Finally time to update my Volt

Not much of a "build" just a bit of updating finally.

My commute pre-Covid was only 16 miles round trip (I telework exclusively these days) so the minor hit to the range was not important (besides we have the Bolt for extensive errand running and day trips). And in 40 years of driving custom cars, and sports cars, I’ve never hit a pothole or even curbed a wheel. Damn, I might have jinxed myself there! LOL! I just wanted to make something unique and fun and I think this car fits the bill.

 

Starting point (in 2013!):

 

 

 

And what I've ended up with after a month of customizing:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice! Looks like the Target at Rt 40 and 695 in Westview, the urban art is a nice edgy touch.Carry on!

The painted bodywork does huge favors for that car! Love the color too.

Yes, the painted bodywork did wonders for the look of the car. 

That looks snazzy!

Love the moonroof. Definitely a must.. Love the pop up and over, like my old GSR, and the 92 Civic Si / EX coupes

Man those wheels look great with the painted trim on that color.  Makes me want to paint mine.  I always wished it was like that from the factory.

Agent98 said:

Nice! Looks like the Target at Rt 40 and 695 in Westview, the urban art is a nice edgy touch.Carry on!

Target in Pikesville at 695 and 140 on the NW side. Good eye, though! And the before and after pics were taken at the same place, 7 years apart! I've used that backdrop for well over a decade, but this year they repainted it.

camaroz1985 said:

Man those wheels look great with the painted trim on that color.  Makes me want to paint mine.  I always wished it was like that from the factory.

Do it! They look sooo much better with the painted rockers!

Love it. 

Wow. What a change for the better! Sounding like a broken record, that painted lower trim is truly transformational!

I'll be honest, I was super skeptical when I read 20" wheels.  But that is pretty damn sharp.

I only wish there were tuners to get more power from the batteries into the motor, or get rid of the limiters that reduce power off the line. The ELR is basically a Volt in fancy clothing, but they did improve power delivery for it. But I can't seem to find it for the Volt. The only tuners I know for the Volt only work on the gas engine, and there is scant more efficiency to get from it as it is. The Volt uses only about 60-75% of it's total battery for propulsion, leaving 26% at the bottom state of charge as a buffer when it's says it's depleted, and the rest at the top as a buffer so that it never gets charged fully and allows a bit for regen braking even when it's "fully charged." The engineers were quite conservative with it, which is why they last so long in real world use, but it's obvious that there's potential there to be tapped. THe Bolt really shows that potential, as it's a MUCH quicker car, and uses much more of it's overall battery SOC.

I had a 2013 Volt; great job!  Roughly how much range did you lose through the mods?

In reply to DAC17 :

Don't really know, haven't had them on there long enough. I'm still able to go farther than the GOM says, so not much loss (maybe 10-15%). But my pre-COVID commute was only 16 miles round trip, so I never came close to using all the range it already had, even in the winter. And now that I am teleworking 5 days a week, I don't do ANY commuting.

The wheels are the same size as the ELR had, which was just a Volt in a fancy suit, and those had the same or longer range than the Gen1s. The tires definitely grip better, though. The ride is a bit harsher over expansion joints, however. But it's not bad overall.

We also got hit with 100 degree weather for a week after I got it, and I was using the AC in comfort mode, which uses up a bit of range itself.

Last pics before winter sets in....

Gorgeous!!! 

I'm probably biased (owning a 2014), but the Gen 1 Volt looks sooooooo much better than the Gen 2, and with the plastic painted body color, and the wheels, yours looks just about perfect.