We were a two SUV family. I had a 2010 4 door Jeep Wrangler, and my boyfriend, Casey, had a 2005 Ford Explorer. A V-8, no less. We could get 14 mpg on a good day. Then my Jeep was involved in an accident and had to go into the shop. We ended up with a Toyota Camry rental, and we used that to drive to our Delaware vacation.
That puppy got 31 mpg. We were giddy with the money we saved on gas. To calculate what we could save in a year, and then what we could do with that money we saved. Home improvements! Vacations! SHOES! We decided that when the Jeep was done, we were trading her in for a hybrid.
We did a lot of online research. We talked to people who already owned hybrids. We test drove a Prius. It just didn’t feel right. It was missing that WOW factor, and quite frankly, it was missing an element of spunk. We had almost given up on ever finding the right hybrid when we stopped into our local Chevy dealer.
There she was. She a two-toned black and white beauty. Even sitting there, she looked full of sass. I was smitten. She would be mine. My Chevy Volt.
Here is how she works – she is an all electric car that has a 9 gallon gas tank. The car can go roughly 40 miles on a full charge, and then the gas kicks in to run a generator for the battery. Unlike the Nissan Leaf, the Volt can plug into any old outlet. I plug it in my garage at night, and I wake up in the morning to a fully charged car.
Rarely do I go over 40 miles a day. Which means rarely do I spend money on gas. And how much does it cost to fully charge my car? About $.70. Less than a dollar. I have found it to be very cost effective to own a Volt.
Beyond the cost savings, another benefit to owning a Volt is the amazing customer service and interactivity with the car. My car, which I leased for three years, came with On Star, which is amazing in and of itself, and the weekly diagnostic reports. I get to see exactly how much energy my car used, what my carbon load is (usually zero), if they can sense any diagnostic issues with my systems, how efficient
my driving style is, and the list goes on. Every day I find something new to love about my Volt. From the look and feel to the service I receive, it has been nothing but a positive experience.
Bethany Ruhe is a sometimes blogger over at runningonwine.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, @mindbling.
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