As you may know, Pacific Power Batteries owns a Chevy Volt. We have owned and sold several NEV’s (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) that poked along at 25 mph on any street that was posted at 35 mph or less. Although it was completely legal to drive 25 in a 35, let’s just say that it was annoying for other drivers to get stuck behind us. We were, in fact, slowing down traffic as we seemingly made our statement, “Suck it up, gas hog. We are better than you because we are not burning gasoline.” Well, yesterday’s message was an arrogant way to promote a “seemingly green” lifestyle. Finally, the market told us that NEV’s are only good for private or semi-private neighborhood communities, parks and quiet resorts where cars cannot travel. Goodbye NEV’s.
Now we have the Chevy Volt that goes 370 miles running the first 30 miles or so on electricity, then switching on a generator to keep the battery charged for the remaining 340 or so miles. The 9 gallons of gas runs the generator which charges the battery that continues to power the car. We can drive the Volt just like a car: full speed is no problem, acceleration is great, and it’s a genuine car that holds 4 people comfortably (for a compact). This is a great, first generation, hybrid gas/electric car. It’s the first generation of what GM thinks that we all want: range, high performance, economy, light carbon footprint, all with no sacrifices.
The Nissan Leaf operates differently: its battery allows the car to go about 75 miles. That range gets even worse (about 55 miles) if you are driving at freeway speeds. But it is great as a commuter car. It has its place in the market, but certainly it is not designed for long-range travel; not yet at least. Perhaps Generation 2 will have a longer range, just as the Toyota Prius has improved with each generation. Note: although Nissan claims “up to 100 miles” it only seems to be occurring if the sole driver weighs 75lbs, and is coasting downhill with a stiff tailwind from mount Fuji. All EV makers are notoriously optimistic in their range estimates! It’s a great commuter car for most people. And beside, how often do we suddenly go zipping off to Portland on a lark? Never. That’s the day for the gas car, truck, or Chevy Volt.
I love EV’s. I like the fun of driving ‘em and I like their potential for reducing our dependence on petroleum. These EV’s are in the very first stages of viability. I like their potential interaction with our homes: they charge at night and will get us to work and back. As EV’s and hybrid gas/electric EV’s develop, they may become more attractive to more people, more mainstream. But let’s not jump to conclusions! Many piston-fans don’t like them just out of principle. There are many issues that need to be resolved: range, price, where does the electricity come from, how will road taxes get paid, what type of batteries will be used, will those batteries be recyclable? Many will miss the roar, the chirping of the tires, the look and feel of the muscle cars. The Motorola brick phone was a first generation of cell phones, so let the Volt, Leaf, and the Whatever lead to better stuff! I say, buy one today! BE part of the movement from the inside!
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