Chevy Volt at Home: LinkedIn Exec Charges at 120V (VIDEO)

I have a friend who is a connector (according to Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, "the kinds of people who know everyone") and he just bought an electric car.

Given that his green cred is far outweighed by his credentials as a connector -- he makes connections (he's in business development) for a social networking site (LinkedIn) -- I think this bodes well for the EV future. Of course, given his more corporate profile I wasn't surprised that he chose a modified EV as a point of entry into the electric world.

His last car was a Prius and he upgraded to a Chevy Volt, which like the Prius is technically a hybrid. But unlike conventional hybrids, it's nearly always powered by it's electric motor so while he has a total range of about 379 miles, his electric range is only about 40 miles.

Volt videogame

And this is where the car starts to change behavior, and I would argue, what makes it a game changer. With its tiny gas engine, the Volt is attractive to a more mainstream customer with range anxiety, but thanks to series of built-in nudges, the car doesn't let you forget that the most efficient way to drive is by trying to maximize your electric miles.

It's a type of Volt videogame to clock a new mpg personal best. There's the on-board computer that gives you a running reminder of your mpg (or the electric equivalent), as well as driving tips to help you improve upon it (e.g. driving technique, climate control).

And then there's the iPhone app where my friend proudly showed me his lifetime mpg. He also flashed me the breakdown of electric miles he'd traveled since his last fuel up versus gas miles clocked and it was obvious which was the goal.

An EV state of mind

The Chevy Volt has weathered critique -- it's too expensive, it's not really an electric car, the environmental cost of two motors -- but the car is still a game changer because it's forcing its owners to really think about where their fuel comes from, every morning and night.

When I met up with my friend last week at the end of his commute, within the first 5 minutes of seeing him (after a year spent on separate continents), he explained he needed to pull into the garage to plug in.

He was in an EV state of mind. Since he was on vacation and away from his 240 volt home charger, he knew he needed all 10 hours before returning to work to top off his battery with the 120V charger.

Since I was spending the night with my friend (Scott Roberts) and his family, I pulled out my camera to document an overnight with the Volt.

More EV videos from faircompanies
How to charge an EV
On demand EV motorcycle charging stations with iPhone app
In the workshop of the car company of the future
An EV hotrod: electrify your ride

 

Follow Kirsten Dirksen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstendirksen

Comments

[Joe Dallas]

04:27 PM on 07/11/2011

Based on the price of a kwh, the cost of driving the volt 30 miles is approximately 2.5, The cost of driving a toyota camry 25mpg is approx $4.50 for the same 30 miles. With a price differential of $20k net of the 7k credit, it will take 300,000 to 400,000 miles of driving to break even on the cost. The electricity is also being generated in coal fired plants. How much money is being wasted on faux "green technology.

[PRONESE]

10:11 AM on 07/11/2011

Nothing beats a coal powered car.
More Coffee...
R/ PRONESE

[Sufiy]

07:16 PM on 07/10/2011

This is the way to go!

Report: Getting Off Oil - A 50-State Roadmap for Curbing Our Dependence on Petroleum.

Can Warren Buffett be right again, this time with his call Electric Cars? It is happening, it is happening now.

http://sufiy.blogspot.com/2011/07/peak-oil-getting-off-oil-50-state.html

[ptrkoz]

12:18 AM on 07/09/2011

Nobody ever talks about the electric bill. It must cost SOMEthing.

[Gottlieb]

02:36 AM on 07/09/2011

Of course it costs but the future is bright for electric car owners. Here are good articles about EV owners buying electricity at low price off a smart grid and then selling it back to a smart grid at a higher price. http://www.euronews.net/2010/10/05/electric-cars-that-buy-and-sell-their-own-power/

http://forum.engin.umich.edu/2009/06/smart-grid-part-iii-electric-cars-need.html

The following article tells how utilities and regulators are not ready for EVs.

http://www.plugincars.com/evutility-partnerships-lack-key-ingredient-electricity-profits-107240.html

[Genders]

03:17 AM on 07/11/2011

far cheaper per mile than gasoline. http://avt.inel.gov/pdf/fsev/costs.pdf a 30 mile range plug in hybrid would eliminate 90% of our automobile fuels use. The long haul and aircraft can then use waste bio fuels. Longer than 30 miles or so plugged in, is not a good use of the lithium batteries, and makes the car heavier and less efficient.

[perelmanfan]

08:05 PM on 07/08/2011

What's great about the Volt is that it can serve as a family's only car - unlike the electric-only Nissan Leaf, which is fine until you need to venture more than 50 miles from your home. That would pretty much need to be a family's second car.

One fact I've never seen anyone discuss about the Volt, however - when the battery has lost all of its charge from a home outlet, and the electricity powering the wheels comes solely from the gas engine, what's the mpg rating in that circumstance? I understand one would seldom drive it this way, but it would be useful to know if the mileage was good, bad or middling in electricity-from-burning-gasoline mode.