Volted!

Last week I took my car to the Chevrolet dealership that sold it to me for an oil change and a few other basic needs. While I was waiting for the service department to finish working their magic, my salesman came out and asked if I wanted to test drive a Chevy Volt. My other option was to sit in the waiting room and watch daytime television, so I grabbed the keys and headed out on a little eco-friendly adventure.

I've been intrigued by electric cars for a long time now, so I was excited to finally be able to test drive one. The inside of the car felt a lot like my Chevy Cruze. It was comfortable and sleek, and I definitely didn't feel like I was driving something that you plug into the wall. The most bizarre part of driving the Volt is that it is almost completely silent. I kept putting my foot on the gas and expecting to hear that familiar vroom, but there was no sound whatsoever. Pretty cool.

The screen behind the steering wheel shows you exactly how many miles you have left on your charge, so you know exactly when you need to plug in.

The Volt can go approximately 35 miles on one charge before having to switch over to its gas-fueled generator. The salesman I was working with is leasing a Volt and because he has such a short drive to work and has the ability to plug the car in when he arrives, he hasn't had to buy gas in SEVEN MONTHS. Can you even imagine?

I was surprised to learn that the average cost for a lease is $350 per month, which isn't bad if you're already driving a new car and are able to avoid filling up the tank. It seems that folks are hesitant to consider an electric car because they don't understand how they work and a lot of people assume they're too expensive. Knowing what I pay for my new vehicle, I can honestly say that I'd happily own an electric car if and when I work closer to home. Hopefully the technology will continue to improve and the battery life will get even longer by the time I'm ready to purchase one!

Have you ever driven an electric car? Would you ever consider owning one?

For the record, Chevy did not ask me to write about the Volt. They have no idea who I am, I just like to blog about things that interest me and take pictures of myself with my phone while test driving their cars.