I currently own a VW Golf diesel, which I'm planning to sell back to VW in a couple of months because of the VW diesel emissions cheating scandal. I plan to replace the Golf with a hybrid or plug-in hybrid, and the Volt looks appealing in many ways. There is a complication for a plug-in, though, which comes from the confluence of two issues:
Thus, I'd like some advice on this. I know that Chevy says not to use extension cords, and I understand the reasons (fire safety, in a nutshell). I'd be comfortable taking that risk (with a new heavy-duty extension cord) for a charge or two, but for half a year or a year that makes me nervous. OTOH, that's clearly the cheapest way to go, at least in the short term. (I don't mind the 13-hour charge time that using a 120-volt outlet would take.)
Buying a 240-volt charge station and paying for an outside outlet is an option, but if I do that I'll need a model that can be easily removed from my current house and moved to the new one, ideally without scarring the current house too much. That's the main thing I'd like advice on -- the online descriptions and reviews of charge stations seldom pay much attention to this issue. Are there particular models that would be best for this? (Obviously, something that plugs in rather than being hard-wired would be a minimum requirement, along with being certified for outdoor use.) My house has vinyl siding, if that's relevant.
Alternatively, I could drive the Volt mainly on gas for a while, and charge only in good weather, when it will be OK for me to run the charger cable through my kitchen window. Would running a Volt primarily on gas for a few months pose any reliability or other problems?
Thanks for any advice!
- My current house (which I own) has no garage and no external power outlets. I gather that adding an external power outlet would cost about $300, which isn't too bad. Alternatively, I could snake an extension cord out from my basement through a conduit that's used for my cable TV service.
- I'm planning on moving in about a year, or maybe a bit less. Thus, I don't want to invest too much in modifications to my house that I'll have to abandon.
Thus, I'd like some advice on this. I know that Chevy says not to use extension cords, and I understand the reasons (fire safety, in a nutshell). I'd be comfortable taking that risk (with a new heavy-duty extension cord) for a charge or two, but for half a year or a year that makes me nervous. OTOH, that's clearly the cheapest way to go, at least in the short term. (I don't mind the 13-hour charge time that using a 120-volt outlet would take.)
Buying a 240-volt charge station and paying for an outside outlet is an option, but if I do that I'll need a model that can be easily removed from my current house and moved to the new one, ideally without scarring the current house too much. That's the main thing I'd like advice on -- the online descriptions and reviews of charge stations seldom pay much attention to this issue. Are there particular models that would be best for this? (Obviously, something that plugs in rather than being hard-wired would be a minimum requirement, along with being certified for outdoor use.) My house has vinyl siding, if that's relevant.
Alternatively, I could drive the Volt mainly on gas for a while, and charge only in good weather, when it will be OK for me to run the charger cable through my kitchen window. Would running a Volt primarily on gas for a few months pose any reliability or other problems?
Thanks for any advice!