NY Times likes the Volt

It's official--the NY Times likes the Volt (or at least one of their op/ed writers does).  That's a big step toward the mainstream.

Check out the article at:   NY Times article on the Volt by Joe Nocera

I was happy to see the article.  I especially agreed with the part where he says:

"Before I knew it, my miles per gallon for that tankful of gas had hit 80. By the next day it had topped 100. I soon found myself obsessed with increasing my miles per gallon — and avoiding having to buy more gas. . . .By the time I gave the car back to General Motors, I had driven 300 miles, without using another drop of gas beyond the original two gallons. I’m not what you’d call a Sierra Club kind of guy, but I have to tell you: I was kind of proud of myself.
When I began to describe for Mr. Lutz (see conversation with Bob Lutz earlier post)the psychological effect the Volt had had on me, he chuckled. “Yeah,” he said, “it’s like playing a video game that is constantly giving you back your score.”


Having the display of miles per gallon in front of you when you drive makes you want to keep getting it higher.  Right now, for the 4,140 miles we've driven in Oakland, we have used 18 gallons of gas--230 mpg.  For our total of just over 5,500 miles (including our trip to San Diego last January), we have used 51 gallons of gas--108 mpg overall.