The Energon Pub

I realized today it's been a year since I bought my "hug a tree" Volt . Which was a huge shift of gears for me since I went from an SUV back to a smaller car. So far I am loving it! have the flexibility of gas when the battery runs out or I travel on a long distance trip.

I said good by to Maeve, my Chevy Traverse (still miss her once in a while, esp that cargo space!)




And hello to Elektra, my Chevy Volt a year ago an I continue to be impressed by this car...









Anyone else got a green car they absolutely love? No one else in my family or circle of fiends has one (yet), and frankly looked at me crooked coz' I'm so gaga over it...

I had planned on getting a Chevy Volt, I have been interested ever since GM revealed it in '08 or '09, I think. Those plans had to be put on hold, due to finances, but I'm still interested in getting 1. I drove a friend's Prius for 2 years and loved it. That car took me on many cross-country trips as well as shorter regional drives. It got great fuel mileage. I used to dislike them because they're kinda ugly, but I got over that after driving it for a while. Now I drive a gas-guzzling Camaro and my wallet definitely feels the difference. But so do I when I tap that gas and feel 400 horses roar to life.

Rodimus Prime wrote:I had planned on getting a Chevy Volt, I have been interested ever since GM revealed it in '08 or '09, I think. Those plans had to be put on hold, due to finances, but I'm still interested in getting 1. I drove a friend's Prius for 2 years and loved it. That car took me on many cross-country trips as well as shorter regional drives. It got great fuel mileage. I used to dislike them because they're kinda ugly, but I got over that after driving it for a while. Now I drive a gas-guzzling Camaro and my wallet definitely feels the difference. But so do I when I tap that gas and feel 400 horses roar to life.

What do you think of the redesign coming out next year? I am still on the fence about, but stoked about having the ability for 3 people in the back...

I hear ya on the HP but I will say that the Volt in sport mode is quick off the line for being only 149 HP, it's that 273 ft/lbs of torque! Although there is still nothing like a power packed V6/V8!

I used to have a 78 Malibu that I dropped a small block 400 hundred in, that thing dyno'd at 396 HP and would pass everything but a gas station

Just out of curiosity, and it may sound like a stupid question, but from what I know you plug them into a normal power socket to recharge ... was there much of an increase in your electricity bill -vs- decrease in fuel bill?

Burn wrote:Just out of curiosity, and it may sound like a stupid question, but from what I know you plug them into a normal power socket to recharge ... was there much of an increase in your electricity bill -vs- decrease in fuel bill?

Hey Burn, not stupid at all it was the 1st question I had when I was entertaining the whole electric car bit.

Yes it was noticeable on both sides...see below

I can charge the car in 4 hours for anywhere between 38 and 50 miles of battery life (depending on Temp). I pay about 13 cents a Kilowatt/hour and I have been using on average 251.4 Kilowatt/hours to charge it each month. I get reports from the myVolt site that shows me how much electricity I use to charge the car over specific periods.


So ~30 buck a month in electricity and that will get me back and forth to work each day and any weekend driving. In the summer a single charge will get me back and forth to work, now that it’s winter I have been using gas for the last 10-12 miles of my drive each day.

Since I have had it I've only filled it up 6 times, ~9 gallon tank at an average of $3.00 a gallon (27.00X6=162.00 then 162.00/12).

So I am averaging $13.50 a month for gas plus the $30.00 a month for electricity; so $43.50 a month. Rounding for errors/anomalies say $50.00 a month for fueling the car vs. $200.00 a month for the Traverse. So I'm saving $150.00 a month on fuel, not to mention the $10K I got back from the Fed and State in tax breaks, which I put toward the principal.

Sorry hope this didn't bore you to tears

donny1975 wrote:Sorry hope this didn't bore you to tears

Most of it because you were talking in Imperial and I work in Metric.

But you gave me the figure I wanted, $150/month in savings.

I'm not planning on replacing my car for another 7-8 years (when I got it I aimed to get 15 years out of it ... bloody hell time has flown), which by then, hybrids should be even more developed.

Burn wrote:

donny1975 wrote:Sorry hope this didn't bore you to tears

Most of it because you were talking in Imperial and I work in Metric.

But you gave me the figure I wanted, $150/month in savings.

HAHA! DOH! well at least you found what you needed in there

I'm not planning on replacing my car for another 7-8 years (when I got it I aimed to get 15 years out of it ... bloody hell time has flown), which by then, hybrids should be even more developed.

Yeah I am totally in love with Tesla and the Model S, but still a little outta my price range LOL, but they are working on something in the same price range as the Volt, which should be kewl.

You all have the Opel Ampera instead of the Volt if I am not mistaken, which makes me jealous I totally love front styling of that car vs. the Volt.



What kind of car do you have if you don't mind me nosing?

I'm Australian, not British.

The hybrid market is pretty slow here, the only one I can think of is the Toyota Prius which has been out a few years. Few other manufacturers are in the market but nothing that really stands out (or maybe I just haven't given enough of a look).

I'm currently driving a 2007 Toyota Corolla. Around 500km's to a 45ltr tank.

Burn wrote:I'm Australian, not British.

Oh Damn! See me making assumptions...there is not a foot in the mouth emoticon, sorry...I totally want to get there one day for a vacation.

Burn wrote:The hybrid market is pretty slow here, the only one I can think of is the Toyota Prius which has been out a few years. Few other manufacturers are in the market but nothing that really stands out (or maybe I just haven't given enough of a look).

Well I think it's slow every where except maybe California (their smog laws are no joke), But you have the Volt available as well from Holden; so it looks the same as mine LOL.

Burn wrote:I'm currently driving a 2007 Toyota Corolla. Around 500km's to a 45ltr tank.

That's sounds like pretty decent gas mileage little over 300 miles for about 12 gallons. They are a great car, I don't know about Australia but you can't spit without hitting one here in the states.

There's a few in town, but only one legendary enough to sport a black Decepticon logo.

I honestly can't complain about it. It's been a good car, better than my previous ones (my first was an 87 Mitsubishi Magna and nothing but trouble). Services can be a little expensive but I work right next to the dealership so it works well with my laziness.

Burn wrote:There's a few in town, but only one legendary enough to sport a black Decepticon logo.

Haha! Nice! I am toying with putting some Autobot logos on mine and turn her from Elektra to Jolt...

Burn wrote:I honestly can't complain about it. It's been a good car, better than my previous ones (my first was an 87 Mitsubishi Magna and nothing but trouble). Services can be a little expensive but I work right next to the dealership so it works well with my laziness.

Ah laziness, I like to think of it as a derogatory word for efficiency...kind of like "high maintenance" is a derogatory term for selective or particular...

donny1975 wrote:Ah laziness, I like to think of it as a derogatory word for efficiency...

In some cases it very much can be!

And when I legitimately AM efficient, it comes back and bites me in the arse anyway!

Burn wrote:

donny1975 wrote:Ah laziness, I like to think of it as a derogatory word for efficiency...

In some cases it very much can be!

And when I legitimately AM efficient, it comes back and bites me in the arse anyway!

That's a true right there LOL!