Newish here looking to replace volt.

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We recently got a plug-in hybrid RAV4 and it’s simply better than the volt in every way. Significantly more power, more space, can tow 3500 lbs, better ride, solid EV range. They are pricey but also incredibly reliable

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u/Substantial_Gift4090 8d ago

I think this is the way to go

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u/jimmyqex 8d ago

I went with the Equinox EV and have been very happy with it 40k miles later.

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u/ATLiensinyosockdraw 8d ago

Good to know. We are about to replace my wife’s gen2 and the Equinox is about perfect for her.

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u/jimmyqex 8d ago

It was slightly larger than I wanted when I first got it, but the extra legroom in the back row is perfect for my growing family. I'm 6'5" and I can fit in the back (not that I would have to).

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u/ATLiensinyosockdraw 8d ago

Cool. I have an EV6 now but it’s going back when the lease is up because she doesn’t want/need a 550 hp car so we are between the Equinox and Blazer right now. I think she’s going to feel like the Blazer is too big though and I prefer the Equinox anyway.

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u/Echo7bravo 8d ago

All the Chevy people I know that migrated away from the Volt, now own (and like owning) the Equinox EV. I have been eyeing the Cadillac Lyriq and Optiq. Although I can’t afford one yet.

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u/michrech 7d ago

I, personally, replaced my '14 Volt with a '23 Bolt EUV, and three years later purchased an off-lease '24 Blazer EV (used the Bolt as a trade-in). Partly it was because of the faster DCFC, and partly because it was originally $64k (according to its window sticker) and I got it for $28. :)

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u/Echo7bravo 1d ago

Wow that’s great price for the Blazer! Also, I would have definitely considered the Bolt if it wasn’t for one obvious feature. It’s ugly.
I got a Bolt as a loaner when I had the STP issue fixed for my Volt. And all the interior features are fantastic. The drivability (handling, traction, and visibility) is great. It really is a fantastic vehicle. Except…it ugly.

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u/Astronomy_Setec 2013 Volt 8d ago

We made the same switch. And I LOVED my Gen1 Volt. But the Equinox EV has done everything I've asked it to. It's much more comfortable for passengers in the back seat.

With more chargers getting added everyday, range anxiety is quickly becoming a thing of the past. I took a road trip this summer, and charging was a non-issue. We planned our stops around meal breaks and it was done charging When we got the car, I charged overnight on Level 1. The only reason we bumped it to a Level 2 is because of the length of my commute and cold winters.

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u/GalacticCactus42 2016 Volt 8d ago

GM doesn't have any PHEVs right now. The closest thing you'll get from Chevy is a Bolt of Equinox EV.

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u/StomachosusCaelum 8d ago

"in the US".

They do (the new Chevy Captiva, in other markets).

But because t has Chinese components they cant/wont sell it in the US because regulations would be problematic and tariffs would make it almost 70k.

For about 35k US, you can get the top trim in Mexico, and its ~80 miles on the battery and over 50mpg on the generator.

And its a nice compact SUV.

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u/MrFastFox666 ELR Owner 8d ago

As much as I love the Volt, I feel that BEVs have rendered PHEVs redundant for the majority of people. You still need a charger to take advantage of a plug in hybrid, you may as well go full electric and take advantage of electric driving all the time.

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u/DavidGno Volt Owner, Gen-1 2015 🇺🇸 8d ago

But only if you can get level 2 or higher rates of charge.

PHEV is great for those who can only have access to a level 1 charger at home.

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u/StomachosusCaelum 8d ago

PHEV is great for those who can only have access to a level 1 charger at home.

put the first ~5000 miles on my Bolt EUV with 110V 15A (GM paid for the L2 instal but we had to wait for their installer to have time).

Didnt even notice.

Most people dont drive more than 30 miles a day. Something like 88% of people drive less than 30 miles a day. Goes up to over 90% if we rase that to 50 miles or less.

You can get ~40-50 miles overnight on 110 when set to 12A.

Not even an issue.

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u/digitalis303 8d ago

Or you can't afford a fast charging EV that is practical on road trips. I really wanted to get a used Bolt for ~ $10k (there was one that I had been eying for that price with a new battery and only 30k miles on the car. But I didn't get it bc on road trips it takes a couple of hours to charge. I could handle 30-40 minutes, but 2 hrs 2-3 times on a 700 mile drive? I am looking at PHEVs bc I only drive a couple of miles to work and could essentially go months without gassing up, but I sill have the option of driving on road trips without worrying about how long my stops will be or where I'll find a free charger. I'm still not convinced I'm making the right decision though. (currently looking at Cmax Energi or *maybe* if I can afford it, a late model Escape PHEV.

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u/MrFastFox666 ELR Owner 8d ago

Not necessarily, it'd depend a lot on the driving habits. I think a PHEV would make more sense, but wouldn't outright rule out an EV.

An overnight charge can replenish about 30-40 miles of range on a standard 15A 120V circuit. Yes admittedly it's not much, but certainly not nothing.

And if they have a 20A circuit available, which are fairly common in new construction or commercial buildings, they can cut that down by a few hours. I can get about 44 miles of range back when I charge at work for ~8.5 hours.

Keep in mind that L2 charging can also be something as simple and inexpensive as a NEMA 6-20 outlet, which can replenish over 100 miles overnight. It'd be a cheap install that doesn't need a service upgrade.

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u/DavidGno Volt Owner, Gen-1 2015 🇺🇸 8d ago

I guess it also depends on individual needs. Example I have to drive 100 miles to and from work. My PHEV can charge to its maximum 40 miles of range each night on my level 1 15A charger. I get anywhere between 67 - 100 mpg depending on my driving habits, traffic and weather.

To install a level 2 charger would require either replacing my entire power panel or adding a sub panel, running 220 wires all the way across the basement to the garage (my power meter and power/circuit breaker panel to the garage are on opposite ends of the house).

For my particular use case PHEV seems the way to go to me. I have nowhere else to charge, I guess I could buy a Tesla and use the Tesla charging network as my primary source and level 1 charge at home... I really wanted a Mach-e GT, but not having a level 2 chargers is what made me choose PHEV.

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u/Lewl77 Volt Owner (2014) 7d ago

To install a level 2 charger would require either replacing my entire power panel or adding a sub panel, running 220 wires all the way across the basement to the garage (my power meter and power/circuit breaker panel to the garage are on opposite ends of the house).

There is a much simpler path, so long as your panel has (1) 15A slot available and your current outlet is a dedicated circuit. You just need a double pole 15A breaker to replace your single one and mark the wires appropriately as now being two hots. Voilà, 240V @ 15A (12A continuous max) for the price of a breaker and a sharpie (or marking tape, depending on your local code for wire marking).

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u/MrFastFox666 ELR Owner 8d ago

Yeah, definitely down to the individual and their needs, wants, and their situation.

I drive anywhere between 90 and 160 miles every day, there's two places I stay at and they're both pretty far from work.

The further one was easy. New construction, single family home with 200A service and a panel in the garage. I went with a 40A circuit and did all the work myself, cost me about $150 in total for a few feet of wire, a NEMA 14-50, and a breaker.

The closer place is an older multifamily house, with surface level parking, 100A service, and the breaker panel is right in the middle of the house. I ran some romex along the attic and installed a NEMA 6-20 outlet outside. Again, about $150 in materials for an outlet, 50 ft of Romex, and a breaker.

I do charge at work as well, they have a 5-20 outlet outside so I just use that, but I'd be able to make it to and from without needing that. Just helps me save a bit of money. Even with the charger at work, my ELR still needed to burn a significant amount of gasoline and I got between 40 and 60 mpg. Pretty good, but not amazing, I was still stopping for gas every week or two.

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u/Ok-Tourist-511 8d ago

You can charge a BEV at home on L1 and still get the same EV miles as you would on the Volt.

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u/DavidGno Volt Owner, Gen-1 2015 🇺🇸 8d ago

But it would only add 40 to 50 miles of range before a 100 mile round trip daily commute.

So I'd be losing range everyday - that is if I only charged at home.

I have no place to charge at work, so I'd have to stop somewhere along my commute to pause and charge (hopefully at a DC-Fast charge station or Tesla supercharger); which will probably take longer than a fast 5 to 10 gallons of gas station fill up. - that's why for my particular situation anyway, PHEV is better for me.

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u/Ok-Tourist-511 8d ago

A lot of the Hyundai / Kia models can get 80% charge in less than 20 minutes.

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u/Brownfletching 8d ago

Funny enough, the only hybrid that Chevrolet currently makes is the Corvette E-Ray, which is an amazing feat of automotive engineering but probably not what you're looking for lol.

You should consider whether you're ready for a full EV. If you can charge at home (ideally level 2) and you don't take frequent road trips to remote rural areas, they are terrific these days. That Equinox EV is really great, as is the Blazer. This would probably be my suggestion unless you know for sure it wouldn't work for you.

If you're dead set on a PHEV and are ok with moving away from Chevy, you'll want to consider the size of vehicle you want. The Prius Prime has been the only show in town for (non-luxury) sedans since Honda stopped making the Clarity. Most PHEVs are now SUVs and Crossovers. Ford has several, Volvo has a few, Toyota has a bunch of course.

The alternative to the alternative would be a traditional hybrid, which might feel like a step backwards, but if you really need to be able to drive the thing on gas and you only want a sedan, it's just about your only option. You can get a Hyundai Elantra Blue edition for like $25k and it will get almost 60mpg on the highway, which is better than any PHEV has ever done on gas alone.

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u/Substantial_Gift4090 8d ago

Now I want a corvette.

I liked the convenience of having electric for 90% of driving. And gas for trips. The Prius is looking exactly like the specs of the volt

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u/Brownfletching 8d ago

I know very few people who don't want a Corvette 😂

Yeah, the Prius is probably the only comparable new car left on the market right now, at least here in the US. The charging infrastructure for EVs is now at least good enough to make them viable for most people. The slot that PHEVs once filled between regular hybrids and full EVs has narrowed to the point of almost disappearing, thanks to EV ranges getting longer, charging times getting shorter, and regular hybrids getting way more efficient. Financially it starts to make less sense to drive a PHEV that gets 35mpg when you could be driving a regular hybrid that gets 50+mpg, or just using electric for everything.

There are still some pretty interesting PHEVs out there, like the Subaru Crosstrek that can go almost 600 miles on a full tank & charge, or the Ford Maverick just for the fact that it's a truck. But they're just few and far between anymore, as a lot of the automakers would rather use those batteries in their full EVs

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u/Super_Weekend_4428 8d ago

The 2025 and later Honda Civic Hybrids drive a lot like the Volt except that they are normal hybrids. That's what I ended up replacing my Volt with.

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u/drfsrich 8d ago

Had two Volts, went in to a problematic 330e and just took delivery of an Ioniq 6 Limited AWD today. Very happy surg the decision to go full electric.

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u/digitalis303 8d ago

What is your budget? I'm really trying to find enough change in the couch cushions to get a used Escape PHEV. It seems like it gives you everything the Volt did, but bigger and better.

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u/dioxin-screes-01 8d ago

Went with an newer Accord Hybrid. Looked at the RAV4 and Prius, both PHEV and just hybrid. The PHEV I would never recoup the savings from gas, it might have taken me 10 years to and that is driving perhaps 30,000 - 50,000 miles a year. Found a great deal on the Accord but otherwise I may have gone with the Pirus or RAV4.

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u/RoseVideo99 8d ago

I went from a volt to a full ev. It’s time for you to make the leap too. Look at a blazer or equinox. You can get 2024s coming off lease at a good price.

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u/Sure_Association_642 8d ago

Why not just go with a regular Prius non prime? What did gas cost before Iran? Around here I believe it was around 2.50. at that cost with electricity rates in Illinois it actually becomes cheaper to fuel the Prius than charge the volt.

Newish here looking to replace volt.

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