I have to admit that I have romanticized the Volt a bit. The honeymoon stage is so great, nothing she does is wrong. All of her quirkiness is just so cute. And then the rose colored glasses come off, and you see her for who she really all ways has been.

I have only driven the Volt for a very short test drive and my emotions where out the roof for the opportunity, but I thought it would be good to not get our hopes up so high when we need to look at the Volt has it really only ever has been, just a car.

Here are my thoughts of what could become an inconvenience owning a Volt and what a salesman will say to the statement.

1: To take full advantage of the car, being a electric car, I will have to plug the car in and unplug it before I drive away.
The reward for that is spending less time standing smelling gas fumes at a pump and burning less of it.

2: It cost more than a regular car.
Yes it is, but it cost to make a difference in our environment and to reduce the dependence on foreign oil.

3: It still produces emissions from it gas generator.
Yes, but I can use this car to take long trips and not worry how far I am from a plug to recharge. Then on my daily commute never use any gas.

4: The gas generator requires the same service any other gas car does, oil & filter change and maintenance.
GM has tried to minimized the number of time required to have to change the oil, with an oil life calculator to service time. As the engine runs and under what conditions time is figured and will let you know.

5: At the end of battery life 10 to 14 years from now, to continue to drive it, you will need a new set.
As technology changes for battery construction it is not known what will happen in that length of time. Remember what advantages you have received from the pack and recognized the great advantages being an electric car.

6: You are basically driving a computer, with a mile and half of wire and hundreds of connectors and sensors. Forget working on that yourself.
For many years now, that has been the case on all new cars. Yes the Volt is complex but it is based on connectors that are standard in the automotive industry and have a proven reliable history long before the Volt program.

7: As of now an unknown amount of insurance premium payment.
Let us hope that it is classed as a 4 door sedan and not as a sports model.

8: Extras you will want too, like… a home 240 charger unit and a new smart phone to use the on-Star remote features.
You can save your money and not have to buy this as standard equipment or you may all ready have a compatible phone that can run the app.

9: At least or the first couple of model years an untested, in the public’s hands that is, brand new designed production car.
The Volt may be a brand new design but that is not to say that it is not based on some proven car building history. The last high profile new design car was the 2010 Camaro built with the same refinement to detail as the Volt. GM has given the public unprecedented access to behind the seines development and testing of the Volt and as you drive it the Volt sends back data to continually monitor and improve the car.

10: Can only carry four people.
This model of Volt is not an SUV it is a commuter car with a comfortable sedan size for the weight it is designed to carry. as I drive every morning 90% of the people commuting do not carry any passengers and the good news is the Volt is not a two passenger vehicle.

11: It can, only at best, go 40 miles on all electric mode.
And as the statistic show, that is the right mark to hit for the high average drive on the daily commute.

12: And worst of all the attention, people will stair at you driving and point.
It feels good too!

I still would love to live with her and all of the craziness and insanity. I see her for all she can be and her great potential.

Posted by Ron G.