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Page added on February 1, 2016
Volt vs. Prius: What’s the Best Way to Use One Gallon of Gas?
Sam Boyle is holding one gallon of regular-grade gasoline.
The color of apple juice, it has the hydrocarbon content of 98 tons of buried prehistoric plant matter. It’ll ping your credit card for about $3 at our local Southern California prices. And after being combusted in a car engine, two of its 20 pounds of exhausted CO2 will still be inhaled by your descendants—1,500 generations from now.
Only a few years ago we thought we were running out of gallons like the one Sam’s holding. At a technology seminar I attended just five years ago, a nattily dressed oil expert clicked through a harrowing set of graphs. Its chilling climax predicted “Peak Oil”—the moment the world’s production would top out, triggering violent price spikes as the oil market’s elasticity suddenly snapped. We’re doomed!
But we weren’t! Prices did, yes, rise. Remember $144 per barrel? Most large SUV buyers don’t, apparently. Yet there was barely a peep in that presentation about the thing that’s changed everything since: fracking. Although it was experimented with way back in 1947, it’s only recently released a deluge of previously inaccessible “tight” shale crude (and environmental controversy), causing prices to collapse and the U.S. to become unexpectedly oil independent—and on the final day of 2015, an exporter again when a tanker of crude departed from Corpus Christi, Texas. A giant tributary to this Niagara-like price plunge has been Saudi Arabia’s refusal to throttle its own production (hoping to run the frackers out of business). While Saudi Arabia has maintained a poker face, the game has brought the kingdom to within about five years of insolvency if prices stay below $50 per barrel. Today, Texas Light Sweet is at $30.44. We shall see.
The Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius may be precisely what you’ll be driving in the not too distant future, regardless of how long those sheiks stick it out.
However, trusty Sam Boyle—who’s still holding that beaker of gas (thanks, Sam)—really doesn’t care about any of this. His job at our partner company, Emissions Analytics, is to narrowly but scientifically measure how far cars travel in the real world with that gallon. At this moment, he and his assistant, Jesus Flores, have tested a whopping 328 cars and trucks for our Real MPG program. Supported by a 15,000-gallon, chemically stable supply of regular, premium, and diesel grades from our partner, Chevron, the cars are instrumented with a $150,000 gas analyzer and expertly lapped around a tedious 100-mile real-world course. Numbers are crunched and adjustments are made for traffic fluctuations, weather, and air-conditioner use, and once Emissions’ London-based chief and statistician, Nick Molden, is satisfied, the results are added to our tally. While there’s lots of buzz now about “real-world” testing in the wake of Dieselgate (in Europe, Renault has announced it will publish independent real-world results next to the government scores)—we’re already doing this testing. How opportune, then, that the two cars Sam is standing in front of—the all-new 2016 Volt and Prius—are making the biggest gallon-stretching claims out there. Sam may be their worst nightmare. As if they need nightmares.
The collapse of oil prices has fallen almost directly on the head of hybrid sales, their market share dropping 11 percent in 2015 despite today’s otherwise percolating car market. And it has left the rickety math behind hybrids’ premium payback time (in the range of $3,500 to $4,600 for the popular ones) now pretty much kaput, too. Yet the revamped Volt and Prius aren’t dead men walking. In fact, they may be precisely what you’ll be driving in the not too distant future, regardless of how long those sheiks stick it out.
And here’s why: Stare at these lines.
They’re going to be way more significant to the automobile’s future than oil’s spikes and plummets. And see that word regulation? The day after driving the new Kia Niro (an upcoming Prius and Volt competitor, stay tuned for driving impressions), I saw this slide during a presentation at Hyundai/Kia’s fuel-cell research facility. On the left is a 49 percent squeeze in U.S. fleet fuel economy, in the middle, the EU’s 27 percent noose-tightening on CO2, and on the right, China’s 24 percent vice-handle turn on fuel consumption. All three by 2020, and backed-up by stiff penalties. Quicker than you’ll say Adam Smith, the automotive market’s invisible hand is about to hand a big chunk of its power to planet-spanning governmental edicts. And the only way to thread this needle—technologically—is with hybrids, plug-ins, and eventually battery-electric and fuel-cell cars.
Like it or not, drivetrains such as the Volt’s and Prius’—the world’s best examples of their respective breeds—are your future. Which better uses our gallon of gas? OK, Sam, pour it in. As Jesus starts his runs, let’s dissect the differences.
“This Prius feels like a sports car … err, wait. Am I really saying this?” Lord no.
“This morning,” Christian Seabaugh said before our subjective looping along the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwestern Los Angeles County, “I had an odd encounter on a long, sweeping freeway on-ramp. There was a Challenger SRT8 on my tail [Oh, Christian …]. I floored it and lost the Challenger [Oh, Christian!]. But once on the freeway, the Dodge pulled next to me and rolled down its passenger window. I expected a middle finger, but strangely enough, I got a thumbs-up.” Perhaps the guy didn’t recognize the Prius due to its psychedelic new styling.
But what’s underneath that bodywork—the debut of Toyota‘s TNGA chassis—is transformative to the car’s feel. As we tackled a twisty bit, I keyed the walkie-talkie. “This Prius feels like a sports car … err, wait. Am I really saying this?” Lord no, not an actual sports car. But its proper rear multilink suspension, lower center of gravity, and lighter weight (450 pounds less than the Volt) had me nipping apexes. Departing them, the tables turned as the Volt’s electric motor(s) would surge it away with that notorious EV flood of hydrauliclike torque (fun). Both cars stopped with unpredictable brake feel (not fun), which in the Volt becomes sometimes scary in a sudden I-405 traffic thrombosis due to that extra tonnage. (Boy, that was close.)
The silver lining (nay, lithium lining) is that the Volt’s battery inadvertently imparts great ride quality and quietness. At the same speeds in the Prius, you’re twisting up the music’s volume; meanwhile, the Volt feels like a very large sedan on a small sedan wheelbase—not a bad thing, actually, for A-to-B just getting there. Yet the Prius, for all its otherworldly technology, is still recognizably Toyota. “The more I drive this Prius,” Christian said, “the less I love it and the more I ‘like’ it. It just leaves me feeling hollow.”
Hollow is not a descriptor of the Volt’s cabin. Its compromised battery packaging (put the damn thing under the floor!) is the Chevy‘s 600-pound gorilla—crammed into a 300-pound gorilla cage. “Man, is this back seat tight!” Seabaugh said as he mimed Twister into the second row. “I feel like I’m sitting in the back of a Camaro with the top of my head up against the back glass.” (For Christian, every unit of measure is computed via the international ponycar system.)
Oh, but our story began with Sam and his now-burned gallon of gas. So, Sam, which car sipped it better?
There’s good news and there’s bad news. His real-world Prius numbers clobbered the EPA’s lab tests. Its city-cycle Real MPG of 56.5 mpg toppled the EPA’s 54, its 53.4 on the highway stomped EPA’s 50, and our combined 55.1 walloped the EPA’s 52. Wowee kazowee. That’s 7 percent better on the highway and 6 percent better overall.
Even with all the dents the Volt has endured here, the best way to use that gallon is to ultimately not burn it at all.
Bad news: The Volt did the opposite. Although it’s a clear step ahead of its first-gen predecessor (tip of the hat), its Real MPG city number in charge-sustaining mode was a lowly 37.5 (compared to the EPA’s 43). And although its highway score of 42.4 fractionally betters the EPA’s 42, its combined result of 39.6 was short of the government’s 42 (a 6 percent miss). Even its EV range ended at 49.9 miles versus the EPA’s 53. What’s up? Emails to London. Responded Nick Molden:
“While it’s better on the highway, there’s been no significant improvement on the city cycle. While the Chevy is comparatively immune to AC use and doesn’t significantly suffer from aggressive driving, it’s noticeably averse to congestion (as normal ICE vehicles are). Maybe it’s why city driving performance is much lower than for the Prius.”
About the Prius: “It has a quite different performance profile, and its very low fuel burn rate makes it more sensitive to AC use. Yet the Prius suffers virtually zero penalty in congestion, though it doesn’t like being driven aggressively. I suspect its small battery size (now a tiny 0.75-kW-hr lithium-ion) can only boost the acceleration up to a point.”
All this triple-underlines why real-world testing is so important.
For a bigger-picture perspective, we spoke with John German of the International Council on Clean Transportation. John’s a hybrid-tech veteran and part of the team that unraveled the VW diesel cover-up. “The recent improvements on both the Prius and the Volt are completely consistent with that of each one’s previous generation—and why I’m confident that hybrids will go mainstream sometime after 2020,” German said. “According to the National Academy of Sciences’ 2013 report, ‘Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels,’ the cost of hybrids, BEVs, and fuel cell vehicles will converge in the 2030 to 2040 timeframe. However, PHEVs like the Volt will still have a substantial cost penalty due to its two expensive powertrain systems; hybrids will remain more expensive than conventional vehicles, but the cost premium might be down to only $600. With the average hybrid, including hybrid trucks, projected to achieve almost 100 mpg by 2050, putting its real-world fuel economy in the 60-70 mpg range, I have to ask: If your SUV is getting well over 50 mpg, are you really willing to pay a $1,000 to $2,000 premium to plug in for part of your driving?” So not only does the Volt trip on its mileage claims, but its drivetrain’s long-term viability is doubtful, too.
Of course, we are in the here and now, riding toward those 2020 efficiency targets. Carmakers have no choice but to reach for plug-in hybrids. Which is the better here-and-now car then? Both Christian and I preferred the Volt. But if you need a back seat, it’s useless. We both loved the Chevy’s sense of EV torque—but do you have a charger at home to plug into? The Prius is simply the more significant car. In the big view, it’s truly the car of the future, fully functioning today.
Ah, but I haven’t answered our question about that gallon, have I? The well-to-wheel distance where the Prius and Volt have produced equal amounts of CO2 is a whopping 115 miles—beyond the length of virtually any daily trip. (Yes, I’m using California’s almost extreme-case clean electrical generation, but it’s far and away the largest plug-in market.) Up to 50 miles, the Volt produces only 56 percent of the super-efficient Prius’ CO2 (the Volt having been in EV mode). And it hangs on to that advantage for another 65 miles until the Toyota overtakes it. Even with all the dents the Volt has endured here, the best way to use that gallon is to ultimately not burn it at all.
38 Comments on "Volt vs. Prius: What’s the Best Way to Use One Gallon of Gas?"
Go Speed Racer on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 6:28 am
My simple, economical, 1992 Toyota Corolla consistently got 37 mpg freeway… these ludicrous pieces of overpriced engineering excess (Prius and Volt) are scarcely any better.
If you want some good gas mileage, find yourself some antique 1960’s Ford Mustang with a 6 and a stick. You’ll be in the 30 mpg zone and at least you can fix it when it breaks. Cheeze Louize.
Apneaman on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 7:30 am
Like all techno utopian car tards, I’m addicted to masterbating while looking at the motor trend centerfold.
paulo1 on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 9:24 am
Our Yaris does almost as well for less than 1/2 the purchase price. As we have a 50 mile distance to town, electric is just extra weight and expense. If I lived in town I wouldn’t own a car.
In 2 months I will get my MC back on the road. That gets 70 mph/gal, and scoots right along. Furthermore, with my saddle bags and carrier I often haul back an entire grocery order and 2 cases of beer, (when we actually buy groceries). I’ve been known to haul home 50lbs sacks of chicken feed bungeed down to the seat. Raining? Go when the sun breaks out.
Honda CB 500X all you need and all you want.
regards
ghung on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 10:10 am
From the third paragraph:
“….released a deluge of previously inaccessible “tight” shale crude (and environmental controversy), causing prices to collapse and the U.S. to become unexpectedly oil independent…”
Sorry. The author (Kim Reynolds of freaking Motor Trend) lost me after that one. If they can’t get something that glaringly simple right, screw the rest.
PracticalMaina on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 11:43 am
Gotta tell some hopeful lies to keep them away from those dangerous self-sufficiency magazines.
ghung on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 11:53 am
Quite likely they are promoting the “oil independence” lie. Motor trend is owned by the Primedia Group, a South African media group which is largely backed by Mineworkers’ Investment Company (MIC).
dave thompson on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 12:00 pm
expensive automobiles(all of them are) no matter what the mpg, will not matter if you cannot buy fuel.
Pennsyguy on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 1:56 pm
It’s a good thing that pixies can build ten lane highways out of dog poo. We can let inferior people ride subways and passenger trains.
PracticalMaina on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 2:31 pm
We will just have to treat rich peoples EVs like passenger trains in India, get on the roof and hang on!
hvacman on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 2:33 pm
From the article – “I have to ask: (in 2050)If your SUV is getting well over 50 mpg, are you really willing to pay a $1,000 to $2,000 premium to plug in for part of your driving?” So not only does the Volt trip on its mileage claims, but its drivetrain’s long-term viability is doubtful, too.”
And I have to ask – (in 2050), when gas is $10/gallon and you can recharge your plug-in SUV for free from your PV-powered house, are you willing to pay that $1000 to $2000 premium for part of your driving?
Outcast_Searcher on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 3:40 pm
hvacman wrote:
“And I have to ask – (in 2050), when gas is $10/gallon and you can recharge your plug-in SUV for free from your PV-powered house, are you willing to pay that $1000 to $2000 premium for part of your driving?”
You shouldn’t keep assuming everything is “free”. The PV system won’t be free to install and maintain. Re your assumption that many people will have PV in 2050 (as though solar physics will dramatically change in poor climates for solar), you should be able to sell spare power back to the grid, so there will be an opportunity cost to charge your SUV.
And re your assumption about PV being “the thing” in 2050, if so, far less demand could mean gasoline is relatively cheap.
But let’s not think with a balanced view – let’s assume PV will save the world since we wish it were so.
Oh, and if you care about the planet, why drive a stupid SUV anyway?
Ejohansson on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 4:05 pm
I have a 2016 Volt that has logged just over 1,100 miles. I have used one gallon of gasoline so far. I simply plug it into an outlet in the garage when the EV range gets below 20 miles. (it can easily go 50 miles or more on a full charge) I have solar panels on my roof, so fuel cost is $0.
frankthetank on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 4:49 pm
Oil independent? Ha ha ..guess the guy doesn’t look at the WPSR too often. Clowns. Fools…
dave thompson on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 5:38 pm
When it can be proved that solar panels wind and the like (electric cars included)can all be built and manufactured using only solar and wind power to do so, I will believe in the current fairy tales of renewable energy.
Boat on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 5:46 pm
dave,
When the doomers can prove there will be no FF around to make the transition to renewables I will discount our electric future.
Davy on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 6:07 pm
Boat, name me a doomer who would make that claim. No one of substance here would be such a simpleton.
GregT on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 6:29 pm
Boat,
Most of the ‘doomers around here’ aren’t waiting for fossil fuels to run out before transitioning to alternates.
There is no such thing as ‘renewable’ energy. That would contradict at least three fundamental laws of physics. The first law of thermodynamics, the second law of thermodynamics, and the law of conservation of energy.
GregT on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 6:47 pm
Ejohansson,
“I have solar panels on my roof, so fuel cost is $0.”
Please pass on the info to everyone here as to who installed you solar system for $0. The system that we are currently looking at is going to cost us about $25,000, or around the same cost of the amount of gasoline that we would burn in our car in about 20 years.
Boat on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 7:24 pm
Davy,
dave thompson on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 5:38 pm
When it can be proved that solar panels wind and the like (electric cars included)can all be built and manufactured using only solar and wind power to do so, I will believe in the current fairy tales of renewable energy.
Davy on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 6:07 pm
Boat, name me a doomer who would make that claim. No one of substance here would be such a simpleton.
I have read many such comments in the last couple years. I was just responding to DaveT and this one.
GregT on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 7:41 pm
Dave’s comment was in regards to the fairy tale of ‘renewable’ energy Boat.
There is no such thing. At least not in this universe.
Davy on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 7:44 pm
Boat, you are not making sense as usual.
Boat on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 7:51 pm
GregT,
In Texas electricity is 8.2 cents per kw. Some of the lowest in the world. Wind is now cheaper than coal, nat gas and oil. There are times wind is almost 50% of electricity use. A fast growing commodity. It’s just a matter of time now the rest of the nation will begin to catch up as tech advances. Lots of new projects in the wind belt from Texas to Canada. Do you not keep up with news? And of course Iowa where all the presidential candidates praise the state for their wind achievements.
dave thompson on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 7:51 pm
Boat on a small scale some individuals may transition to “renewable” energy for home use or driving an electric vehicle. However,wind and solar will never be brought to scale as a replacement for crude oil,coal, natural gas and the like. So yes you are correct FF will be around for a while longer at scale.
GregT on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 8:47 pm
Boat,
“And of course Iowa where all the presidential candidates praise the state for their wind achievements.”
WTF does this have to do with anything that I said above?
More idiotic nonsense Boat. Do you ever stop?
makati1 on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 8:49 pm
Another ad for a techie toy if no real value. Porn for the “renewable energy” junkies who pretend that they can have some variation of BAU for their lifetime. Fools. All the Prius and Volts in the world cannot replace one mile of asphalt or concrete highway.
GregT on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 9:40 pm
I still think that something along the lines of a Tesla Tank™ EDV (urban defence vehicle) might catch on among the .01%.
Armour plated, much like what they mostly drive today, but with tracks and little machine gun turrets all over them.
Ejohansson on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 11:36 pm
GregT
I meant the fuel cost for the Volt is $0. The cost of the Panels was $18,000 after rebates. I have the solar panels so I can have free electricity for the entire house, not just for the Volt. Before the panels were installed, my SC Edison bill was about $130/month….now I actually get checks from Edison…..$156 in November,2015.
GregT on Mon, 1st Feb 2016 11:57 pm
Ejohansson,
Your above statement is misleading then. The gasoline costs for your Volt may be zero, but the costs associated with your solar system must be included in the operating expenses of your vehicle. Those costs will not be zero until the system has paid back your initial investment. It is also misleading to quote the check paid back to you for any one particular month. What are you average electric costs/paybacks for an entire year? Please don’t get me wrong. I’m all for solar PV, but please do not mislead people. Many come to these forums for accurate, truthful, information. I have done calculations for where I live, and at current electric rates here, I figure it would take around 22 years to pay back the initial outlay. That does not include maintenance or replacement components. I am doing it mainly for peace of mind, not to save money.
dave thompson on Tue, 2nd Feb 2016 12:01 am
Ejohansson hate to burst your solar panel bubble BUT I suspect what is happening in Nevada is coming to your state too if the PTB have any say, as they always do……. http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LEViuMRbBWwI4ALzUnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByNXM5bzY5BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMzBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg–/RV=2/RE=1454421517/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fwww.treehugger.com%2fenvironmental-policy%2fsunny-nevada-killing-solar-industry-state-new-net-metering-rules.html/RK=0/RS=Jd96dHHd7hMw3r_9P74EdmzLkz4-
GregT on Tue, 2nd Feb 2016 12:19 am
dave t,
Power companies have no choice. They are in the business of making money, not handing it out. If they can resell that electricity at a higher rate to somebody else, then it is worth their while, if not, they would eventually go out of business.
dave thompson on Tue, 2nd Feb 2016 12:34 am
OH yea I hear ya on that GregT. My point is who truly wields the power, pun intended? Many of the countries power suppliers are publicly owned but we all know the corporate rulers always win by gaining the upper hand,if there is money to be made or lost, we the people lose. Some poor guy trying to game the system by slapping up some solar panels will find out quickly who runs the show.
GregT on Tue, 2nd Feb 2016 1:22 am
dave,
When governments continue to spend beyond the people’s means, the financiers have them by the balls. Public utilities are usually among the first things to be privatized. The changes are made in such a matter that most people don’t have the slightest clue what has happened.
Ejohansson on Tue, 2nd Feb 2016 2:51 am
GregT
I am not trying to mislead anyone. I had the solar panels installed long before I purchased the Volt. I live in Southern California where the cost of power is quite high. I have heard the power company has been given the OK to raise the rates even higher in the near future. The payback for the solar power is probably about 10 or 11 years….with the Volt, that payback time should be much sooner. In our area, solar panels increase the value of the home, plus I am cruising around in an emission free vehicle.
Wolfie52 on Tue, 2nd Feb 2016 7:58 am
I drive a PHEV Prius. I can make most of my local trips on electric power only. And after the EV is finished, I can get about 55MPG with (PHEV)with virtually NO CO2.I can drive from CLT to NY City in 10.5 hours, with 4 or 5 passengers, with maybe one gas fill up and no range anxiety.
The VOLT, after its rather meager power range is exhausted, simply becomes an very EXPENSIVE electricity generator.
Add to this currently (at least where I live) a plug in Prius is CHEAPER than a regular Prius! This is due to the fact buyers didn’t properly research their vehicles and found the all ev range wasn’t a fit for them. Lucky for me, it is a fit for me!
So for this to be a meaningful test, test the PHEV Prius against the Volt.
Wolfie52 on Tue, 2nd Feb 2016 8:02 am
And lets not forget that simply moving the emissions (CO2 and pollution) upstream doesn’t mean your vehicle is pollution free. This is a common omission.
MaxData21000 on Tue, 2nd Feb 2016 9:57 am
The Volt is Killed off Toyota’s “lead” in Environmental Credentials.
LOL. Some fool thinks his Corolla highway mileage proves something. Way to read and then completely Ignore all the points in the article. Comprehension ZERO.
50 Miles of Pure Electric, on Wind and Solar power just kills the Prius and the current Plugin Prius. By the way, that’s the car Toyota Doesn’t Want to Sell, because you can’t get it. And where is the NEW Prius Plugin???
Still WAITING…
Kenz300 on Tue, 2nd Feb 2016 10:31 am
All electric cars require less maintenance and NO GAS…….. saving money……………
Electric vehicles, bicycles and mass transit are the future…………..Climate Change is real…. it is time to transition away from fossil fuels………
No more WARS for OIL……………..
Ejohansson on Tue, 2nd Feb 2016 1:52 pm
Wolfie52
I have made ALL of my local trips on EV only! Therefore, I personally have not checked the mpg of my Volt…the window sticker said 42 mpg…when tested by Car and Driver, they reported 48 mpg. I guess you are right about moving the emissions upstream…in my case, upstream would be the sun! 🙂