My wife and I just purchased a new Chevy Volt LT. It’s an electric car with a gasoline generator that greatly extends its range.
It goes about 50 miles on a full charge before switching over to gas. Its total range on a full charge and a full tank is about 420 miles - similar to a conventional car. Since most of our trips are less than 50 miles, we will seldom have to use gasoline.
Some of our household electricity comes from the solar panels on the roof of our garage, and the rest comes from a community solar project, so in effect our Volt will run on sunshine. That should take a big bite out of our carbon footprint. See http://blog.ucsusa.org/rachael-nealer/gasoline-vs-electric-global-warming-emissions-953
The list price of the Volt LT is about $34,000. Thanks to Mass Energy’s Drive Green program, we got a $7,000 discount off the list price. On top of that, we will be eligible for a $7,500 credit off our federal income taxes, and a $2,500 rebate from the state of Massachusetts. The net price of the car after sales tax, registration and document fees was under $20,000 – not including the trade-in value of our old car.
The Volt is fun to drive. It goes from zero to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, and it comes with many features and comforts. Go for a test drive at a dealer near you and see for yourself!
Paul Lauenstein
Sharon, MA