4 Ways to Fix the Chevy Volt

The Chevy Volt is no longer the future of General Motors -- it's one more model in the product portfolio, with the earliest customers having already spent six months behind the wheel. It's time to bring this Olympian vehicle down to earth, with a view to improving the second-generation car that's already in development and scheduled to hit the road in 2013 or 2014.

Some good ideas matching customer feedback: a lower price, five-person seating, a longer battery warranty, a much-improved heater solution and a more nimble display. A minivan/crossover version to create a Volt people hauler would also be smart.

By the end of May, Chevrolet had delivered 2,184 Volts, and had settled into a groove of handing over 500 to 600 a month to customers. That number is dictated by availability -- the Volt is still ramping up. The situation should improve with the 2012 model, which can be ordered nationally, instead of in a few select markets. The '12 includes a modest update with a couple of new colors and some improvements to the keyless entry, but far more dramatic changes are needed. Here's what GM needs to do to make the Volt better:

1. The price is right?

   The 2012 Volt includes a $1,000 price reduction (from $41,000 to $39,995). Whoopee! Unfortunately, it's a bit of a bait-and-switch because the basic car now includes fewer features -- standard navigation is gone, as is the included five-year subscription to the important OnStar communications service (it's three years now). To get a fully optioned Volt will actually cost more in 2012 than it did in 2011.

   Taking the price of entry under the psychological $40,000 barrier is a good idea, but this new move isn't costing GM any money. There actually isn't much wiggle room, because the 2011 Volt reportedly cost $40,000 to build -- exactly what it will sell for now. Still, Toyota subsidized the Prius for years, and remains the hands-down owner of the hybrid market today as a result. I think $37,000 would be a sweet spot for a next-gen model with a cheaper-to-build drivetrain.

2. Carrying capacity. The Volt's four-passenger seating is an obstacle. "I have three kids and I can't put my whole family in the Volt," the founder of GM-Volt.com, Dr. Lyle Dennis, told me. "A minivan version would be nice."

   The Volt's battery pack intrudes into the rear seat, and trying to squeeze room for a third passenger back there might be out of reach. But GM showed off the MPV5, a very cool crossover with the car's Voltec drivetrain, in Beijing last year. GM spokesman Rob Peterson said the company hasn't committed to producing it, but I'd bet that it or something similar will soon be launched. The MPV5 seats five, with more cargo space than today's Volt, and would be a home run along the lines of the very smart and available-this-fall Prius MPV wagon. The Prius has a family, and the Volt could use one.

3. All heated up. "The heater is anemic," said Chelsea Sexton, a longtime EV advisor and member of the Volt's Customer Advisory Board. "It isn't very robust, and needs to be improved." I can second that. The basic issue is that heaters in electric cars suck range -- I averaged 25 miles (instead of an optimal 50) in the dead of a New England winter with the heater on.

   GM's solution is an "eco" mode that turns off the electric heater and powers on the seat heaters, but it's far from ideal -- half of you is toasty and the other half freezing. What's really needed is an efficient high-tech furnace that can pump out heat without running the car's batteries dry. It probably doesn't exist yet, but the Volt's batteries didn't exist when the car was announced, either.

4. A longer battery warranty. People get nervous about the longevity of big battery packs, and 10-year protection (versus eight years now) would not only impart piece of mind but help the Volt vault to the highest emissions status possible (AT-PZEV) in California's regulatory reckoning. Later Volts will almost certainly have the 10-year warranty.

Does there need to be a Chevy Volt convertible like the April Fools version above? Nah, but it is cute.

GM's Peterson listened to my Volt litany and pointed out that the company will be making running changes to the car as it prepares the second generation. And some improvements, he said, are a download away:

A lot of features on the Volt are software-driven. And the concerns customers have can be addressed at the dealer level by reflashing that software. We continue to learn from our customers and our engineering teams as they drive the car.

Related:

• The Volt and Prius are in a Family Way with Expanded Lineups
• The Next Big Challenge for Electric Cars: Cold Weather