Lon's Chevy Volt

This fun story about the "White Zombie" electric car is a good primer for what it feels like to drive an electric car.  The Volt's spirited acceleration is surprising everyone I took out for a spin this weekend.  The reason?  Electric motors are all torque.  In fact the 149 horsepower electric motor in the Volt has nearly the same torque right off the line that a 315 horsepower V6 Camaro engine has at 5100 RPM.  

And while the Volt is quick, it's certainly not the fastest production electric car out there.  That honor goes to the Tesla Roadster.  Here's a review the Top Gear guys did of that car awhile back:

I ordered my Volt in August and took delivery the last week of February - waiting nearly six months to purchase the car site unseen without even a test drive.  My Volt's VIN number, which is assigned sequentially, reveals that it was the 1,185th production vehicle manufactured.  GM reports that it has sold 928 Volts since production units started rolling in November.  Do the Math - they're selling just about every car that comes off the line.   

Talking with my local dealer, they have every one of their allocated Volts already sold.  They're just waiting for them to show up.  It's also important to note that the car is still only available in five markets:  California, the Washington DC Metropolitan Area, Michigan, Texas, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.  Only 10,000 2011 model year vehicles are even being produced, so supplies are limited to start.  

New technology always lands first with the crazy early adopters who are willing to buy a vehicle powered by unproven technology without even a test drive.  As production rates increase, dealers will actually have inventory and buyers will have the opportunity to take it out for a spin.  Give it a year, I think this car is going to be a hit.  

The above video details how easy it is to plug in at home.  

My final weekend mileage count for Saturday and Sunday was 62 miles, total gas used: 0.07 gallons.  The gas was used when the car turned on the internal combustion engine to heat up the battery pack.  The engine ran for approximately five minutes this morning and did not turn on again.  My other car would use close to three gallons of gasoline to go the same distance.

We're due for some snow tomorrow so the Volt will stay safely in the garage until it passes.  Other drivers report good snow results but I'm going to play it safe.

This isn't some gimmick or an attempt to bring down a manufacturer's average MPG rating.  It's a superbly engineered American-made vehicle that will get me to where I have to go powered not by middle eastern oil, but by 100% American made electrons. And when I want to go further, a gas powered backup will take me there. I can't stress this enough:  this car is the real deal.  

Here's my first impressions:

The first thing that stands out is the build quality.  The car is rock solid - even a bit heavier than expected for its size, but very well balanced.  It handles like a sports car with tight steering controls and stiff suspension.  It reminds me a lot of my old 2002 Mercedes C230 coupe in both handling and power.  

Acceleration is there when you need it, but it's also easy to drive efficiently to save battery power.  Acceleration is slightly timid in the "normal" drive mode, but switching into "sport" gives all of that advertised electric torque.  Highway merging in both modes is zippy and on par with other cars in its size and price range.  

Charging takes awhile at 110 (a full charge takes about 8 hours), but taking "opportunity charges" for an hour or two can keep things topped off.  A 240 volt charger will be installed in my garage soon that will cut the charge time in half.

The climate system is going to take a bit of getting used to.  Electric vehicles are much more efficient than gas powered vehicles, and as such heat is not a byproduct of operation.  In electric mode the car needs to use heating elements (powered by the battery) to provide conventional cabin heat at the cost of electric range.  The default mode puts an emphasis on heating the seats to keep the passenger comfortable which is more efficient.  That mode works fine for me, but my hands were a little chilly at the conclusion of the drive.  I need to play a bit more with the settings to find the best balance of comfort and efficiency.  The car can also heat itself up on house power when plugged in, which can be activated from the free companion iPhone app.  That's today's project.  

I'll use it for some errand running today, but next week will be the first real test of every day use.  I'll post my impressions throughout the week.  

If you have any questions you'd like answered, please comment.  I'll be happy to answer them with words and videos.