Gen 1 GM Volt Plug-In Hybrid (2011-2015)

[Volt3939]

Barring a huge run-up in fuel prices

Thank God we don't have to worry about that!

Don't kid yourself though 40mpg cars do present a serious inhibitor to EV sales, and the Cruze is one of GM's better efforts in a long time. I question how often they drivers realize a true 40mpg in them though, just as I wonder where they are getting these figures like $648 a year for electricity. That's twice what our Leaf appears to be costing us in juice. Still when you see the cars side by side in the showroom it's a leap of faith for most buyers to spend that much more for a car with the hopes of making it back on fuel savings.

When I took my Volt in for a software update last year the loaner car was a Cruze. The difference between the two cars is like night and day! Smooth and quiet vs. jerky and loud! I only drove it 25 miles, but did have put a gallon in before returning it. I hated having to put the key in the door and the ignition...

3KW solar array is keeping up with our Volt usage, even producing a surplus to lower our bill. It has gone up over the last year, when we had the solar but not the Volt. When we true up at the end of the year I'll have a better idea of the increase.

 

[scottf200]

... It does suggest that GM needs to get the Volt's price down substantially, maybe by offering a version with only 1/2 or 1/3rd the battery (dropping the price, slightly improving acceleration and boosting CS efficiency by 1-2 mpg). Of course, if they only drop the price by the cost of the battery, they might wind up with a shorter AER range at the same price after incentives that they've got now, which won't help.

You can't just cut the battery in half to have a ~20 EV range because the batteries need to have both 'high-power' and 'high-energy' characteristics (marathon vs sprinter) and it is not linear. I was at a Volt owner event on media day at the Chicago auto show on Thur where John Voelcker (High Gear Media / GreenCarReports.com) lead us around the show and talked to us about all the electric vehicles. GM folks were there as well and this discussion came up. They understand the request it is just not practical to do that sort of math to get power and energy that is needed for full electric drive like the Volt does from 0-100 MPH while it still has battery power under all conditions (accel, flat, moutains, merge, etc, etc).

 

[TomT]

Well, let's be honest though; the Cruze is not exactly the standard by which ICE vehicles are judged... :lol:

[When I took my Volt in for a software update last year the loaner car was a Cruze. The difference between the two cars is like night and day! Smooth and quiet vs. jerky and loud!

 

[GRA]

... It does suggest that GM needs to get the Volt's price down substantially, maybe by offering a version with only 1/2 or 1/3rd the battery (dropping the price, slightly improving acceleration and boosting CS efficiency by 1-2 mpg). Of course, if they only drop the price by the cost of the battery, they might wind up with a shorter AER range at the same price after incentives that they've got now, which won't help.

You can't just cut the battery in half to have a ~20 EV range because the batteries need to have both 'high-power' and 'high-energy' characteristics (marathon vs sprinter) and it is not linear. I was at a Volt owner event on media day at the Chicago auto show on Thur where John Voelcker (High Gear Media / GreenCarReports.com) lead us around the show and talked to us about all the electric vehicles. GM folks were there as well and this discussion came up. They understand the request it is just not practical to do that sort of math to get power and energy that is needed for full electric drive like the Volt does from 0-100 MPH while it still has battery power under all conditions (accel, flat, moutains, merge, etc, etc).

I'm aware of the difference between high-power and high-energy batteries, and indeed I'm recommending that Chevy adopt a control strategy like what Honda is apparently doing with the Accord. Minimize emissions in stop and go urban driving by using EV mode exclusively (prior to CS state), maximize range with minimal emissions by using the ICE at higher speeds when that makes most sense. There are obviously cases of longer commutes where the Volt's greater AER is better, but the price is just too high for the mainstream consumer barring a major increase in gas prices and major drop in battery cost.

Personally, depending if they price it for no more than $35k I think the Accord will hit the (current) sweet spot for the majority of PHEV users, although having a spectrum of cars with varying AER range available will allow customers to select whichever one's best for them.

 

[GRA]

That article is a hack job.. once they kill the Volt they will start on the Leaf.

What part of it is a hack job? It's stating no more than the obvious, that the Volt is too expensive for what it provides for the average consumer - see below.

Barring a huge run-up in fuel prices

Thank God we don't have to worry about that!

Don't kid yourself though 40mpg cars do present a serious inhibitor to EV sales, and the Cruze is one of GM's better efforts in a long time. I question how often they drivers realize a true 40mpg in them though, just as I wonder where they are getting these figures like $648 a year for electricity. That's twice what our Leaf appears to be costing us in juice. Still when you see the cars side by side in the showroom it's a leap of faith for most buyers to spend that much more for a car with the hopes of making it back on fuel savings.

Re the Cruze and the Volt, and 40 mpg in the real world:

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2011-chevrolet-volt-vs-2011-chevrolet-cruze-eco-comparison-test" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Herm]

What part of it is a hack job? It's stating no more than the obvious, that the Volt is too expensive for what it provides for the average consumer - see below.

I really dont want to read it again but it is a hack job. Let me do a simple analysis.. take a $40k Volt, substract the $9k in Federal and State credits available in California and you have a car for $31k, that is about the average cost of a car purchased in the US by average people. How can it be too expensive for the average consumer?.. Yes of course you can find a cheaper car but it wont have unlimited range in the hybrid mode and 40 mile range in the BEV mode. Does anyone complain that the Corvette is a lot more expensive than a Cruze?

The review is equivalent to comparing the Leaf to a $11k Versa, and then fiddling all the numbers to make it even worse, plus adding the Leaf has a range of 50 miles in cold weather and the big worry about battery degradation in 5 years.. that would also be a hack job.

The only way to fight these hack jobs is to make electric cars that dont look anything like their ICE cousins.. such as the Ford Energi series and the Priuses.

 

[GRA]

What part of it is a hack job? It's stating no more than the obvious, that the Volt is too expensive for what it provides for the average consumer - see below.

I really dont want to read it again but it is a hack job. Let me do a simple analysis.. take a $40k Volt, substract the $9k in Federal and State credits available in California and you have a car for $31k, that is about the average cost of a car purchased in the US by average people. How can it be too expensive for the average consumer?.. Yes of course you can find a cheaper car but it wont have unlimited range in the hybrid mode and 40 mile range in the BEV mode. Does anyone complain that the Corvette is a lot more expensive than a Cruze?

The review is equivalent to comparing the Leaf to a $11k Versa, and then fiddling all the numbers to make it even worse, plus adding the Leaf has a range of 50 miles in cold weather and the big worry about battery degradation in 5 years.. that would also be a hack job.

The only way to fight these hack jobs is to make electric cars that dont look anything like their ICE cousins.. such as the Ford Energi series and the Priuses.

I take it you didn't bother to read the Car & Driver article, in which the Volt is directly compared to the Cruze, the platform on which the Volt is based. I agree with you on the ability of the Volt in the section I bolded, where we disagree is on how valuable these features are to the typical non-ideological consumer, the one described in the WSJ article:

". . . most car buyers have specific demands for relevant, fuel-saving technology. What sells is better mileage and performance for, at most, a modest price premium to older technology. Barring a huge run-up in fuel prices, it could take 20 years, or more, for a Volt buyer to earn back through fuel savings the roughly $20,000 extra cost compared with a Cruze. That math matters to consumers who put cost concerns ahead of emotions and self-image."

I believe that this is an accurate description of _mainstream_ consumers who might consider a Volt or a Leaf, or any EV, and there can clearly be no meeting of minds on this subject between us. What you see as a hack job I see as a rational evaluation, so let's agree to disagree.

 

[scottf200]

..., in which the Volt is directly compared to the Cruze, the platform on which the Volt is based.

From the article: "While the two share GM’s global compact-vehicle platform..."

The Volt is not based on the Cruze as people like to say in a derogatory way (you seem very reasonable so perhaps you were not ... I'm just clarifying). The only major thing I believe they transferred to the Volt was all the sound proofing work. To clarify both cars are based on the "Delta II is General Motors' future compact car platform, which was developed by Opel in Germany. It is the successor to the GM Delta platform. Internally it is simply known as a new Global Compact Vehicle Architecture or GCV."

Production vehicles based on Delta II platform:
-2008 Chevrolet Cruze, Daewoo Lacetti Premiere, Holden Cruze[4]
-2009 Opel Astra, Buick Excelle XT
-2010 Chevrolet Volt
-2010 Chevrolet Orlando
-2011 Buick Verano
-2011 Opel Ampera
-2011 Opel Zafira Tourer
Announced production vehicles to be based on Delta II platform:
-2013 Cadillac ELR[5][6]

 

[scottf200]

So I've read in the past that one the main things that the Volt and Cruze share is sound dampening technology and material and design. Check out this article and videos.

Redefining Compact: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Sound of Silence - 2010-09-14

DETROIT – Compact cars are rarely associated with very quiet, refined interiors. Chevrolet's engineers developing the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze took that as a challenge: deliver the quietness of a larger, upscale vehicle while maintaining the value and efficiency of a compact.

“Reducing noise is fairly easy if you have the flexibility to add cost or increase weight,” said Cruze Performance Manager, Brandon Vivian. “For Cruze, every change had to meet two criteria: It could not increase the Cruze starting price of $16,995, and it could not add weight that would jeopardize Cruze's outstanding fuel economy.”

To meet their objectives for the U.S. market, engineers developed more than 30 acoustic treatments that mute unwanted engine, road, and wind noise. Here are 10 of the most significant features:

• 500 inches of structural adhesive reduce structural noise and increase body strength
• Seven pints of liquid sound deadener on the cabin floor mute road and friction noise, and weigh 30 percent less than conventional sound-deadening materials
• A five-millimeter, acoustic-laminated windshield quiets wind noise
• Triple seals for all four doors block wind and road noise
• 30 “Snickers bars” of expandable, sound-blocking baffles in the roofline and window frames quiet noise transmitted around the door openings
• The 26- x 50-inch hood liner features acoustic materials that mute engine noise
• Two sound-absorbing mats on both sides of the front-of-dash panel isolate engine noise, and save three kilograms of weight by using lightweight materials
• A 15-millimeter-thick mat in the spare-tire well absorbs road noise
• Four wheel-well liners, backed with textile material, block tire noise
• A five-layer headliner muffles cabin noise

The quietness of the Cruze illustrates how addressing one sound often brings less-noticeable noises to the surface.

“Every noise masks other, quieter sounds,” Vivian said. “For example, reducing a wind whistle on the highway can uncover a tire rumble on coarse roads. With Cruze, we recently added a dampener to the fuel line, because the interior is so quiet that we could hear fuel flowing through the line.”

It seems that the engineering team may have hit their mark. After driving the Cruze, MotorWeek’s John Davis wrote, “the ride was not only free of vibration, it was big-car quiet.”

DriverSide.com’s Alison Lakin concurred, writing “Chevy engineers worked hard to improve sound damping in the car, and it has clearly paid off. The Cruze cabin reaches levels of luxury car quietness. Seriously.”

Check out the 1st video here:http://media.gm.com/content/media/u...n/2010/Sept/0914_cruze_sound?id=1318140119978

 

[TomT]

And, unfortunately, neither of which I find at all attractive; much less so than their ICE brethern...

The only way to fight these hack jobs is to make electric cars that dont look anything like their ICE cousins.. such as the Ford Energi series and the Priuses.

 

[SanDust]

Re the Cruze and the Volt, and 40 mpg in the real world:

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2011-chevrolet-volt-vs-2011-chevrolet-cruze-eco-comparison-test" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's mostly a good example of how some people will believe anything. What the graph says is that the Cruze is more efficient than the Volt between 40 MPH and 65 MPH when the Volt is running the engine. So in virtually all other situations the Volt is more efficient, making the real issue how would it be for the Volt to be running the engine when going 40 MPH? Well the real world data says that for 70% of the miles the Volt will be running on the batteries. And of course you have to believe that if you're going further you're driving faster. Assuming that 70% of these miles would be at 65 - 70 MPH, the Volt would be more efficient another 21% of the time. Adding this up, the Volt would be more efficient 91% of the time. (Not surprising since the report says that they got 29 MPG when driving the Cruze).

Moreover, some of the numbers are so fantastical that no sane person would believe them. For example, the article claims the Cruze can go from 0-30 MPH in 2.6 seconds. Really? That's about as fast as an Acura TL with a V6. And then there's this beauty: the Cruze takes 22.1 seconds to go from 50 MPH to 70 MPH (the Volt takes 5.9 seconds) but it can go 0 - 60 MPH in 8.4 seconds. Really? And you don't have to stop there. According to the article at both a stop and at a steady 70 MPH the Cruze is more quiet than the Volt (40 dBA vs 50 dBA and 70 dBA vs 73 dBA). Yet the Volt NEVER runs the engine at a stop so it couldn't be more than 0 dBA when stopped, and C&R has already published that at a steady 70 MPH the interior noise in the Volt is 66 dBA. So where exactly did the extra 50 dBA and 7 dBA come from?

Obviously the author was told to come up with a "man bites dog" story and he picked numbers, and apparently made others up, so the numbers fit the story. It might be shameful journalism but that doesn't mean you have to believe it. I've never driven a Cruze. I have driven a Volt. Given how well the Volt compared to my BMW 535 I have no reason to disbelieve the poster who has said that compared to the Volt the Cruze is a POS, and this whack job of a C&D report you're citing certainly doesn't either.

 

[Rusty]

Not to defend the article, but it is pathologically possible to get at least some of the numbers they report...

And then there's this beauty: the Cruze takes 22.1 seconds to go from 50 MPH to 70 MPH (the Volt takes 5.9 seconds) but it can go 0 - 60 MPH in 8.4 seconds. Really? And you don't have to stop there. According to the article at both a stop and at a steady 70 MPH the Cruze is more quiet than the Volt (40 dBA vs 50 dBA and 70 dBA vs 73 dBA). Yet the Volt NEVER runs the engine at a stop so it couldn't be more than 0 dBA when stopped, and C&R has already published that at a steady 70 MPH the interior noise in the Volt is 66 dBA. So where exactly did the extra 50 dBA and 7 dBA come from?

The article *did* say the 22.1 second 50-70 MPH time was in top gear. In the Cruze Eco manual I think that's 6th. And I can believe it's pretty slow to hoof along anywhere in that gear. I'd have to go test it, but my guess is he actually had a gear shift in the Volt's 5.9 time (and didn't know it). Otherwise I think it would have been a second or so faster.

And it's possible to get the Volt to run the ICE at a stop. The easiest way is to pop the hood (it's a maintenance mode), and since the hood has sound deadening in it that'd be pretty cheesy. But it also runs the ICE at the CD to CS transition for a bit (to warm up the converter and to bring the SOC up from the CD minimum to the CS nominal, which is higher). The worst way to get a Volt to make noise at idle (or best, depending on your goal) is to put it in Mountain Mode. Then it not only runs at idle, it runs hard at idle. And fairly loud.

And it runs harder at 70MPH in MM too, so that's my bet on how they may have cooked the dBA numbers.

Does that excuse a hit job? No, certainly not. But I think the author may not have so much made numbers up as he went out of his way to find the worst numbers possible.

 

[GRA]

Re the Cruze and the Volt, and 40 mpg in the real world:

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2011-chevrolet-volt-vs-2011-chevrolet-cruze-eco-comparison-test" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's mostly a good example of how some people will believe anything. What the graph says is that the Cruze is more efficient than the Volt between 40 MPH and 65 MPH when the Volt is running the engine. So in virtually all other situations the Volt is more efficient, making the real issue how would it be for the Volt to be running the engine when going 40 MPH? Well the real world data says that for 70% of the miles the Volt will be running on the batteries. And of course you have to believe that if you're going further you're driving faster. Assuming that 70% of these miles would be at 65 - 70 MPH, the Volt would be more efficient another 21% of the time. Adding this up, the Volt would be more efficient 91% of the time. (Not surprising since the report says that they got 29 MPG when driving the Cruze).

Personally, I was more interested in the Cruze's 42 mpg versus the Volt's 40 mpg @ 70 mph highway cruise, in an 894 mile real-world trip, since highway cruising represents virtually all (at least 85%) of my driving needs.

Moreover, some of the numbers are so fantastical that no sane person would believe them. For example, the article claims the Cruze can go from 0-30 MPH in 2.6 seconds. Really? That's about as fast as an Acura TL with a V6. And then there's this beauty: the Cruze takes 22.1 seconds to go from 50 MPH to 70 MPH (the Volt takes 5.9 seconds) but it can go 0 - 60 MPH in 8.4 seconds. Really?

As to the 50-70 time, note that it's acceleration _in top gear_, and the Cruze Eco is a stick. This particular stat has always bugged me in the case of manual transmission cars, because no one driving a stick is going to pass at these speeds in an overdrive top gear, they'll downshift (just as an automatic does, so those aren't passing in top gear either). In the case of the Cruze the penalty is extreme, because the top three gears are all overdrive ratios (4th is close to 1:1). For a 50-70 pass in the Cruze, I'd be in fourth or third depending on the distance available to pass, oncoming traffic, torque and HP peaks. etc. That's why you always see large differences between the 0-60 and 50-70 acceleration times in manual transmission cars.

And you don't have to stop there. According to the article at both a stop and at a steady 70 MPH the Cruze is more quiet than the Volt (40 dBA vs 50 dBA and 70 dBA vs 73 dBA). Yet the Volt NEVER runs the engine at a stop so it couldn't be more than 0 dBA when stopped, and C&R has already published that at a steady 70 MPH the interior noise in the Volt is 66 dBA. So where exactly did the extra 50 dBA and 7 dBA come from?

Obviously the author was told to come up with a "man bites dog" story and he picked numbers, and apparently made others up, so the numbers fit the story. It might be shameful journalism but that doesn't mean you have to believe it. I've never driven a Cruze. I have driven a Volt. Given how well the Volt compared to my BMW 535 I have no reason to disbelieve the poster who has said that compared to the Volt the Cruze is a POS, and this whack job of a C&D report you're citing certainly doesn't either.

 

[SanDust]

Personally, I was more interested in the Cruze's 42 mpg versus the Volt's 40 mpg @ 70 mph highway cruise, in an 894 mile real-world trip, since highway cruising represents virtually all (at least 85%) of my driving needs.
...
As to the 50-70 time, note that it's acceleration _in top gear_, and the Cruze Eco is a stick. This particular stat has always bugged me in the case of manual transmission cars, because no one driving a stick is going to pass at these speeds in an overdrive top gear, they'll downshift (just as an automatic does, so those aren't passing in top gear either).

I actually think you're wrong about driving behavior. When you're cruising it's a lot of work to suddenly downshift in order to pass. Unnatural. If you were racing yes but not if you were just cruising.

In any event, it's hard to rely on the stick argument because, if you do, then the other numbers in the review are wrong. The review of the Cruze Eco with a manual transmission found that 0-60 MHP time was 9.8 seconds. http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2011-chevrolet-cruze-eco-drive-chevy-cruze-review" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; The Cruze with automatic was faster 0-60 MPH at 8.9 seconds but that's slower than the 8.5 seconds used in the "comparison" article. That number would also show the Volt was faster 0-60 MPH, but since that would not fit the story line it's unsurprising that the "new" number has the "advantage" of making the Cruze seem faster than the Volt. Now I can see if you wanted to get a certain 0-60 MPH number you might be able to move the needle from 8.9 seconds to 8.5 seconds if you were willing to cheat. It would be bogus but possible. What isn't possible is moving the number from 9.8 seconds to 8.5 seconds.

As noted, there is no way of making the Volt louder without really working hard at it (thank you Rusty for noting the couple of ways you could cook up this crazy number). But that's just another misleading bogus number given that we're supposedly looking at "real world" numbers.

Bottom line is that this is a whack job article where the numbers were made up to fit the story line.

 

[scottf200]

New badge from http://evbadges.com/products/plug-in-powered-badge" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Herm]

Bottom line is that this is a whack job article where the numbers were made up to fit the story line.

There are a lot of people with an axe to grind that enjoy these articles, thats why you see so many examples.

 

[Roadburner440]

Personally I have gotten 42mpg in my Volt on the highway with it fully loaded down with stuff when we moved from Florida to Virginia.. I also got 40mpg Sunday. So it is certaintly real world numbers. My problem is when I need the gas engine to say bridge only a handful of miles. Then you do the calculation, and it winds up being 7-15mpg.. Granted it only burned .1 or .2 gallons but still it sucks looking at the number on my excel chart.

My numbers from Sunday being 55.4 EV miles @ $1.85/14.3kwh used in car/16.47kwh charged (it got a bump charge when we came home from dinner. think I got 45/46 miles on the original charge, but we just went up the road a couple miles to check out that Leaf at the dealer). The astonishing number was my 17.2 gasline miles.. That cost me $1.45 @ 40mpg. If that doesn't point out what a good deal driving on electricity is I don't know what does.. At least it is in my area. If I was paying 30 cents/kwh like some people in Cali I probably wouldn't be so enthusiastic. My rate is 11.2 cents with all taxes/fees included.

 

[hill]

Let us make an official Volt thread.

News from yesterday is that GM plans to make 10K Volts in 2011 and 30K in 2012. That compares to 50K worldwide figures Nissan had projected for Leaf. So, for 2011 & 2012, Leaf will probably outsell Volt in US.

This year is another matter. I think GM will probably deliver more cars than Nissan.

http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... volt_recap

DiSalle confirmed plans to produce 10,000 Volts by the end of the 2011 calendar year, and an additional 30,000 Volts during the 2012 calendar year.

My my my . . . how times have caused a reality check. Now GM is saying all their prior production boastings/guestimations are hereby withdrawn. But that's old news. I do have current events below.
My 2¢ . . .
Today I noticed the charge point map shows another location just touching the north west block adjacent to John Wayne airport - off of Park Plaza. Went by to check it out, because I was a bit low anyway. It took me about 5 miles out of the way, but it'd be nice to add it to the Leaf database. Chargepoint map showed it was available.

When I pulled in - to my surprise, there was a Blink AND a Charge Point stall. Nevertheless, there was no joy in Mudville. BOTH spots were ICE'd by Volts. Both of their lights showed that charging was complete. The signage states, "for ev CHARGING ONLY" ... not parking ... but rather to be used for charging. I don't mind if an EV is charging ... or even if a plug in is charging ... but to hog a "charging only" spot to the detriment of all that need a charge? Oh well. So I was hosed. Had to back track a few miles more out of the way, just to be sure I could juice up enough to get home. I'm sure this won't be the last time I run into quintessential examples inconsiderateness.

:?

 

[scottf200]

My my my . . . how times have caused a reality check. Now GM is saying all their prior production boastings/guestimations are hereby withdrawn. But that's old news. I do have current events below.
My 2¢ . . .
Today I noticed the charge point map shows another location just touching the north west block adjacent to John Wayne airport - off of Park Plaza. Went by to check it out, because I was a bit low anyway. It took me about 5 miles out of the way, but it'd be nice to add it to the Leaf database. Chargepoint map showed it was available.

When I pulled in - to my surprise, there was a Blink AND a Charge Point stall. Nevertheless, there was no joy in Mudville. BOTH spots were ICE'd by Volts. Both of their lights showed that charging was complete. The signage states, "for ev CHARGING ONLY" ... not parking ... but rather to be used for charging. I don't mind if an EV is charging ... or even if a plug in is charging ... but to hog a "charging only" spot to the detriment of all that need a charge? Oh well. So I was hosed. Had to back track a few miles more out of the way, just to be sure I could juice up enough to get home. I'm sure this won't be the last time I run into quintessential examples inconsiderateness. :?

So your first thought was to post your "ICE'd by Volts" | "for ev CHARGING ONLY" comments in this thread when you got home? Same issue if there were any other vehicles there that can run on electric batteries who's owners want to use electrons. Could have been two Leafs who just finished getting a full charge before you got there (or two Focus EVs, two iMev, two plug-in-Priuses, two plug-in-Honda-Accords, etc) wanting to charge. That will be the price for the popularity of plug-in electric vehicles is that charging stations will frequently be busy. Everyone has a right to run on the battery. :|

 

[walterbays]

BOTH spots were ICE'd by Volts. Both of their lights showed that charging was complete.

There could be some changes once sites start charging money for charging. The lowest price I've seen discussed is $1/hr which for a Volt equates to $3/gallon gasoline* - a better deal than pumping premium. But when a site charges $2/hr it's like buying $6/gallon gasoline. And the Volt drivers do have the choice of passing up the pricey charging station to buy at the gas station instead. So next time you go there you may find both spots occupied by fully charged Leafs - which I doubt will make you feel any better. Then again, after getting a full charge they may not feel like sitting there paying $1 or $2 per hour for parking with free regular parking spaces next to them, so maybe you will find an available spot.

* $1/3.3 kWh * (40 mi / gal) / (4 mi / kWh)