Life with an electric car
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Narrator: Electric cars are finally here. The Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt have been on sale since the beginning of the year and we’re getting used to how they work.
Volt Owner 1: I’m always struck to what a great car it is. It’s very smooth to accelerate. It’s a nice ride.
Volt Owner 2: The biggest surprise is how little cost it takes to charge it. Last month, for thirty days, it was $15.00 to charge it.
Narrator: Anxiety about battery life is probably the biggest concern with electric car owners. The Leaf averages about 117 kms, or 73 miles per charge according to the EPA, and the Volt can run for 56kms or 35 miles per charge. But the Volt also has a range extending gas engine which kicks in to provide electric power when the battery is running low.
Volt owner 3: I can drive every day on just electricity only. I don’t need to use gas except when I go visit my parents down in the South Bay, which is about 60 miles away, and even then I don’t need to use very much gas. So I get the benefits of driving an electric car most of the time, and then using just a little bit of gas when I need it.
Narrator: And charging is no more difficult than plugging in your smart phone.
Volt Owner 1: I don’t have a charging station. I just plug it in into my garage with the charger that it comes with. It looks like an extension cord. You plug it into your wall.
Narrator: Charging an electric car at home is very economical; anywhere from a dollar-fifty to four dollars. And it’s not dangerous. The power required is equivalent to running a hair dryer.
