Please note that this post originally appeared on VoltFanSite.com.
One year ago on Feb 10, 2011 I picked up my Volt 974 from Long Island New York with my daughter, Emily. We flew from Lansing, MI to pick the car up at Atlantic Chevrolet. I was a kid in a candy store driving the car off the lot had the biggest smile on my face. The smile is still on my face because I enjoy the car so much.
I have been in local newspapers, interviewed for a book, on radio shows, in a video shoot at GM Proving Grounds, and even have my own trading card. I have done this for the love of driving an electric car. Many ask how much is GM paying me and I tell them I don’t get a penny but get to save money on gas. Along the way I have gotten to meet Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson from NASCAR, government leaders from Michigan, and Kristen Zimmerman from GM.
I have traveled from New York to Michigan in a snow storm, driven on the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, participated in the Michigan State University Home Coming Parade, driven the car in a police escorted EV parade at the Woodward Dream Cruise, drove the car to its birth place - the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant, and taken the family on a vacation to Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, OH.
I charge my car each night with my Voltec charger - installed by Lansing Board of Water and Light. It takes about 3 hours to charge at the cost of 75 cents. I have had the chance to charge my car in downtown DeWitt, Michigan, at other hotels and in Time Square when I picked up the car.
The NHTSA Volt investigation was an interesting time. After reading the report on how the fire started, I had no concern driving my Volt. The media started in on how unsafe the Volt was and gave misinformation that got me upset. Some went as far as saying that in a crash the car would explode. Really, did they even read the report? I watched the Congressional hearing and what a joke that was. It was clear that some did not understand the result. NHTSA closed the investigation and the Volt still holds the 5-Star safety rating.
To me, the Volt should not have a place in politics, but it has been dragged thru the mud. I would like to say that as a Republican, I am sad that Mitt Romney was quoted saying “The Chevrolet Volt? Let’s see, an idea whose time has not come!” as he chuckled. I am here to tell you that the Volt has made an impact in my life. I spend less then $30 a month on gas and I get to drive an American made car. I use power made by Americans in America and dream of the day my car runs on renewable energy. The Volt, Leaf, Tesla and other EV cars are a great start to energy getting off foreign oil.
I am part of Lansing Board of Water and Light EV Plug-In program. It has given me an insight of how the power companies work and the impact of EV cars.
The proof is in the numbers after driving the car for one year. I have driven 11,278 electric miles and 4,005 miles on gas for a total of over 15,000 miles. I have a lifetime MPG of 130 with the mix of gas and electric power. Stats from VoltStats.net.
In closing, I would like to thank GM for developing the Volt and allowing me to part of the future of EV cars. To learn more about my Volt 974 please follow me at voltfansite.com.
Matt Stehouwer
Volt Owner 974
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written by Happy Birthday to your Volt!!, February 17, 2012
Ever since I’ve known you, if there's something out there that intrigues you, you go after it and the Volt was no exception. If we had more people like you, maybe our jobs would come back home where they belong. And you my friend-----just might want to consider running for political office, you'd be good at it!!!
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written by Edvard4, February 16, 2012
I'm not sure what the financial situation is for GM and the Volt or whether you're losing or gaining money from each sale. But even if you were losing money the overall benefits from positive PR upon having the Volt become a sales success would be worth whatever losses it could cost financially. I would argue that the losses would easily be made up financially elsewhere as perhaps more consumers who would have not otherwise considered a GM product would suddenly buy from GM's lineup.
While I am not an automotive specialist and fully realize I am being an armchair critic I can tell you from a consumer's standpoint that in the end price matters and the price of the Volt at present time is too high.Get that price down into the 25k-30k mark and watch them fly off the "shelves". The Volt is the most revolutionary car on the market. Here's to its future success.
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When gas hits $4.50 a gallon this summer, I'll honk and wave as I drive past gas stations.
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