Could Your Car Go Two Years Without Oil Changes? The Chevrolet Volt Can
Scheduling routine maintenance is always a chore, but the latest buzz around the Chevrolet Volt is that you might actually need a new set of tires before you change the oil.
According to Edmunds, “The Volt will be equipped with GM’s so-called ‘oil life monitor,’ which measures oil conditions and lets the driver know when a change is needed.” Pretty handy, especially when you consider that, “For the Volt, the maximum amount of time the monitor will allow between oil change warnings is two years,” Edmunds writes.
This is great news for eco-friendly consumers who want to do more than just conserve our natural resources at the pump. “The key advantage of the Volt is being able to drive for the majority of daily needs using only electricity. The gas-powered generator is there only for back-up purposes, and for the majority of owners may only rarely if ever get used,” says gm-volt.com. “Since the generator may only be rarely used, it is significantly possible oil change requirements could be much more rare than in conventional cars.”
For those of us who are a bit more old school, changing your fluids so infrequently may raise questions about reliability. Especially when the maintenance mantra of every ”three months or three thousand miles” has been etched into our brains. Not to worry. “Fluid stability is still a concern so the Volt has special drive mode called Engine Maintenance Mode that’s designed to extend the life of both the oil and gasoline,” writes CrunchGear. “Once enabled, it will kick on the gasoline generator as necessary to cycle both the gasoline and motor oil. This keeps the engine well lubricated and the gas from going stale.”
Still, sharp consumers will note that fewer oil changes don’t justify a $41,000 price tag. Edmunds notes that, “Factoring a $30 oil change and the old ‘three months/3,000 miles’ suggested frequency, a driver who puts on 12,000 miles a year would spend $120 a year on a conventional car’s oil changes, compared to about $15 (i.e., half an oil change), giving an annual savings of about $105.”
Fortunately the Volt can go up to 50 miles without turning on its gas engine. So inspitein spite of insubstantial savings on routine maintenance, savings at the pump, as well as time saved from less frequent oil changes, may be the main benefits to eco-friendly car shoppers.
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