Quote:
Originally Posted by Number 3
Not sure why you think it is impracticle for 95% of the people. It is known that 70% of drivers commute less than 40 miles round trip per day making the Volt ideal for most drivers.
Unless cost (sticker price) is your point, it is an incredibly practicle car, at least for the times I've driven one.
I've posted a number many times in the threads like these. If you happen to drive 40 miles one way to work and have a charging station where you park at work the Volt will pay for itself compared to a Cruze Eco over a 5 year note.
That's 80 miles per day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks per year, or 20,000 miles per year (a lot I know). With a 40 mpg car, that is 500 gallons per year or currently $2,000 in gas per year. Over 5 years, that's $10,000. A Cruze Eco is around 10k cheaper than a Volt and having spent time in both, the Volt is a far nicer car.
Now add, for some, the value of not having to use gas at your own choosing.................
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You assume that your work will have a charging station. In my area, the only charging station I have found at a place of business is the one at the Nissan dealership. To my knowledge, they have sold one Nissan Leaf. The strange thing is, I live in the area where they are built. To this point, there is not wide spread acceptance of this technology for either GM or Nissan. If your workplace does not provide you with a charging station, then you are using the gasoline engine the other half of the time in your example.
The average cost per recharge is about $2 from the grid which would correspond to about $500 per year. In your example, if my workplace does not have a charger, I am spending $4/day in gas and $2/day in electricity. If I buy a cruze eco, I am spending $8/day in gas. I am saving $2/day*5days/week*52weeks/year*5 year car note= $2600 over five years. In addition, I would be taking a 2.9% interest rate on a cruze eco vs a 0% interest rate on a Volt. That's another $2600 saved in interest payments over 5 years assuming no money down.
I would like nothing more than for people to be able to drive in an affordable electric car. My only issue with them at this point is that I am not in the market for an appliance. To me cars are supposed to be enjoyable at least some of the time.