Why you do not like EV drivers

When you drive a typical gasoline powered vehicle you, no doubt, try not to accelerate too quickly or brake too hard in order to avoid wasting gas (never mind getting rear-ended or getting a speeding ticket). You probably also figure you're doing pretty good most of the time and your only real feedback is brake wear and gas mileage. 

Well, now you drive an EV. Now the big, bold instrument panel screams at you when you accelerate too quickly or brake too hard. In the Chevy volt, the little green ball with the swirling leaves disappears. It either jumps up and turns blue or sinks down--either way now you officially KNOW you're wasting those precious miles you just got by charging your car. And it's annoying. Because you want miles. You want to be the best EV driver you can be. Let's face it you're competitive and you want to show that little green ball who is boss. 

So you begin to accelerate more slowly, with less force. You look WAY ahead to anticipate when you might have to brake. You take your foot off the accelerator and coast as much as possible to save those precious miles. But non-EV drivers usually don't drive like that. It's not that they don't care about mileage--most do. It's that most non-EV don't offer such bold and immediate feedback as the Chevy volt does. So they are behind you at a traffic light and you are both stopped. Light turns green and you sloooowly accelerate, taking care to be as economical with your "fuel" as you can. And that driver behind you accelerates, only faster than you. They end up right on your bumper, staring at you in frustration. Eventually, they pass you and look over at you in a menacing tone. Only you don't notice because you're watching that ball, making sure it stays green. 

100%

I've talked about the Volt making me really think about my driving habits but it was not until this morning on the way to work that I really understood just how much it has turned my driving upside down. I'm constantly scanning my environment, especially ahead of me, so I can plan my stops and avoid anything more than light pressure on the brake pedal. It's CRAZY how much sudden stops kill my mileage and my efficiency percentage. I've seen one hard stop take it down 10%. Of course the longer the drive, the less that one hard stop will affect my percent efficiency--that's just basic mathematics. My commute is about 17 miles each way. I hit about 15 traffic lights and four stop signs. Lots of opportunity to practice slooooow braking. Next post--why non EV drivers hate the Volt. 

The cost of the volt

When the Volt first came out I think Chevy was criticized for the price. Let's face it--no one wanted to pay $40,000 and up for a small Chevy car. You could get a luxury car for that price, right?! I honestly think the actual value of owning an EV was not known at the time. It was just a matter of sticker shock. But Chevy learned the lesson that when something is new and very different you have to sweeten the deal to get people to try it. So they lowered the price. My volt was $31,900 and I will get a $7,500 tax credit for the 2015 tax year and I'll also get incentives from my state including a cash rebate! Oh, and my registration fees will be only 20% of what I paid to register my SUV.  There is also a program that will cover 50% of the cost of purchase and installation of a hard wired level 2 charger. Soon, I'll talk about why you MUST get a level 2 charger if you own an EV. Especially if you live in an area where there are few public level 2 chargers available. 

EV Problems

EV owner problems: This morning our electricity went out. My first thought? "Is my volt charged!?!" 😜

Our New Edition

On Friday June 5, 2015 I took delivery of my new Chevrolet Volt. When did I decide to take the plunge and go electric? Thursday June 4, 2015. See, I'm not one to let the grass grow under my feet. I have a passing thought. I obsess. I research. I decide. I take the plunge.

What triggered this particular decision was another trip to the has pump to fill up my beloved Mercedes SUV. Now, do not get me wrong, I LOVED that Mercedes. I loved how I felt when I drove it. I felt so...important. But that feeling does not cushion the $75 at the pump every.single.week.

So here I am with my new volt. After driving it 156 quite, gasoline-free miles, I'm totally hooked. I've fallen into a crowd of ev charging station junkies. I downloaded the apps. I've joined the forums. And it is a cult. It's a way of life and I'm never going back.

More on this later.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Chevrolet in any way and I purchased my volt with my own funds.

Time to go check my charging status.