Of course, not all those miles had been gasoline-powered. And even then, the little 1.4-liter engine’s workload was fairly low stress — it doesn’t do a lot of revving. Even so, I had an oil sample taken and sent it to Blackstone Laboratories for analysis.  Result? Traces of aluminum, copper, and particularly iron, were high. I sent the report on to GM for comment, and they replied that this was “within normal range.” Blackstone’s Andy Martin retorted, “Well, you can’t go wrong following what’s recommended, but…” Yes, if I had known this, I’d have changed it earlier, too.

So there we are. A final curiosity from the car I drove from Detroit to L.A. with my daughter riding shotgun, filled 66 times with gas, charged 271 times, and a thousand times politely answered questions like “aren’t you worried you’ll run out of electricity and stop?” and “afraid of it catching fire?” and “how much?” Now that the Volt’s year with us is up, it’s time for some answers.

I’ll start with those three questions I’ve heard so often. When the battery was depleted, the engine always started seamlessly. The Volt doesn’t “die” at the end of its EV range, as pundits have claimed. Nor did it ever erupt into a lithium-ion inferno. However, it’s quite evident from the car’s sales that it simply costs too much for most folks (a $32,495 base price even after the federal tax credit).

Still, the real headline here is that nothing ever went wrong the car. Zip. Zero. It was breathtakingly reliable, given that the Volt is (and try arguing this with me) the biggest quantum jump in automotive technology in decades. Spooky-advanced-tech cars like this, I’ve noticed, are actually frequently more robust than conventional cars because their engineers are playing it very, very safe, knowing that everybody’s watching with magnifying glasses.

“GM made big claims for the Volt, and our example lived up to every one of them”, stated Kim Reynolds of Motor Trend.
 
A close runner-up to that impressive reliability is the fact that the car operated exactly as Chevrolet claimed it would. Driven normally, our car usually traveled between 35 and 40 miles per charge (our average was 36.8; at worst, it was 24 miles; at best, 45). Our battery-depleted (gas-powered) mpg was 38.7 (the EPA says 37). Here, in Southern California, the Volt cost about 60 percent less to operate as an electric car than as a gas one.

Niggles? The car’s very low air dam (a mere 3.5 inches above the pavement) is essentially a sacrificial flap expected to scrape and flex; and ours become rather ratty-looking, though I regarded the marring as proud battle scars in the name of aerodynamic efficiency. (Even now, I’m still braking for small dips out of habit; a 1.2-inch-shorter substitute is available.) Another footnote was that filling the car with gas was sometimes balky, with the dispenser frequently shutting off. I found that holding it in a lifted position solved the problem, but, of course, you have to stand there and hold it.

A parting thought? To all the skeptical “gotcha” observers and disreputable political talking heads, I’d like to remind you of the 2001 Toyota Prius. I well remember driving it. It was homely. Its regenerative brakes were soupy. It wasn’t cheap. Many suspected that Toyota lost money on it, and its technology benefited from Japanese government support. It sold poorly.

Hmm, I just checked Prius (family) sales for April 2012, and guess what? It’s in third place among all cars, behind the Camry and the Accord. My point is, we need a much bigger perspective here. The Volt’s costs will come down. Efficiencies will be incrementally learned. Let’s meet up again in 11 years and see how the 2023 Chevrolet Volt is doing then.

Our Vehicle  
Service life  12 mo/26,683 mi  
Base price  $39,995  
Options  Audio system with nav package ($1995), Premium Trim Package ($1395: heated leather seats, leather steering wheel, door trim), rear camera and parking assist ($695), polished aluminum wheels ($595), Bose Premium speaker system ($495) Price as tested / $45,170 ($37,670 after federal tax credit)  
Avg econ/CO2  47.6 equiv mpg/0.45 lb/mi  
Problem areas  None  
Maintenance cost  $126.36 (tire rotation, oil change)  
Normal-wear cost  $0  
3-year residual value*  $16,797  
Recalls  Battery safety enhancements (not an official recall)  
*Automotive Lease Guide