The Volt Sucks AC in D.C. Minnesota Chevrolet.
Posted by william preisinger on Thu, Oct 06, 2011 @ 03:39 PM
Let's get this out of the way right now: The Chevy Volt is a good car first and foremost, regardless of its nouveaupowertrain. We're fully aware its forte is returning mega-mileage numbers for those with short commutes, but this 4-day, 1,400-plus-mile adventure in the Volt serves as a real-time demonstration of how readily this plug-in rechargeable car can rise to a long-distance challenge if necessary -- a feat that would leave some of its plug-in only competitors sitting idle in the garage. More than just a simple mileage trial, this escapade was partially intended to gauge public interest and consumer awareness while evaluating the ease and availability of the evolving network of public charging stations.
Several online databases (CarStations, Charge Point and the Energy Department) exist to aid one's search for legitimate charging stations, and armed with a laptop or smartphone, finding a station is kind of fun. It's like participating in a "Mad Max"-themed geocaching event, only with the gasoline so highly coveted by the vagabonds in the post-apocalyptic epic replaced by a 240-volt supply of electricity, complete with an industry-standard SAE J1772 male charging plug at the end of the cable. It's in this manner that we found the charging station at Mom's Market in Timonium, Md., a suburb of Baltimore. We have Volts at: Ryanautomall.com
The station is part of the ChargePoint network. A phone call to the 800 number listed on the unit was all it took to unlock the coupler from the base unit and begin our charging session. Mom's Market has two charging stations -- one is 120-volt, the other is 240-volt -- and for the time being, charges are free. (Many stations charge a fee, which will require a credit card or existing account.) The mellow “power to the people” attitude displayed by Mom's Market makes sense when you consider the comments of Mom's founder and owner, Scott Nash: "They get some use here and there, but the reason why we have it up so early is because it's like an advertisement for electric cars. Seeing the station might make people think about buying one. The charging stations have to go in first, and then the cars get bought, so we're ahead of the curve a little bit. We think it could explode in the next year or two."
After three or so hours of shopping at Mom's and sampling the finest caffeinated beverages the Timonium Starbucks has to offer, we grow restless, reluctantly sever the Volt's umbilical-like connection to Mom's charging station and head toward Washington, D.C., just shy of a full charge.
No matter how well-packaged, in a car this compact it's impossible to ignore the 400-pound gorilla in the room -- that is, the T-shaped battery pack that runs the length of the passenger compartment. It's why rear passengers ride in bucket seats (note: Children LOVE them) instead of on a bench. Its low, center-mounted position gives the Volt a favorable center of gravity and relays a secure, confident handling feel to the driver, no matter how perverse the physics. Is this what Ford meant back in the '70s by “road-hugging weight?”
In fact, the Volt's road dynamics are as boring as those of any comparable economy car. Impacts are subdued and wind noise is minimal; in fact, it's eerily quiet inside. A wind-cheating 3-piece spoiler resides underneath the front bumper and scrapes the ground on even the tiniest of bumps; GM says it's “replaceable.” The interior B-pillar will intrude on the shoulder space of anyone who buys their suits off the large end of the rack, and the graphics on the door panels look as if they were lifted directly from the side of a '70s arcade video game. The graphics and switch gear on the center stack lean more toward the Apple aesthetic than PC.
In D.C. and the surrounding affluent suburbs, the Volt is a certified superstar. Our first hint of this comes when a long, gaunt arm resembling that of a John Holstrom illustration pokes through the window of a late-model VW GTI to offer an unsolicited, celebratory thumbs-up as it blitzes past. Later, hotel manager Justin Cortez recognizes the Volt upon arrival and begins rearranging parking assignments to position us in front of an outlet. When we were double-parked in front of the FDR Memorial for more than 20 minutes, a gruff (and fully combat-armed) police officer approaches, and before I can utter a word in my defense says, “The new Volt, right?” “Yeah,” I reply, “we're here to check out the Solar Decathlon on the Mall.” “Cool,” he says, nodding in approval. Then he simply walks away. Karma, apparently, is battery-powered. 
Rolling in electric-only mode through D.C. is sublime; pedestrians in this enlightened district readily dispense knowing looks and smiles of approval. One caveat: Don't get too wrapped up in the self-righteous love-fest, as the engine can kick on when battery power gets low, and when it does, it brings a swift end to the latest meeting of the mutual admiration society.
Members of the many collegiate teams that are competing in this year's Solar Decathlon are well-versed in all things Volt, some having interned with companies involved with the development of the software and hardware employed in hybrids and charging stations. While getting a Döner Kebab and a quick, satellite-fed football fix at the Döner Bistro in Leesburg, Va., a final accolade comes from a fellow diner -- a temporarily transplanted German in the employ of Mercedes Benz -- who says in a heavy German accent: “Is that your Volt man? It is nice car. For a Chevy I mean.”
So, after four days, 1,413 miles, 34.4 gallons of gasoline and a respectable 41 mpg, what have we learned that we didn't already know?
For starters, the Volt makes a fine road-trip car when all of your other options are exhausted. Second, large swaths of the public are fully aware of the Volt and absolutely love what it does. But they just can't get their heads around the price. Yet.