2013 Volt's improved battery

[southerncannuck]

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012...-20120607.html
From Green car congress,

"GM tweaks battery materials, pack size, SOC window to increase 2013 Chevrolet Volt EV range to 38 miles

7 June 2012

The all-electric vehicle range of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt will increase by three miles from the 2012 model to be 38 miles on a single charge. The miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) fuel economy will increase from 94 miles to 98 miles and the total range, including extended range operation, will be 380 miles. Power consumption in EV mode is EPA-rated at 35 kWh/100 miles for the 2013 model, down from 36 kWh in the 2012 model."

[MN Driver]

"In addition, the total storage capacity of the Volt battery has been increased from 16 kWh of energy to 16.5 kWh, and engineers have expanded the state-of-charge window to use 10.8 kWh of the total battery energy—up from 10.3 kWh used in the 2012 model. The battery system maintains a buffer to ensure battery life, but that buffer has been reduced."

16/10.3=0.65455
16/10.8=0.64375

A difference of 1.08% isn't much and I doubt would make a difference but the added capacity of .5kwh is definitely a welcome thing for those who could use it. My round trip commute is 28.5 miles so I'm sure with heater usage in the winter I'd be on the edge or passing into gasoline territory. Not to mention the gas engine fires up in the winter to warm the battery when things are below freezing temperature anyway. According to someone who owns a Volt, this happens even if it wasn't too long since it was pulled off a charge too so that battery cools off pretty fast despite what GM says about the matter.