Yesterday I had to make an unusual 447 mile round trip. I drove my '04 Colorado and averaged a little over 22 MPG in freeway driving about 2/3 or which was in the mountains. I burned about $88 of gas at our current Oregon rate of $4.30/gal. I thougt it would be interesting to compare how the Volt might have performed cost wise for me on the same trip.
Assuming the 40 mile electric range of the Volt and also assuming that I would probably not have been able to recharge the battery at the far terminus of my trip, I would have driven 407 miles with the ICE range extender running. Also assuming that the Volt actually gets the expected 50 MPG, I would have spent $34.60 on gas for that same trip, a savings of $53.40. Now if the Volt ICE were to burn E85 as expected, and knowing that there is an E85 station on that route that I could have filled up at, both going and returning, and give the price of E85 was running about $3.06 even without the additional Oregon State 50-cent/gal rebate on E85, the raw cost for the trip could have been as low as $25.
Any questions why I want a volt? I'd use zero liquid fuels on 95% of my driving days and save 60% to 72% on longer trips.
Now if I could just figure out how to do something about my motor home so I could afford to travel the USA again... Darn it anyway!
Assuming the 40 mile electric range of the Volt and also assuming that I would probably not have been able to recharge the battery at the far terminus of my trip, I would have driven 407 miles with the ICE range extender running. Also assuming that the Volt actually gets the expected 50 MPG, I would have spent $34.60 on gas for that same trip, a savings of $53.40. Now if the Volt ICE were to burn E85 as expected, and knowing that there is an E85 station on that route that I could have filled up at, both going and returning, and give the price of E85 was running about $3.06 even without the additional Oregon State 50-cent/gal rebate on E85, the raw cost for the trip could have been as low as $25.
Any questions why I want a volt? I'd use zero liquid fuels on 95% of my driving days and save 60% to 72% on longer trips.
Now if I could just figure out how to do something about my motor home so I could afford to travel the USA again... Darn it anyway!
