GM has released the results of a survey about the use of its EV model Volt, which was released in late 2010. It looked at the use of Volt by more than 300 drivers in California. The main find: more than half a billion miles have been covered, mostly gasoline-free, with the Volt.
And drivers are going mostly for the fully electric experience as 63 of all the driving they’ve been doing has been in EV mode. They survey also found that Volt owners who are always recharging usually cover 970 miles until they fully recharge again. Visits to a gas station are also quite rare: only once a month. They are saving on average $1,450 per year in fuel costs.
A separate, independent research carried out in the second half of 2013 found that Volt drivers who took part in the Department of Energy’s EV Project managed by Idaho National Labs totaled 1,198,114 vehicle trips. Of the total, 81.4 percent, were completed without the gasoline-powered generator being used.
What choice will consumers make? After attending the 2011 Toyota Sustainable Mobility Seminar in La Jolla, California (April 4-7, 2011), this is what I walked away thinking. In all respects, Americans are already asking themselves questions like this about the life they live. With regard to the cars we drive it is time to think hard about the way we drive and what we drive.