Monthly Update for December 2016 - 2016 Chevrolet Volt

Edmunds.com

Monthly Update for December 2016 - 2016 Chevrolet Volt

Edmunds' 2016 Chevrolet Volt spends December making some engine-heavy hauls and taking its first venture into snow.

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stuntman_mike

I bought a Pioneer "NEX" head unit years ago, which was the first aftermarket stereo to support Apple CarPlay. I quickly disabled it for the very reason that you just described above: The source would change to iPod/iPhone every time an alert would appear through my Escort Live radar detector app, forcing me to change the source back only to have it happen again just like you describe. I never knew whether it was a Pioneer issue or an Apple issue. But now that you're experiencing the same thing with a GM stereo, I'd say it's an Apple issue. It seems that CarPlay requires the stereo to be slave to the iPhone, instead of the other way around. I wonder if Android Auto is as "authoritarian"?

justoneopinion

"As always, tracking fuel economy on a plug-in hybrid such as the Volt is not straightforward ... it means diligently (and accurately) recording the battery-gasoline switchover point when applicable, plus other factors."

Diligence? Not straightforward? The onboard computer in the Volt's infotainment system makes it easy. The Energy > Info screen shows the "Energy Usage: Since Last Full Charge" split between electric miles/kWh and gas miles/gallons. Simply record the data before plugging in and keep a running total. The running total of gallons you record from the computer is very close to what you ultimately pump at the gas station. I'm not talking about the bogus MPGe, just the MPG when the gas engine is running.

The city MPG is blah, I agree. If I know from a full charge I'll be driving more miles than the typical battery range of 45-60 miles, including a bunch of freeway miles, I use the "Hold" mode to force the gas engine to run on the high-speed freeway when it is most efficient (44 mpg highway vs. 36 mpg city), then I switch to the "Normal" mode on the slower city streets where the electric motors are most efficient.