Driving on a cloud

"like driving on a cloud"--that's what one relative told me about the test drive I gave him over the holidays. "I feel like I've been to the future," said another.

As I've stated throughout this blog, the main reason I think we need to convert to electric vehicles is to stop CO2/global warming.  The second most important reason for me is to stop wars for oil.  Third is all the devastation caused by oil spills, pipelines, trailing ponds, air and water pollution, and all environmental impacts.

But most people don't buy cars based on these factors.  That's why it has been such a pleasant surprise to find out how smooth and comfortable the Volt is to drive.  And it accelerates like no car I've ever driven (including my dad's old Cadillac and my mother-in-law's Mercedes).  Of course, I expected the Volt to be quiet, but it is still a great feeling to take off with no sound from the engine.

Like most people I also feel that price is a key factor in buying a car.  I never bought a new car before the Volt, simply because used cars are so much cheaper.  But lots of people do buy new cars, and, as I've tried to argue, the Volt can actually save money if you can finance it over 15 years at today's low interest rates.  See FAQs below.

As you can see, I think the Volt is a great car!  As we Volt owners know--once you go electric, there's no going back.

How much does it cost to run? The car goes about 3.5 miles per kilowatt hour (kwh). PG&E has a special nighttime rate for charging electric cars overnight--about 6 cents per kwh (including minimum monthly fees). Dividing 6 cents per kwh by 3.5 miles per kwh means that the Volt costs less than 2 cents per mile! After running on batteries for the first 35 miles, the gas generator/engine takes over and the car then gets about 37 miles per gallon. It takes about 10 hours for a full charge using standard 110 volt house current.

How does that cost compare to most cars?
Average mileage in the U.S. is about 20 miles per gallon. At $4.00 per gallon, that comes to 20 cents per mile. So, the Volt saves about 18 cents per mile. If you drive 1,000 miles per month on the electric motor, that is a savings of $2,160 per year.

What about the cost of the car? The retail price of the Volt is $41,000. There is a $7,500 tax credit so the net price is $33,500. Assuming that a comparable gasoline engine car would cost about $15,000 less than that, the annual savings of $2,160 is like investing $15,000 and getting paid back with 12% interest over 15 years, not even counting resale value—not bad! And the price of gas keeps going up, so the rate of return will keep getting better.