Electric Vehicle: Life on the Carpool Lane...

Aah... Life is good.
The family got a new freedom this Christmas.  An electric vehicle.

My prior vehicles all took gas as fuel.  Volkswagen bug, Suzuki Samurai, Toyota Rav-4, Honda Civic.

I've been searching for a new vehicle for some time. 

The Old Car
My inherited Honda had a whopping 180K+ miles on it.  The automatic transmission needed a manual gear change to make things happen.  One AAA call identified the occasional need to shift out of and back into park in order to start the car.  Years of sun damage were evident in shredded visors.  A brittle driver door handle cracked down to the metal several years ago and opening the door required some delicate fingerwork.  A dent in the hood reminds me of the time when some kindly soul helping me to start the car at a gas station forgot to take the hook off before shutting the hood (oops).

I knew I wanted an electric vehicle.

It wasn't for the green footprint, although that certainly was one of the deciding factors.

It wasn't for the low car price or payments, although without the State rebate and tax credit totalling $9K I surely wouldn't have been able to justify the price.

It wasn't for the close-in parking at charging stations (sometimes even closer to entrances than handicapped spots).

It wasn't for the fuel cost savings.

It wasn't for the sometimes free charge at local businesses and government establishments.  Some charge for use of charging stations, use of some charging stations is free.

It wasn't for the low, low interest rates and long, long terms from the credit union.

Oh, all those other reasons mattered, but without this final reason, I'd probably not be driving an EV.

The solo ride on the carpool lane.

What is your time worth?  Even at minimum wage, what... something shy of $10 an hour... You can save an hour driving to and from El Segundo or West LA each day.

Yes, there'll be days when the carpool lane is the one with the accident on it.  But so sweet was the thought of this one additional freedom.

And so it is, that last Christmas we purchased a new EV.

Ours happens to be a Chevrolet Volt.  It suited my purposes, our commutes, my need for a vast, vast trunk (unbelievably vast for such a small car).  There are lots of good models out there, from Ford, Toyota, Nissan and yes, even Tesla!

If you're interested in an EV of your own, you may want to check out some of my EV videos on my Squigglemom channel.

Until you own one, you don't really understand just how many questions will arise.  Where are the nearest charging stations around me?  Just how long will it take to charge my car?  What happens when the battery runs out completely? Will it really last me long enough to justify the higher cost?  Can I jump start another car with my EV?

I'm going to spend some time documenting my experiences with my new Chevy Volt and also a few experiences with my friends' EVs...  You can find these experiences on my SquiggleMom YouTube channel. (Please subscribe!)