this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2025
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This is exactly how my 2018 Chevy Volt works, although 1000 total miles is much higher than my car's range of about 350.
That makes a lot of sense.
They're not exactly the same. The volt is a plug-in hybrid, you can run it full electric or use the ICE to power the wheels. These ER EVs are more like diesel locomotives, the motor is just a generator to charge the battery and can't directly push the car at all, it's not even connected to the drivetrain. This is important because an ICE has an ideal operating range where it is most efficient but driving a motor vehicle directly requires it to operate across a wide range of RPMs. That's why there's a lot of research into variable transmissions, running the motor at a constant rate and changing your drive ratio is more efficient. I favour ER EVs over the variable trans because an EV can run on renewable energy.
Of course the best option is always no car at all whenever possible.
The ICE in a Volt only directly powers the wheels under very specific circumstances. I believe it's when the car is using the ICE to hold the battery level and is traveling at high speeds.
It really is best thought understood as an ER EV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMZ163EYmCY
Huh! I stand corrected, I thought it was a standard plug in hybrid. Odd drivetrain there!
Neat, right? This video has almost convinced me to get one for my next car.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
The Volt sometimes does operate in generator mode, but the ICE can also mechanically assist like a Prius when the charge is low. Weird drivetrain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Voltec_powertrain
How is your volt holding up? They look neat, but I can't get a good sense of their longevity
It's rock solid at about 67K miles, been using it for rideshare averaging 37mpg overall while driving about 300 miles per day.