As the topic states. Anyone have any first hand experience? I REALLY like the prospect of cutting my gasoline bill by going electric. I send upwards of 120.00 per month on gasoline for my daily driver. From the research that I've done so far, it looks like it will cost me about forty bucks per month on my electric bill to charge it daily.

Savings on gasoline cannot be the only decision to make when buying a Government Volt I would think.

You will never recoup the purchasing/financing part of the car and the gas savings you wish you can save on.

If you are only spending $120 a month on gasoline, you are actually do very well.

If you wanted to get off gasoline, I would suggest the 100% electric Nissan Leaf. It has over 100-mile range per charge and it is a lot cheaper than a Government Volt.

Are gas cars cheaper to maintain/repair?

TCO

Thanks for the insight - please let's not turn this into a political thread. I stay out of political discussions on the forum, and would like to have my thread remain nonpartisan.

In before trashcan...

quote Originally posted by TheDigitalAlchemist: Are gas cars cheaper to maintain/repair? TCO

I am not sure - as far as oil changes, the Volt has a small internal combustion engine, so it will still require some regular preventive maintenance such as oil changes - albeit not as much since the primary driving that I will do will be on all electric with the gas motor kicking in when the range of the electric is exceeded.

My current car has a 100,000 mile warranty and only has about 30,000 miles on it. The Volt has a similar warranty.

I am not considering an electric car to "recoup" my cost in gas as an investment. I simply want to stop paying for gas at the pump every week. 40 - 50 bucks per week at teh pump gets old real fast.

quote Originally posted by topcat: I am not considering an electric car to "recoup" my cost in gas as an investment. I simply want to stop paying for gas at the pump every week. 40 - 50 bucks per week at teh pump gets old real fast.

I would still suggest the Nissan Leaf.

quote Originally posted by yellowstone: In before trashcan...

The man wants non partisan views and he will get mine. despite what i think of its maker, a volt here has been giving its owner some issues. it is a nice car with some nice tech,but also consider the cruise. half the cost and excellent mileage.
'm

quote Originally posted by htexans1: it is a nice car with some nice tech,but also consider the cruise. half the cost and excellent mileage.

The Cruze?

quote Originally posted by htexans1: The man wants non partisan views and he will get mine. despite what i think of its maker, a volt here has been giving its owner some issues. it is a nice car with some nice tech,but also consider the cruise. half the cost and excellent mileage. 'm

The Cruzes have been recalled for potential engine fire hazards.

http://www.post-gazette.com...-fire-hazard-641638/

What is your current car payment? If you would be saving $80 per month on fuel, is making a $400 monthly payment going to be worth it?

first a few things
1) what are you driving now?
2)how far do you need the vehicle to go at one shot?

to give you an idea. 120.oo in gas will get me to work and everywhere else for about 2 weeks in my 2004 ford sporttrac
my 84 fiero I can do the same but for over 5 weeks on 120.oo in gas

it might be "getting old" to pump 40.oo a week into the vehicle.. but what is the difference of that gas money is now just going to the bankers
the volt is twice the car as the leaf.. and if you need to drive 200 miles to be by a loved ones side you don't have to stop after 100 miles and wait 4-8hours to recharge..

without knowing what your dumping 120.oo of gas in a month.. to get an idea of how far you are driving in that month.. can't really help you..
I didn't like the 100-130 every two weeks so I got a 2seater 4 banger, and now go 5 weeks on the 100-130 in fuel..
I drove a volt for 6 months it's a nice car for what it is.. but buying it just cause you don't like blowing money at the gas pump.. might not help you
the extra money a month in car payment will/ does buy alot of fuel.. if you save 80 bucks in fuel cost but the car payment is more than that 80.oo savings.. did you save?

I drive about 20 miles one way to work each day - 6 and sometimes 7 days per week. My current daily driver is a Kia Soul. My car payment will be approx 100.00 more per month with a straight up trade in with no money down. the one thing that I think is important is to note that I am ready to buy a new car anyway, so calculating the increased car payment is moot, because I had planned on buying something a little more expensive than my Kia anyway. If I can get one that saves tons on gas, then that is a plus....

Prius (Priuses? Priui?) are a good bit cheaper to start off, I think. Except for the stereotype, they've supposed to be great cars.

quote Originally posted by TheDigitalAlchemist: Are gas cars cheaper to maintain/repair? TCO

hydrogen / electric cars are cheaper again
Making electricity from hydrogen only needing one 12 v battery

check on government rebates..
and what adding a 220 volt plug will cost.. yes you can charge it on 110 but it's cheaper to recharge on 220
the biggest factor will be if they EPA screw with electric plants with cap/trade and the obamas hate for coal.
I know you want politics out of this.. but if in the near furture that changes your electric bill could become HUGE..
you might do better in the long run with a ford fusion 4 cyl. as the areo drag on that breadbox on wheels must get crap for mpg

If you are looking for great gas millage plus luxury check out the new Hyundai's and Kia's. They have several cars that are 40mpg+ and their top of the line trims are VERY nice.

TopGear UK did a resent section on Leaf.
Maybe good for local trips (Good for Fleet use etc.) but not taking a trip.... Even w/ pro charging, time is shorter but expect sitting and waiting. UK uses 220vac but using normal plug to charge... TG shows the results.

Wichita hates GM but is correct for much/all hybrid or electric only cars. Read Consumer Reports etc.
Never own, always lease. Resale/trade-in on them is bad and many lease doesn't cover battery replacements because high cost of battery. Battery Life is 5-10 years depending on the car, driver, etc.

Charging station? Suggest you can an electrification for estimates first before you visit a dealer. House need to wire a Drier/stove type outlet/circuit to use "fast" chargers.

Check home insurance. Check local codes and HOA rules too.
If charge outside then any/all can be an issue.

New Gas and Diesel engines get high MPG and much cheaper to own and resale value is good too for most.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top and bottom of every forum page...)

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 06-23-2012).]

quote Originally posted by Wichita: If you wanted to get off gasoline, I would suggest the 100% electric Nissan Leaf. It has over 100-mile range per charge and it is a lot cheaper than a Government Volt.

What if he wants to drive more than 100 miles?

Hello, everyone that I know that has one (2) really likes the car and its responsiveness, though I suspect they are biased. But its still a nice car, though it wont save you any money in the long run. Unless gas goes over $6.00/gal, then electric costs will go through the roof as the EPA clamps down more and more on coal fired electric plants. So who knows, get a bike!

Masosphgetti (user name I cant spell) is a wee bit passionate about the Volt. He may be of help for you.

[This message has been edited by normsf (edited 06-23-2012).]

quote Originally posted by topcat: As the topic states. Anyone have any first hand experience? I REALLY like the prospect of cutting my gasoline bill by going electric. I send upwards of 120.00 per month on gasoline for my daily driver. From the research that I've done so far, it looks like it will cost me about forty bucks per month on my electric bill to charge it daily.

The big question that you always have to think about when buying a new car (regardless of what it is) when you're concerned about fuel prices / value is... will the [car payments + fuel costs + insurance] outweigh the current total monthly costs you have? If you're driving a car now that you own outright, and have basic coverage on it, then chances are that you're probably not going to actually SAVE any money by buying a brand new car, even if it uses less gas. I mean, on the other hand, if you're already in the market for a new car because your old car is really old... OR... you just want a new car anyway, and you like the Volt, then that's a different story.

Only the cheapest car that will move the people you need to move is worth it. Anything else is emotion. Talking about a car being cost effective is really a silly discussion in my opinion.

quote Originally posted by topcat: As the topic states. Anyone have any first hand experience? I REALLY like the prospect of cutting my gasoline bill by going electric. I send upwards of 120.00 per month on gasoline for my daily driver. From the research that I've done so far, it looks like it will cost me about forty bucks per month on my electric bill to charge it daily.

I'm in the process of considering one too. Nope, ain't worth it but I would love to have one. I've driven a couple now and found nothing to not like about it. Dead quiet in EV mode and pretty dang quiet in charge sustain. I can go to work and back on one charge. 40 MPG in charge sustain is very doable (or more.) You do have to learn how to maximize the range and prepare for mountain mode but once you understand how to operate the system, they are great. If you can do 80% of your driving in EV mode and own it for 6-7 years you can get very close to being cost effective. Certainly no reason a person couldn't do it. My buddy regularly gets 40 miles in EV mode except in the coldest or hottest weather. In those conditions he drops to low 30's. I would assume SC is not quite as extreme as our Sierra Nevada winters (0-20F lows) or valley summers (110-115F.) The heater and AC do consume EV range. His wife pretty much never uses gas running his three daughters around and he said it's running around $30/month to charge.
Have you checked out gm-volt.com? Good site for Volt information.

[This message has been edited by TK (edited 06-23-2012).]

Get a first generation Geo Metro
Some taller 13" tires and a economy head package from 3tech in Canada
and you should be getting 55mpg on the highway or so.

An electric car isn't economically viable based solely on gas savings.
The Volt is essentially an electric hybrid version of the Cruze.
According to www.fueleconomy.gov :
-a Volt will cost about $650 per year in electricity costs for the typical driver, using electric power only - no gas.
-a Cruze Eco will cost about $1800 per year in gas for the same driving.

That's a savings of $1150 per year.

The Volt's MSRP is about $39,000.
The Cruze Eco's MSRP is about $20,000 nicely equipped. (starts off at about $16,500)

Say you get a $7500 tax credit on the Volt, you're still spending an extra $12,500 to save $1150 a year.
It'll take you 11 years to break even, but after 11 years, you actually start saving money.

quote Originally posted by topcat: As the topic states. Anyone have any first hand experience? I REALLY like the prospect of cutting my gasoline bill by going electric. I send upwards of 120.00 per month on gasoline for my daily driver. From the research that I've done so far, it looks like it will cost me about forty bucks per month on my electric bill to charge it daily.

$120 a month? That's it? I'm spending $340/month on gas and $70/mo on tolls. Maybe I should look into one of these electric dohickies too......

quote Originally posted by BlackEmrald: If you are looking for great gas millage plus luxury check out the new Hyundai's and Kia's. They have several cars that are 40mpg+ and their top of the line trims are VERY nice.

I drive a Kia now, and yes I agree that some of their luxury cars are very nice and the quality has improved vastly over the past 10 years. I am not totally sold on the Volt, and have been looking at the Genesis and Sonata

quote Originally posted by TK: 'm in the process of considering one too. Nope, ain't worth it but I would love to have one. I've driven a couple now and found nothing to not like about it. Dead quiet in EV mode and pretty dang quiet in charge sustain. I can go to work and back on one charge. 40 MPG in charge sustain is very doable (or more.) You do have to learn how to maximize the range and prepare for mountain mode but once you understand how to operate the system, they are great. If you can do 80% of your driving in EV mode and own it for 6-7 years you can get very close to being cost effective. Certainly no reason a person couldn't do it. My buddy regularly gets 40 miles in EV mode except in the coldest or hottest weather. In those conditions he drops to low 30's. I would assume SC is not quite as extreme as our Sierra Nevada winters (0-20F lows) or valley summers (110-115F.) The heater and AC do consume EV range. His wife pretty much never uses gas running his three daughters around and he said it's running around $30/month to charge. Have you checked out gm-volt.com? Good site for Volt information.

The allure of having a whisper quiet ride as a daily driver is one of the things that has a grip on me. I am not totally sold on the Volt, but the one thing that I like over the other Electric/Hybrids is that from what I could find so far is that the Volt is the only one that s electric drive and uses the engine to charge or power the electric motor only when selected or needed. The Pirus only has a range of about 15 miles on all electric, then it switches to engine drive, which actually drives the engine, not power the electric motor. The Leaf has a range of about a hundred miles and once it is time for a recharge... I can do that much driving on one weekend day while running around town, and taking care of errands. SC gets pretty danged hot in the summer. Temps will stay in the 97 - 100+ range for weeks on end in the late summer. To make matters worse, the humidity is ALWAYS high (80%+). That makes staying cool a little harder. Driving without AC here is simply not an option for me. [/QUOTE]

quote Originally posted by Formula88: An electric car isn't economically viable based solely on gas savings. The Volt is essentially an electric hybrid version of the Cruze. According to www.fueleconomy.gov : -a Volt will cost about $650 per year in electricity costs for the typical driver, using electric power only - no gas. -a Cruze Eco will cost about $1800 per year in gas for the same driving. That's a savings of $1150 per year. The Volt's MSRP is about $39,000. The Cruze Eco's MSRP is about $20,000 nicely equipped. (starts off at about $16,500) Say you get a $7500 tax credit on the Volt, you're still spending an extra $12,500 to save $1150 a year. It'll take you 11 years to break even, but after 11 years, you actually start saving money.

You would not happen to be an Industrial Engineer would you? One of the IEs that works for me will use this sort of logic when we are planning a new build. I am not buying new as a need to save money on gas or over the lifetime of a car. I simply want a new car. I like the idea of not having to stop to gas up every week, so this Volt thingy sounds appealing. My simplistic approach looks like this:

120.00 on gas each month
45 bucks on electricity each month
net equals an 85 dollar savings each month, assuming that I do not have to use gas at all for the month.

Again, I do not think in terms of lifetime of the car for a savings. There are too many variables that will fluctuate with how much you spend over the life of a car in my opinion that makes that sort of math moot - driving style, accidents, insurance costs, wear and tear (tires, brakes, etc) and maintenance costs.

the 100 dollar increase in a car payment does not come into the equation at all because I am going to buy a new car anyway and the cap that I placed on my purchase will mean that I am going to pay more each month

The other thing that some mentioned is the price of electricity in a time where those costs could skyrocket. That is something to consider as well. The one thing that I DO know is that the cost of gas will continue to climb. the days of having stations with 1 dollar a gallon are long gone.

They're estimating the battery will cost $8000 that might make 10 years. Maybe more but probably less. No one knows for sure yet.

quote Originally posted by ryan.hess: $120 a month? That's it? I'm spending $340/month on gas and $70/mo on tolls. Maybe I should look into one of these electric dohickies too......

I might spend a wee bit more than 120.00, but it is pretty close. South Carolina has some of the lowest prices for gas in the states right now. When I drive outside of South Carolina I get sticker shock when I pull up to the pumps. We are paying about 3.01 a gallon for regular unleaded.

If the "electric only" feature is OK for you and "gas because of going over range" isn't an issue, consider the pure electrics:

(others have stated the Nissan Leaf)
Mitsubishi makes the I-something and its an all electric priced lower then the volt.

Ford makes a focus that is an all electric

Theres Tesla (spendy tho)

Don't forget the other "high mileage" smaller cars though. As you mentioned KIA Hyundai and others have high mileage capable cars for much less in cost.

The Smart car is a high mileage car for commuting too, just dont expect to "tough it" on the freeway with the Lincoln Town car and 18 wheelers though (LOL)

Remember (This is the MBA in me talking here) its TOTAL cost of ownership not just the savings in gas.

[This message has been edited by htexans1 (edited 06-24-2012).]

I went and test drove a few new Kia's and hated them. I was looking at a forte koup turbo 6 speed manual and the thing was not fun for me to drive, felt cheap and smelled funny.

My current largest concern with electric vehicles or electric/hybrid vehicles such as the Volt, the Leaf, Tesla, etc, is that no one is quite sure yet what it entails and costs to replace the electric battery on these vehicles. The recommended service life, as eluded to above, is five to ten years. The problem is we have yet to hit five to ten years with these cars, so we are not getting a good idea of how resale value and owner's ability to service correctly is panning out.

This is my personal reluctance to push forward with an all-electric or near all-electric vehicle. My concern is that these vehicles will split into two camps by the time resale comes along. You will get individuals that will either have done a tremendous amount of service on them and paid a lot of money but then face a potential issues of still lack of infrastructure and high maintenance driving down resale value, or you will get those owners that have done very little maintenance meaning their car - if sold to someone through resale - will incur tremendously high maintenance costs (it's very difficult for people willing to install the necessary items to have in their homes to operate these cars, especially if they're having to buy said car used).

The Focus and Mitsubisi are not available in South Carolina. They are releasing those cars to a market limited to the west coast from what I've read. Orgre makes a VERY interesting point. The resale on an Electric can not be that great. Who'd want to buy an electric vehicle that is 4 - 5 years or older? I know I would not especially if battery replacement is in the thousands of dollar range. That fact alone makes me rethink the electric route...

quote Originally posted by htexans1: If the "electric only" feature is OK for you and "gas because of going over range" isn't an issue, consider the pure electrics: (others have stated the Nissan Leaf) Mitsubishi makes the I-something and its an all electric priced lower then the volt. Ford makes a focus that is an all electric Theres Tesla (spendy tho) Don't forget the other "high mileage" smaller cars though. As you mentioned KIA Hyundai and others have high mileage capable cars for much less in cost. The Smart car is a high mileage car for commuting too, just dont expect to "tough it" on the freeway with the Lincoln Town car and 18 wheelers though (LOL) Remember (This is the MBA in me talking here) its TOTAL cost of ownership not just the savings in gas.

quote Originally posted by topcat: As the topic states. Anyone have any first hand experience? I REALLY like the prospect of cutting my gasoline bill by going electric. I send upwards of 120.00 per month on gasoline for my daily driver. From the research that I've done so far, it looks like it will cost me about forty bucks per month on my electric bill to charge it daily.

You spend $120 a month and you think this car can ever save you money? Buy a Prizm, Corolla, Civic, CRX or a Jetta.

Tell us what you drive. How many MPG you get. Insurance cost. Average maintenance cost and your car payment, if applicable. One of us will crunch the numbers and show you how much extra it is... Unless you are paying for a new loaded out diesel truck, it won't save you money. I doubt you are though as these are grossly different market segments.

Now if you just want to buy the car because you like it or it will make you think you are doing some good, fine. Saving money is not what is going to happen. Especially if you compare it to any car I just suggested.

Have you concidered a Mazda 3? They are sporty, economical, and relatively cheap.
http://www.mazdausa.com/Mus...ehicleCode=M3S#/home

quote Originally posted by Fiero84Freak: My current largest concern with electric vehicles or electric/hybrid vehicles such as the Volt, the Leaf, Tesla, etc, is that no one is quite sure yet what it entails and costs to replace the electric battery on these vehicles. The recommended service life, as eluded to above, is five to ten years. The problem is we have yet to hit five to ten years with these cars, so we are not getting a good idea of how resale value and owner's ability to service correctly is panning out. This is my personal reluctance to push forward with an all-electric or near all-electric vehicle. My concern is that these vehicles will split into two camps by the time resale comes along. You will get individuals that will either have done a tremendous amount of service on them and paid a lot of money but then face a potential issues of still lack of infrastructure and high maintenance driving down resale value, or you will get those owners that have done very little maintenance meaning their car - if sold to someone through resale - will incur tremendously high maintenance costs (it's very difficult for people willing to install the necessary items to have in their homes to operate these cars, especially if they're having to buy said car used).

The Prius is a good test model for this because they have been around for awhile. There has been many cases of 1st generation Prius cars going over 200,000 miles with no battery replacement. Toyota has claimed that there is a taxi fleet in Victoria B.C. that uses Priuses with 300,000 and even 400,000 running on the original battery pack.

The MSRP for a Prius battery pack is around $2500. Then what ever the dealership labor charges to replace them. Some people have said it isn't a thing to really change them out yourself and you can find battery packs for $1500. These are from people I read that are buying used Prius's and just going ahead and replacing the battery packs.

Here is something else to consider about Battery Packs for EV/Hybrid vehicles. The State of California mandates that all batteries for Prius cars must have a 10-year or 150,000 mile warranty.

The Volt, in comparison cannot match the California standard, but they did up their original warranty that now stands at 8-years or 100,000 for the battery pack.

But since there are so few Volts their battery pack is around $8000, but I suspect that will drop dramatically over time.

"As the topic states. Anyone have any first hand experience?"

LOL, over 35 replies and not a single one meeting the OP criteria........including mine Gotta love the internets.

Another with no first hand experience, but I'd like to add my .02 cents.

Regardless of how you are doing it, you will still have to pay for the energy you use.

You can pay 120 a month in fuel, or 60 in fuel and 60 in electric, or 120 in electric. Either way you are going to pay. Raising your car payment a hundred a month also needs to be added in to this equation.

Brad

Just for interest sake...this is NICE!! Bit too pricey for you TC, I guess...but what a car

Base model price 22,700 pounds sterling.