Chevy Volt dashboard display is cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=zh58pS882mo&vq=medium

There's a ball that you try keep centered in the display -- drive too aggressively and it moves away from the center, letting you know that you need to have a lighter touch on the throttle.

Positive feedback that will subtly change your driving behavior.

"Oops! I was looking at my "Efficiency Ball," and didn't see your brake lights. My bad."

:rofl:

I like the Volt, don't get me wrong. It's perfect for some people: folks who honestly need to drive more than 100 miles in a day, folks who are on call 24/7 and have no assurance that their electric vehicle can safely charge for 4 hours or even 4 minutes, or others who have a legit reason.

For the rest of us, there is the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus EV, Mitsubishi iMiev, Coda EV Sedan, AMP Sky, AMP Solstice, AMP SUV, and one of these days, the Aptera and the Phoenix SUT.

Check back with me in 10 years, however. I don't think that first group of people are going to have any problems with an electric vehicle by that time either because costs will be going down and battery range will be going way up. For most or even all of those folks the price versus range equation will pan out for them and they'll be able to afford an electric vehicle that will meet their needs.

Even right now, there is the Tesla Roadster that goes over 240 miles on a charge. You have to have loads of cash to get one but that's not a problem for doctors and most company CEOs. It's us regular peons that will have to wait another decade...

I control the throttle to keep it as constant as possible. I am getting 33 mpg in the winter, a bit more in the summer.

that also guided the driver to efficient accelerator habits. That was just after the OPEC oil boycott...I can't remember the model versions or years...I never owned a Vega, the Maverick I had was before the days of electronic ignition but it got roughly 33 miles to the gallon on the highway (55 mph)--if the tires were full of air and there wasn't a head wind.

in their day got better gas mileage than the Kia Sportage I'm driving today.

I like it

Bummer.

I have a Nissan Leaf on reserve. I'm also anxiously awaiting the Ford Focus EV because of its Ford MySync system that is soooo cool, and it has the same range as the Leaf. I'd like to compare the two side by side.

The thing is: I have made myself a solemn promise that I will NEVER buy another gasoline vehicle as long as I live. Electric cars and Electric trucks are going to be it for me from now on (as soon as our current vehicle dies we'll have to get another EV).

The hybrid was a nice step in the right direction, but just the first step. The Volt is simply the next step in the hybrid.

Big oil has them swaddled in a nice comfy oily blanket and that is the only world they've ever known. It's scary to change. For some people it's downright terrifying. These people need the security blanket of having the gas engine there "just in case."

Then there are the few percent of people who honestly need to drive more than 100 miles in a day. Or folks who simply cannot be sure they'll have 8 uninterrupted hours to charge their electric car. I'm talking about people like doctors, people whose job keeps them on call 24/7, nurses, some low or mid-level managers, etc. These people are trapped in a job that has them jumping out of bed at all hours of the day or night. They can't be sure that their electric vehicle is going to be allowed to sit for 4 hours or even 1 hour. I had a job like that and I feel for these folks. It sucks.

Those types of people have a legitimate need for a car like the Volt and that's ok. In another decade, two at the most, the electric cars will be able to provide the range they need and advanced batteries may even be able to recharge lightning fast, thus making their wacky schedule totally moot where that is concerned.

It's a hybrid.

Just as the Toyota Prius plug-in can go 10 miles on the electric motor only, the Volt does the same thing for up to 40 miles.

What makes them both hybrids is that the gasoline engine can and does provide some of the kinetic energy (via a fancy transmission) to turn the wheels.

How GM is able to get away with calling the Volt an "electric car" is beyond me.