime running lights working?

@DustinBatchelor

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Derek, it really depends on the year of Volt you are importing. If it is 2012 or newer, then a GM dealership should be able to simply reprogram it. If it's a 2011 like mine, then it's a bit harder, but still not too difficult. Basically, I removed the plastic cover around the steering column (directly behind the steering wheel). With that off, on the left side of the steering wheel are the headlight controls. Daytime running lights come on by default in the Volt, but in the USA you can toggle them off by turning the headlight controls all the way to the bottom. There are mutiple wires going into this headlight control, so I put a voltmeter on each wire, and then kept triggering the "turn off daytime running light" option on the headight control until I saw a change in voltage state on the voltmeter. Once I identified which wire was sending the signal to turn off the DRL, I just cut that wire, and then capped both ends to avoid problems in the future. Issue solved!

@derektangedal

5 жыл бұрын

Dustin Batchelor thanks so much!!!

@derektangedal

5 жыл бұрын

Dustin Batchelor and yes I am looking at a 2011 Volt

@DustinBatchelor

5 жыл бұрын

@@derektangedal Cool! Mine still works great, and it's pretty easy to fix. Thanks for the subscribe and let me know if you get it and what you think of it once you've had it for a bit

Dustin I would be interested in the buying experience as you live in Canada and bought the car in states. Obviously it was worth it even with the exchange rate the import duties the paper work. I live in Windsor and there are allot of used volts in Michigan.

@DustinBatchelor

8 жыл бұрын

+Paul Bilek Importing the car was a relatively easy process, but it is definitely confusing for the first time. Essentially you need to have a car in mind, and you need to have a bill of sale, the vehicle deed, plus a bunch of other paperwork sent to the US border you are going to cross at (make sure it's available for vehicle imports - not all are) 3 days before you actually bring the car through. I was able to put a deposit down and get them to make me up a sales invoice to send to the border. Once 3 days has past, you buy the car and contact your Canadian auto insurance company. They will have some sort of temporary insurance you can put on the car. You then get a special permit to travel from whatever state you happen to buy the car in. This is a piece of paper you put in your windshield. The insurance and permit basically allow you to drive the car to your house in the most direct route possible. At the border you go to the US side, tell them you are there, they approve some paper work, and you are then sent to the Canadian border office. Here is where you fill out paperwork, pay tax, call a phone number to get the car set up for an inspection, and a few other things. Once that is done, you basically get the car inspected at your earliest convenience. You can then insure the care, and eventually you get a sticker in the mail saying everything is good. Hope that helps!

@paulbilek1204

8 жыл бұрын

+Dustin Batchelor thanks allot. much appreciated.

@DustinBatchelor

8 жыл бұрын

You be! Thanks for the question.

You may have already answered this but I would love to buy a Volt (looking at 2014 with around 20k miles) but I don't have a garage or car port so it would be parked outside my house. Would this affect charging? Could it be plugged in when it's snowing or raining and be exposed to it? Thanks in advance! Great job on the video!

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Hi Zachary! Thanks for the questions. The Volt can be charged outside in any weather. If you are going to use the standard 120 wall outlet charger that the car comes with, I would suggest trying to keep that dry. It's a very short cord from the power outlet to the adapter, so typically a standard roof overhang would keep it dry. I've charged my car multiple times in the pouring rain overnight while travelling. Thanks for the question!

@yolandaramos6485

5 жыл бұрын

Hello Dustin, I recently read that when parking my 2015 Volt in the driveway, instead of garage, I would need to make sure that I keep 1/3 minimal, electrical charge on my battery (to not damage the electrical battery) in extreme "cold" or "hot" temperatures. Here in California, the summer gets up to 108 degrees, winter can freeze down to 37 degrees, causing frost on the windows. Also, it is recommended to purchase a car cover with UV Ray protection during very HOT days, to protect the electrical components, as well. It is NOT recommended to leave the VOLT sitting in DIRECT SUN on "extremely" HOT DAYS. Have you researched these recommendations? Do you agree?

Hi Dustin. Thanks for the great review. I'm starting to look for a used Volt and spotted one sold by a private party, a 2013 with 46,000 miles, fully loaded for $12,500. I'm hoping to get it somewhere close to $11,500. Any thoughts or advice? The advertised lifetime mpg on the car looks to be 38.1mpg so I'm guessing the individual has done more driving on the gas engine. Anyhow, great review. BTW, how's your car running today, assuming you're still with it. Thanks!

@DustinBatchelor

6 жыл бұрын

Sung Lee thanks for the comments and questions! It sounds like the person who used that car only used the gasoline motor. The car still has low mileage on it, so I'd say if you can get it for $11,500 then that's a good price. My 2011 Volt is still flawless. I use it for very short trips on a daily basis and then usually do a few long drives each year. Everything works as new and the battery still reaches factory specs. The only issue I've seen people regularly have is when the coolant gets too low. When this happens the car essentially goes into panic mode as it needs that coolant to maintain battery temperature. It's a very easy fix though. Let me know if you get the car! Make sure to test that the included wall charger works. I'd suggest charging it fully and then drive it until the battery runs out.

@sunglee2048

6 жыл бұрын

Dustin, thanks for your prompt response! I was considering a new 2017 Volt, but after watching video testimonials like yours, I'm convinced a lot of money could be saved buying a used Volt. I'm not sure if I will have the opportunity to drive the Volt fully charged or until the battery runs out, but I'll take your advice and give the cars I will be seeing a through look over. I'll let you know how it goes! One of the big test will be to see if I can fit my surfboard (a 9' 8" longboard) inside the car as putting roof racks will further degrade the aerodynamic flow. I do live in So Cal! LOL All the best and have a great day!

@DustinBatchelor

6 жыл бұрын

Sung Lee I have roof racks on my Volt and put a big Thule carrier on it, plus I have a trailer hitch that I load my mountain bikes on. I take the roof racks off when not using it, but it's not that huge of a range loss with that stuff on.

@sunglee2048

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for that input Dustin! I will also be needing a trailer hitch and was wondering about this same thing. I'm excited about the prospect of increased range and savings in fuel cost. Cheers!

@sunglee2048

6 жыл бұрын

Hey Dustin! I just acquired my Volt. I was wondering about your Thule rack. Is it a problem with the mount fitting between the door frame and the door? Any potential wear and tear from constant opening and closing the door? How about the noise level from the pinched rubber seal between the frame and the door? I'm skeptical about permanently placing the roof racks due to these issues. If you can share your experience, I would appreciate it. Cheers!

Good but one thing was wrong, transmission fluid actually needs to be cganged every I think 100k miles. Electric motors, clutches and planetary drives swim in it so it better be clean.

I drive 90 miles round trip for work a day, would this be ideal for me? I'm looking for something with great gas mileage, not sure how electric works as I have never owned one, thanks in advance.

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the question! If you have a place to plug in, then definitely this car could be a huge benefit to you. If you went for an early 2012/2013 Chevy Volt, you can expect about 40 to 45 miles before the gas generator kicks in. If you charge every evening, you are offsetting about half of your daily commute with electricity. Basically the advantages of this would be: 1. Less vehicle maintenance & wear - oil changes every 2 years / 25,000 miles on Volt 2. Less emissions 3. Less fuel costs 4. A more enjoyable commute If you are able to charge at home and at work then it's a complete no-brainer. If you don't have anywhere to charge then the Volt is essentially going to work like a hybrid, but the added advantage of capturing more energy while braking/going down hills, etc. I'd think a vehicle like this would definitely work for you!

@m1keyMK7

7 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thanks for the info, really appreciate it!

Unlocking all of the easter eggs here my friend.

Currently looking at a 2011 Chevy Volt with every option that was offered. Dealership is asking $6,900 and it has 150,000 Miles. The mileage is a bit high but I have seen Volts with 300,000+ miles and still running strong. Dealership let me take it home for a night so I am currently charging it to see how the batteries are. Any thoughts on it? Should I veer away from it because of the high mileage? Buying a 2012 near me with ~50,000 miles would be around $12,000, and that is quite the jump!

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Honestly for that price I don't think you can go wrong. Chances are the gas engine only has about 75,000 miles or less on it which isn't a lot for newer vehicles. Battery should still be quite capable seeing as how Chevy configured the car with a much larger battery than they advertised. Let me know how it runs when you've had a good charge on it.

@outgoingjake

7 жыл бұрын

Dustin Batchelor Thank you for the quick reply! I will definitely let you know how it does! I am excited to find out because I do really like the vehicle so far and my daily commute is close to 60 miles so I would love the money a volt would save me!

@outgoingjake

7 жыл бұрын

Dustin Batchelor I really do appreciate the video you have here as well because it taught me a lot about the vehicle I didn't know and also gave me a list of questions and things to find out about the Volt! :)

@holipinieo1

6 жыл бұрын

Is there an update to this? Did you purchase the vehicle? I'm in the same situation.

You should do videos for Volvos were there boxy but there good

There will be newer and better electric vehicles later on. Ah, you are Victoria BC Canada? Driving that EV from Oregon to British Columbia is not some short road trip. Getting a EV out of electricity far from home would really suck.

If you put the car into Mountain Mode the engine will also turn on, right?

@DustinBatchelor

6 жыл бұрын

kyle shult thanks for the question! If the battery level is low enough, then yes, putting you car in mountain mode will turn the gas motor on and will begin charging the battery. I believe it tries to reach/hold somewhere around 35%. If your battery is above that, it will simply reserve that battery range and let you keep driving on your remaining battery.

@yolandaramos6485

5 жыл бұрын

and you can change the mode while driving? No need to pull over first?

what u think about 2012 volt with 80000 mile that is selling for 11000.00 a good buy?

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Tough to say on that one. 80,000 miles on any car is significant. As long as everything functions fine you are probably still doing well with the price.

@richardlee1972

7 жыл бұрын

Offer them 10 grand and hold at that.

@Physics072

7 жыл бұрын

I saw a 2012 with 52,000 for 10,500 and was the premium model with a electric moonroof. Id go 9,500 for one with 80k on it.

@erichannes6392

6 жыл бұрын

Chhavorn Van way too much

@yolandaramos6485

5 жыл бұрын

I guess by staying up late and doing my research, it paid off. I was able to find a 2015 VOLT with12,466 miles on it. The instrument panel looks identical to the one here in this U-Tube Video, so I suppose it does have the upgraded features. I recently met a lady at the charging station, her brand new 2019 VOLT cost her $37,000 and her car did not have the elaborate instrument panel, nor did it have "any" feature buttons. All she had was the brake level, the mode button, fan buttons, and stero nob. I was taken back, at how much her vehicle "appeared" to be lacking. Once I educated myself on the "features" + the HOLD -vs- Normal, Mountain, etc., navigation of the screens, buttons, and understanding the vehicle, I am now falling in love with it. At first, I was skeptical. I did open my account with "ChargePoint", received my card, learned "how to" properly charge it, pressing the lock button first, etc., fell asleep at my computer on several nights/early morning hours while researching everything I could find. Its like getting a new OS on a new laptop, you have to educated yourself to be able to operate/drive intelligently. The woman I met, had no knowledge regarding the "mode" button or "electrical" -vs- "gas" uses on her brand new VOLT. I am so happy with my 2015 VOLT and happier that I got such low miles and great price of $16,998. Best quiet ride, ever!!

Today I just traded in my 2004 corvette z06 with 130,000 miles trade in value was $12,000 dollars for 2013 Chevy volt with 38,000 miles car cost $13,000 dollars. I just need to find out were charging stations are located here Sacramento

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Jak Black Thanks for the comment and congrats on the purchase! There is a website and smartphone app called Plugshare which has most of the chargers on it. It functions like Google maps so very easy to use.

@yolandaramos6485

5 жыл бұрын

I know this reply may be late and you most likely have found charging stations in SAC, but if not, sign up with CheckPoint, get your Key Card, and start charging. It is an awesome APP and lots of charging stations everywhere. Enjoy!!

@yolandaramos6485

5 жыл бұрын

oops.....sorry, ChargePoint…...not CheckPoint…...lol.....those are for DUI....lol and yes, my driving record is "clean" just can't type.....lol

My 2014 Volt has a gas tank problem...it only gets 80 miles of GAS RANGE when the gas tank is full. Anyone else have this problem? Is there a way to fix this?

@DustinBatchelor

Жыл бұрын

I would suspect either your car isn't measuring how much fuel is actually in the tank properly, or you have a gas leak. If you had a gas leak it would be very obvious. What happens when you empty your battery and drive past the 80 mile fuel point? I would imagine the car would just keep going. You should be able to easily measure how much fuel is remaining in the car by paying attention to how much gas you put in it at the gas station.

@JRSmith-sc6lv

Жыл бұрын

@@DustinBatchelor No evidence of leaks... never attempted to drive on empty. When I fill it its around 9 gallons.

@DustinBatchelor

Жыл бұрын

@@JRSmith-sc6lv definitely something extremely wrong then with how the gas engine is running. I'd say time to take it in to a dealership for a diagnostic

I am curious if you are still driving the same vehicle or did you get a new car, a new Volt.

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Steven Poleske Hi Steven! I'm still driving the same 2011 Chevrolet Volt! I have had one issue with it and that was the charger door stopped opening because the electric actuator failed. I believe in 2014 they changed it to a push-to-open setup. It was covered by warranty.

@seamack3

7 жыл бұрын

I thought that was one of the big concerns about buying a car from the U.S., that it would not be eligible for warranty coverage in Canada... am I mistaken?

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

I believe there is law stating that manufacturers must honor warranty on vehicles between Canada and the USA. But there is definitely a grey area when it comes to compliance vehicles that were only offered in some markets. For example the Fiat 500 electric was only sold on a couple of States. Since it was a targeted limited market there is no warranty/repair outside of there. T

What years do you recommend to purchase?

@DustinBatchelor

6 жыл бұрын

dry509 thanks for the question! Honestly, all years are capable vehicles, but I would probably suggest avoiding the 2011. They introduced a few nice creature comforts from 2012 on, and almost every year from 2013 to 2015 the battery capacity increased, which gives you more range. A hold mode was added to the car for the 2013 and beyond model which is a fantastic feature. I suppose what I would recommend then is 2013 or newer, and go with the premium trim level if you can - the Bose stereo is fantastic, as is having all the other creature comforts.

@trumpethooter

5 жыл бұрын

I'm sure I heard something elsewhere about the early ones being prone to a bearing failure in the gearbox/motor assembly due to a plastic part that was later made of metal. Don't quote me but it was enough for me to go for the 2013 model

@davidwebster2616

5 жыл бұрын

2013 or newer. Hold feature and added safety features

Nice addition to the knowledge base.

i see a volt 2013 for 20k cad for around 80,000 km or a brand new volt for 30 cad plus tax after credit taxes for a 2016 model (ontario was looking at autotrader.ca prices)... damn choices choices

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Phus Gold I'd probably suggest the 2016. That's a wicked price for a newer version that has huge improvements.

@phusgold5082

7 жыл бұрын

gonna wait to see what the dealerships are offering for the bolt before making a decision. However I have considered driving my honda fit onto the ground until the tesla model 3 comes out... man what a nice age for car ownership! Good video btw!

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Phus Gold thanks! I replaced my 2007 Honda Fit with the Chevy Volt. The difference is staggering. The Bolt looks amazing though.

@phusgold5082

7 жыл бұрын

haha no way! In a cost perspective, I know it's more wiser than the none to keep my honda fit until it costs too much to repair it beyond its resale value, but it wouldn't surprise me that the volt is just a nicer car to drive all around. Besides the driving experience (which is night and day) do you miss the interior storage space of the fit? I can't imagine living with a smaller car to haul all my daily needs, plus 35 mpg average is economical already.

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Actually I thought I would be worried about that but the Volt has a surprising amount of storage space. I also got a roof rack and Thule cargo pod for it which I use for camping. There is a #fitsinavolt on twitter which has some very interesting things on it!

The volt offers all 4 windows auto up and down. Also when the hood is up...the engine come on..thats called maintenance mode.

@widowmaker7428

4 жыл бұрын

This is not accurate regarding the all windows up & down.

Do you ever worry that a used Chevy volt will be hard to maintain or fix? It's really the only thing that worries me.

@DustinBatchelor

9 жыл бұрын

I did originally based on how complex/sophisticated the car is. After owning it and doing lots of research I'm sold on the idea that Chevy really over engineered this car to make it nearly bullet proof.

@supplementsdemystified8111

9 жыл бұрын

Dustin Batchelor Have you had any problems so far?

@DustinBatchelor

9 жыл бұрын

Petar Shumov no problems at all. The car drives like new thanks to the primary motor being EV. I'm just about finishing up a 700 mile drive and the car works like a champ.

@supplementsdemystified8111

9 жыл бұрын

+Dustin Batchelor Excellent! You should make videos going over the technology inside the car and how Chevy has a done a good job building the car. You've clearly done some research. I bet people would be interested.

@DustinBatchelor

9 жыл бұрын

Petar Shumov good idea. I'll put one together! Thanks for the comments.

I realize this video is 4 years old at the time of this writing but I have a gripe about the spare tire thing. The repair kit would be acceptable for someone who has a nail or some other type of other small puncture, but for a blowout - it's useless. This is where a spare would get you back on the road and a repair kit leaves you stranded. I understand the batteries use space that would otherwise hold a spare, but IMO repair kits just give the buyer a false sense of security for something that may prove useless when disaster hits.

@DustinBatchelor

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment :) I'm still driving my 2011 Volt and luckily I have not been in this situation.

If you want to use it as a down payment on a new Tesla let me know!

Also...you mentioned the gas engine doesnt poer the wheels. Thats a common misconception. The car has a few modes. One of them uses the gas engine to assist the car along with the electric motor...simultaneously.

@DustinBatchelor

5 жыл бұрын

That is true, but only when the battery has depleted. When the battery is depleted, the gas motor can power the wheels, but that intervention is also not very frequent (it is more common on second generation Volts). The Volt is a pretty amazing machine.

@markman63

5 жыл бұрын

So what is the gas mileage when the battery is empty and the gas engine powers the car? I drive 300 miles regularly (I5, 80mph) and I don’t think that the generator can keep up with charging the batteries at that speed and distance.

Did you get a tax credit for ur used chevy volt?

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

No, there was no credit at the time for any used EVs.

@justfit71

7 жыл бұрын

Dustin Batchelor ok that you. Do you still own ur volt? I am going to get the 2014 on Tuesday

@DustinBatchelor

7 жыл бұрын

Jamie Williams hey that's awesome! yes I still own my 2011 and still going strong. Love this car

@justfit71

7 жыл бұрын

I am happy you love the car😆

Dry!

Don't trust oil life sensors or manufacturer-recommended intervals. I did and it cost me thousands after less than 100k miles. No one at any shop or dealership will actually recommend what any manufacturer or oil life indicator says.

@DustinBatchelor

5 жыл бұрын

If you don't mind me asking, what vehicle were you driving? I find it hard to justify changing the oil sooner than manufacturer recommendations in my Volt when I'm driving 10,000 miles a year, with 75% of that on batteries only.

@jayabraham4377

4 жыл бұрын

Use a top quality synthetic oil and it can certainly last the 25,000 mile or 2 year interval.

That GM ding ding ding ding ding ding

it's not a chevy volt it's a vauxhall ampera

@mica720x

7 жыл бұрын

same thing. just different shell

@jakejohns9832

7 жыл бұрын

It's not a Vauxhall Ampera. It's a Holden Volt. It's a GM manufactured vehicle. It went everywhere then got rebadged.

@lambertbutlersilvers6588

7 жыл бұрын

Jake Johns wait fist the Americans are saying they had it first and now the Australians are??? no Britain and America got it first. then holden rebadged it.

LOL....whatever lens you're using, the compression makes the car look like a go cart... Maybe it's just me.

There is no such thing as a "gas motor", however, there is an "electric motor" and a "gas engine".

@DustinBatchelor

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comments! I'm pretty confident most people will be able to figure out what I mean when I use those terms.