Three-Days One-Plug
Chronicle: Driving the Chevy Volt
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On my last day with the Volt, I decided to try using one of the few charging stations in my area. Many of the Walgreens stores in my area have a SemaConnect ChargePro 220-240v connector and much to my surprise they are currently FREE to use! The process is just like plugging in with the 110-120v cord at home. I just took the connector off the hook and plugged it into the Chevy Volt’s charge port. The charger I was using was next door to Target so I did a little shopping while my car was filling up. Walgreen benefits from my Volt charging as well. They carry a salted carmel with dark chocolate to die for - of course I will spend $4 on chocolate to show my appreciation for the free power.
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Lack of infrastructure has been a significant stumbling block to all-electric vehicles taking off in the United States. Until recently most of the public electric charging stations were located in major cities around California and a few large metros spread out around the country. While driving all the way across the country on electric power is still challenging at best, making trips to neighboring cities has become easier.
Using the charging station locator from the U.S. Department of Energy, it is easy to see that unless travelling through Montana, Wyoming or the Dakotas, filling up your battery at your destination is possible. Unfortunately the charge times are still slow so you will need to find something to do for a few hours while your Chevy Volt sips up some kilowatts.
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The Chevy Volt is totally packed with technology. One of the most useful things is the charge delay settings. The link below is a video that explains the system in detail. The video is so old-school it reminds me of the duck-and-cover videos they used to show in to school children in the 1960s. Not sure who the intended audience is, but I think it misses the mark for just about everyone. Wowza.
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Posing for the camera
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Today, as we left the lunch spot, a spry gentleman on a mobility scooter was loitering near the Chevy Volt. He asked all kinds of questions about how it works. He was very interested in the details of charging the car and the range of the electric motor. My new friend was adorable and he made a few quick-witted comments that had me chuckling as we drove silently away.
It was kind of exciting to drive a car that becomes a conversation piece.
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Fully charged and ready for a lunch date with Ms Sara Lacey of www.soulmobiles.com fame.
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Started with two miles of estimated charge, put it on the juice for two hours, ended up with eleven miles of estimated range. My actual was 8.9 on a hilly two lane highway at about 55 mph. Not too bad, but I am wishing I had a 240v plug in my garage.
@chevyvolt and @kloutperks #voltklout #voltperk
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Volt cargo space - plenty of room for skate park gear.
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The Chevy Volt was delivered just after 10a today, with one mile worth of charge on the battery. I plugged it in, at about 10:45a, to a standard 120v outlet and am hoping for enough of a charge to make a 20 mile round trip around 12:45p. We will see what a 2 hour charge provides!
@chevyvolt and @kloutperks #voltklout #voltperk
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I qualified for this perk because of my influence score at Klout.com and the types of things I am influential about - according to Klout. I am not required to do anything other than take delivery of the car. I am not being compensated by Chevrolet/GM or Klout in any way and they do not control my editorial content.
http://klout.com/#/perk/Chevrolet/ChevroletVoltLoan@chevyvolt and @kloutperks #voltklout #voltperk
