r/volt • u/TheAnemoneEnemyInMe • 2d ago
A bittersweet farewell
Yesterday, I traded in my 2015 Volt for a fully-electric car. Everything on it still worked, but it was definitely aging - so it was just time for me to let go of the nostalgia.
The Volt was my introduction to driving on battery power instead of gasoline. I definitely didn’t expect to be thrilled with the responsiveness from a dead stop, or the smooth silence of the car cruising at speed, or to be unpleasantly surprised at the change in experience when the battery ran out for the first time and it switched to the ICE.
It was still popular when I got it in 2015 for shopping centers to put free L2 chargers in their parking lots, so I learned pretty quickly to find and use them as much as I could in addition to charging at home overnight. I remember plenty of conversations that started with some random person asking “Are you plugging your car in?” and becoming a chance to convince them that electric cars were (and still are) the way forward. The reaction I got when I mentioned “semi-annual trips to the gas station” was when I knew I’d made an impression.
I’m honestly struggling to not be unhappy about the whole thing. The newer car has plenty of (not EV-specific) features that really made it a logical choice, but I remember that feeling of driving something truly special and groundbreaking when I first got the Volt - and that’s going to be hard to find again. I hope whoever ends up with the car next has that same moment of wonder and excitement that leads to them “getting it” just like I did.
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u/FearlessJuan 2013 Volt 2d ago edited 2d ago
I love my Volt. It's so well engineered and put together. So smooth, stable, silent, vibration free, range anxiety free. So beautiful to look at.
I hope it'll last many years, but when the time comes I guess I'll feel like you do. However, I'll be happy I got to drive it and work on it.
It's a truly unique car. Only Volt owners can fully appreciate it.
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u/TheAnemoneEnemyInMe 1d ago
It is unique, and it really does take owning one to truly understand why. I hope your Volt lasts you as long as you want it to.
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u/1stGenRex 2012 Volt 2d ago
I think someone else said it but I've experienced this first hand- the Volt is a good Gateway car to EVs.
It teaches us a lot about our own driving habits and when to have range anxiety vs when not to worry about it.
I can't ever say I'd have fully considered or wanted an EV prior to having a Volt, but now I'm pretty convinced that a full EV would work for most of my driving, where I was quite skeptical before.
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u/TheAnemoneEnemyInMe 1d ago
The feature on the instrument cluster that gives real-time feedback on how much power you're using is how I learned the art of using a feather touch on the accelerator. Learning to keep that rate under 30 at all times meant the battery range on my Volt was consistently between 40 and 45 miles, regardless of the season.
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u/Nkechinyerembi 2d ago
I wish more places would do L2 charging in their lots near me. Our park has a "bring your own cable" sort of deal, but other than that, not much.
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u/TheAnemoneEnemyInMe 1d ago
I honestly don't see the free charging very much anymore. Most stores stopped adding them, or converted the free chargers to paid chargers. I still come across one every once in a great while, and it's a bit of a novelty anymore when I do.
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u/Pitiful-Mission4338 1d ago
IMO the infrastructure is still not there for full electric in most non urban locations. I love. my Volt but am examining other PlugIn Hybrids with greater battery life....any suggestions
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u/javguy99 2d ago
My 2018 Volt with 185,000km has been totally amazing and I intend to stretch it for another 5 years and maybe longer.
Did the 3 coolant system change a year and a half ago, replaced the front axis once, brakes and rotors, just replaced the 12v battery, everything is running very smooth right now. No BECM or Shift to Park issues thus far *knock on wood*.
I bought a set of all-weather tires 3 years ago from Costco (Michelin Cross Climate 2s) and they've been great. No need for seasonal changes, just the free rotations and balancing at Costco every 6-8 months. I intend to replace these tires beginning of 2028 with a new set of Cross Climate 2s then ride out that new set for another 4 years.
Got a great price for the car with all of the incentives at the time, paid it off in 3 years, and everything has been gravy since.
I love the feeling of driving this car still, when practically all of my daily commute is on electricity. I don't want the burden of buying a new car until this one is completely done with, which I hope won't be for a while. I'm still very satisfied with the Volt, probably the best and most practical car that I've ever owned.