November 29, 2012 -The word is out: Chevy Volt owners love their Chevy Volts. According to a Consumer Reports survey, the Chevrolet Volt is the most-loved car in America two years running. What are the criteria for becoming America’s most beloved car? It is based on an owner satisfaction survey that essentially comes down to one question: All things considered, would you buy your car again? 92% of Chevy Volt owners say yes. It’s hard to believe that a compact electric car, with an outrageous recharge rate, cramped back seat, and hefty price tag has won owners over for 2 years in a row.
So what is it about the Chevy Volt that has owners so smitten? Undoubtedly the engineering is impressive—the Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid that implements a 1.4 liter gasoline engine that acts as a generator when the battery has been depleted. This makes it an extended range electric vehicle that can travel up to 350 miles without stopping. The Volt is also built with a regenerative braking system that uses the frictional energy created during braking to power the engine. But that can’t be it, can it? Your average Volt owner, might be bragging about how they “forgot to use a gas pump”, but what separates the Volt from the Nissan Leaf or Honda Fit?
Some theorize that it is actually all the “haters” that have lifted the Volt to top of the Consumer Reports Podium of adoration. Volt owners are especially vocal about how much they love their Volt, simply because there has been so much criticism. We’ve all decided to wear shorts on a winter day, even when all our friends told us it was cold and that we should probably wear pants. The stubborn human beings that we are, no matter how cold we get, we would gladly sacrifice a few toes before we let our friends know that they were right.
There are a lot of really great things about the Chevrolet Volt. But let’s face it; there are also a lot of not-so-great things about it too. Regardless 92% of Volt owners say that they are sticking to their decision to buy the Volt. I’m not a Volt owner, and probably never will be so it’s hard for me to argue. I just wonder if they are actually as happy as they say they are, or whether they are suffering from a severe case of “I told you so.”
