AS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE, WHEN RUNNING ON BATTERY, IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHEN THE VEHICLE IS LEFT RUNNING. UPON RETURNING HOME ONE DAY, I EXITED THE VEHICLE AND PLUGGED IT IN. I DIDN'T REALIZE AT THE TIME, THAT I HAD NOT TURNED OFF THE VOLT BY PRESSING THE BLUE POWER SWITCH ON THE DASHBOARD. THE NEXT MORNING, I CAME INTO MY ENCLOSED GARAGE AND COULD HEAR THE VOLT'S GAS POWERED GENERATOR RUNNING. I LOOKED AT THE DASH DISPLAY AND COULD SEE THE VOLT HAD NOT CHARGED, HAD USED UP ALL REMAINING BATTERY, AND HAD BEEN RUNNING ON GAS GENERATOR FOR SOME TIME. MY CONCERN IS REGARDING CARBON DIOXIDE POISONING RISKS. I HAVE TRIED OVER THE PAST 60 DAYS TO GET A RESPONSE OUT OF GM AS A VOLT OWNER AND I FEEL THEY ARE STONEWALLING ME AS THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO ME ON THIS CONCERN DESPITE THREE DIFFERENT INQUIRIES ON MY BEHALF. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR GM WHO NORMALLY IS QUITE RESPONSIVE. I PROPOSE IF THE VEHICLE CAN SENSE IT IS PLUGGED IN THAT IT SHOULD SHUT DOWN SHOULD THE BATTERY BECOME DEPLETED RATHER THAN TURN ON THE GAS GENERATOR TO KEEP THE CAR RUNNING. I'M CONFIDENT GM CAN DETECT THE CAR IS PLUGGED IN SO PROGRAMMATICALLY I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE TO SOLVE THIS SAFETY ISSUE. ELECTRIC CARS ARE NOT LIKE OTHER CARS IN THAT YOU CAN'T HEAR WHEN THEY ARE ON. CHANCES ARE, IF THE VEHICLE IS PLUGGED IN IT'S IN A GARAGE. NO GM EMPLOYEE WHO I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HAS EXPLAINED WHY IT'S REASONABLE TO RUN THE GENERATOR IN THE SCENARIO I HAVE DESCRIBED. I DO HOPE NO ONE DIES BEFORE THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED. IT SHOULD BE A SIMPLE SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR THE VOLT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. *TR
2013
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I WAS ON MY WAY HOME, IT WAS VERY DARK OUTSIDE ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY GOING 60-60MPH AND WANTED TO SWITCH OVER TO ELECTRIC "HOLD" MODE SO I COULD SAVE THE ELECTRIC BATTERY FOR CITY DRIVING. I GLANCED OVER AND HIT THE "DRIVE MODE" BUTTON THREE TIMES THINKING I WAS GOING TO SEND THE DRIVE MODE DOWN TO "HOLD". INSTEAD WHAT I DID WAS POWERED OFF THE CAR BY HITTING THE POWER BUTTON. (THE TWO BUTTONS ARE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND BOTH REQUIRE MULTIPLE PRESSES TO WORK). SO THERE I WAS, THE CAR WENT BLACK INSIDE AND THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF OUTSIDE WHILE I WAS GOING 65MPG ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY (ONE LANE EACH DIRECTION). THANK GOD THERE WAS NOBODY AROUND OR CLOSE TO ME AND THANKFULLY THERE WAS JUST ENOUGH AMBIENT LIGHT FROM THE MOON TO SEE WHERE I WAS. I HIT THE POWER BUTTON TO TRY TURNING IT BACK ON, NOTHING. LUCKILY THE HAZARD SWITCH REMAINED LIT AND I WAS ABLE TO TURN MY HAZARDS ON. I HAD TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PUT IT BACK INTO PARK AND HIT POWER. I REALIZE I HIT THE WRONG BUTTON BUT WHY SHOULD SUCH AN EASY MISTAKE ALMOST CAUSE A FATALITY. IF NOT FOR THE MOON I MIGHT HAVE DROVE OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEY MOVE THE POWER BUTTON TO THE STEERING COLUMN, SIMILAR TO WHERE A KEY WOULD BE LOCATED. FOR GODS SAKE, DON'T PUT A MULTIPLE CLICK BUTTON NEXT TO ANOTHER MULTIPLE CLICK BUTTON THAT HAS SUCH SIGNIFICANCE IN THE OUTCOME OF YOUR LIFE. AND FOR GOD SAKES, DON'T TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS IF THE COMPUTER DETECTS I'M GOING 65 AND KNOWS VIA THE SENSOR THAT IT'S DARK OUTSIDE! THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AT VARIOUS WEB SITES, INCLUDING.... HTTP://GM-VOLT.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?17249-POWER-BUTTON-TOO-CLOSE-TO-DRIVE-MODE-BUTTON! SOMEBODY IS GOING TO BE HAVE A FATALITY SOON IF THIS IS NOT FIXED. *TR